Invalid file magic number. The appinfo.vdf version might not be supported by the current version of Protontricks

[Richard-Payne]

DEVELOPER EDIT:

See this comment for the current workaround.

---

Describe the bug
When I run protontricks I get this error:

Invalid file magic number. The appinfo.vdf version might not be supported by the current version of Protontricks

To Reproduce
Steps to reproduce the behavior:

1. Run command protontricks 1250410 /home/richard/Downloads/MSFS_Plugin_x64_Software_8.0.313.0.exe
2. Command fails and error is displayed:
   Traceback (most recent call last): File "/usr/bin/protontricks", line 8, in <module> sys.exit(cli()) ^^^^^ File "/usr/lib/python3.12/site-packages/protontricks/cli/main.py", line 32, in cli main(args) File "/usr/lib/python3.12/site-packages/protontricks/cli/util.py", line 159, in wrapper return cli_func(self, *args, **kwargs) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ File "/usr/lib/python3.12/site-packages/protontricks/cli/main.py", line 339, in main proton_app = find_proton_app( ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ File "/usr/lib/python3.12/site-packages/protontricks/steam.py", line 848, in find_proton_app tool_app = find_steam_compat_tool_app( ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ File "/usr/lib/python3.12/site-packages/protontricks/steam.py", line 609, in find_steam_compat_tool_app appinfo_sections = [ ^ File "/usr/lib/python3.12/site-packages/protontricks/steam.py", line 531, in iter_appinfo_sections raise SyntaxError( SyntaxError: Invalid file magic number. The appinfo.vdf version might not be supported by the current version of Protontricks - please check for updates.

Expected behavior
It runs the exe I'm passing in the game prefix

System (please complete the following information):

• Distro: Manjaro
• Protontricks: flatpak, Manjaro Extras repo and AUR git package
• Protontricks version: AUR is protontricks (1.11.2.dev7+gf2d605d). Flatpak and Manjaro Extras are both 1.11.1
• Steam version:
  Steam Beta Update
  Steam Version: 1719453458
  Steam Client Build Date: Thu, Jun 27 2:35 AM UTC -08:00
  Steam Web Build Date: Thu, Jun 27 12:36 AM UTC -08:00
  Steam API Version: SteamClient021

Additional context

https://gist.github.com/Richard-Payne/070d5b08ede33cfa10440e932f48149c

[MrBareBones]

Yeah I'm running into this same issue on my Steam Deck after the Beta Update with game recording. I wonder if that has something to do with it?

[Matoking]

The current workaround is to downgrade from Steam beta.

---

There have been several changes to the ~/.steam/steam/appcache/appinfo.vdf file in the Steam beta:

• The file header is 8 bytes longer.
• The binary VDF segment for each app entry in appinfo.vdf is different and the vdf Python library that Protontricks uses doesn't seem to be able to parse it. Each segment is preceded by a SHA1 checksum; calculating the checksum for the VDF segment ourselves results in the same checksum. So it's not that we're trying to parse the wrong data, the data itself seems to now use a different format that the library can't parse (yet).
• The contents of the binary segments also seem to have changed radically, with things like redundant appinfo.appid fields having been removed. This is a bit hard to determine since I can't parse the file to a more human readable format yet. But for comparison's sake, the appinfo.vdf from 2023 is 15.6 MiB in size, while the current appinfo.vdf in Steam beta is 12.9 MiB.

Protontricks needs to read this file since it contains app compatibility mappings (or at least used to, I'll have to double check), such as what Proton versions to use by default. Cyberpunk 2077 was previously set to use Proton Experimental by default due to DualSense support. These app compatibility mappings aren't very commonplace, though, so if push comes to shove we can skip parsing the newer appinfo.vdf file. I'll try working on a proper solution first, though.

[dsalt]

Workaround: set PROTON_VERSION to whatever's appropriate.

[PickMeNow]

Having the same problem. how can I use PROTON_VERSION, do I just set PROTON_VERSION=EXPERIMENTAL in the environment variables?

[syrvolga]

@PickMeNow Use this in a terminal for the flatpak version:

export PROTON_VERSION="Proton Experimental"
flatpak run com.github.Matoking.protontricks --gui

[Matoking]

I've submitted a PR to fix the appinfo.vdf support in the VDF parser library at ValvePython/vdf#61.

