Failure to start with tcmalloc "Attempt to free invalid pointer" and radeonsi built against llvm 16

[pukmajster]

NOTE:

No one utilizing the workarounds found in the comments has faced any issues with VAC, so they are most likely safe to use, but do so at your own risk.

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ORIGINAL POST:

OS: Fedora 38 Workstation, GNOME (both X11 and Wayland) CPU: Intel Core i9 10900K GPU: AMD Radeon RX 6800 RAM: 32GB

no launch parameters used

CSS and TF2 simply refuse to even launch when running Steam from the RPM fusion repos. Running Steam Flatpak however, these problems go away and the games are playable.

Hint for potential fix, posted by user Jennie on protondb for tf2:

I fixed this bug by removing the libtcmalloc_minimal.so.4 library in the bin folder in the tf2 folder and making a symbolic link to the libtcmalloc_minimal.so.4 library from the system. But it is worth installing packages, by command sudo dnf install gperftools gperftools-devel gperftools-libs.i686 Note: create a symlink from /lib/libtcmalloc_minimal.so.4

[kisak-valve]

Previously noted at https://github.com/ValveSoftware/Source-1-Games/issues/5007#issuecomment-1609397945

[prismz]

This issue occurs for me even in the flatpak version of Steam, even after symlinking the system libtcmalloc.

OS: Gentoo on dwm CPU: Ryzen 7 5800x GPU: Radeon RX 6600 RAM: 64GB DDR4

[rKsanu2MMYvypWePtQWM]

any news? OpenSUSE Tumbleweed no longer ships with 32-bit version of libtcmalloc so I can't transplant it

[TrixieUA]

Fedora Workstation 38, steam flatpak, same issue trying to run Elden Ring(When running on Wayland it just works)

OS: Fedora 38 Workstation, GNOME (Issue only on X11) CPU: AMD Ryzen 5800X GPU: Nvidia RTX 3070 RAM: 32GB

[Ultimator14]

I was able to launch the game via steam after symlinking (or copying) the 32bit system libtcmalloc on Gentoo LInux.

USE="abi_x86_32" emerge dev-util/google-perftools  # install 32bit version of libtcmalloc
cd ~/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/Team\ Fortress\ 2/bin
mv libtcmalloc_minimal.so.4 libtcmalloc_minimal.so.4.bak
ln -s /usr/lib/libtcmalloc_minimal.so.4 libtcmalloc_minimal.so.4  # cp also works

[Ultimator14]

Also the gperftools have basically no dependencies so you should be able to build it yourself.

Build

git clone https://github.com/gperftools/gperftools.git
cd gperftools
./autogen.sh
automake
./configure --build=i686-pc-linux-gnu