[Dark-Thoughts]

Pretty much the same one whenever I try to install MO2 via https://github.com/rockerbacon/modorganizer2-linux-installer.
Annoying since I need it to load the game with all its mods and Steam keeps breaking it, saying it is corrupt, does a file check and then undoes the changes made to launch it that way.

INFO: steam not found in '/home/*****/.var/app/com.valvesoftware.Steam/.local/share/Steam'
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/app/bin/protontricks", line 8, in <module>
    sys.exit(cli())
             ^^^^^
  File "/app/lib/python3.11/site-packages/protontricks/cli/main.py", line 32, in cli
    main(args)
  File "/app/lib/python3.11/site-packages/protontricks/cli/util.py", line 159, in wrapper
    return cli_func(self, *args, **kwargs)
           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/app/lib/python3.11/site-packages/protontricks/cli/main.py", line 339, in main
    proton_app = find_proton_app(
                 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/app/lib/python3.11/site-packages/protontricks/steam.py", line 848, in find_proton_app
    tool_app = find_steam_compat_tool_app(
               ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/app/lib/python3.11/site-packages/protontricks/steam.py", line 609, in find_steam_compat_tool_app
    appinfo_sections = [
                       ^
  File "/app/lib/python3.11/site-packages/protontricks/steam.py", line 609, in <listcomp>
    appinfo_sections = [
                       ^
  File "/app/lib/python3.11/site-packages/protontricks/steam.py", line 531, in iter_appinfo_sections
    raise SyntaxError(
SyntaxError: Invalid file magic number. The appinfo.vdf version might not be supported by the current version of Protontricks - please check for updates.
ERROR: Protontricks did not find a valid prefix directory.  Stdout was:\n

I've got this before the recording beta and it persists when I opt out of it too.

Edit: This was with both the Fedora repo version and the Flatpak one. Using the pipx install one works, in case someone else faces the same issue. https://github.com/Matoking/protontricks#pipx

[Matoking]

If you're using pipx, you can use the following commands to install development versions of vdf and protontricks with the required fixes:

# Uninstall Protontricks first
$ pipx uninstall protontricks

# Install Protontricks and vdf with the fixes
$ pipx install --preinstall git+https://github.com/Matoking/vdf.git@support_new_bvdf git+https://github.com/Matoking/protontricks.git@appinfo_v29

Releasing a new version of Protontricks with the fix in place requires that a new version of vdf is also published with support for the new format. I do not maintain that library and the final fix might be different, so I cannot release a new version of Protontricks until then, unfortunately.

[testc2n14]

@PickMeNow Use this in a terminal for the flatpak version:

export PROTON_VERSION="Proton Experimental"
flatpak run com.github.Matoking.protontricks --gui

i tried that on my steam deck and i am still getting the error, i feel like i have been stupid. i i'm going to try and compile the python file next

[testc2n14]

wait no i apperntly did something wrong i got it working

[JohnTheCoolingFan]

Set PROTON_VERSION via flatseal to "Proton Experimental" and selected Proton experimental for the game as well (I use GE proton by default). Flatpak install, both steam and protontricks. Getting a different error now.

Protontricks was closed due to the following error:

Proton installation could not be found!

=============

Please include this entire error message when making a bug report.
Log messages:

Running inside Flatpak sandbox, version 1.14.6.
Found Steam directory at /home/jtcf/.var/app/com.valvesoftware.Steam/.local/share/Steam
Using default Steam Runtime at /home/jtcf/.var/app/com.valvesoftware.Steam/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu12_32/steam-runtime
WINETRICKS environment variable is not available. Searching from $PATH.
Found 2 Steam library folders
Multiple compatdata directories found for app 387990
Currently logged-in Steam user: coolercircutin
Found 0 Steam shortcuts running using Steam compatibility tools
Using 'yad' as GUI provider
$PROTON_VERSION was set but matching Proton installation could not be found.

[jurassicjordan]

How does one set the environment variable in flatseal? I added PROTON_VERSION=“proton experimental” to the environment variables list and it made no change

[JohnTheCoolingFan]

@jurassicjordan Are you sure there's no change? Is the error message the same? In my case the error message changed.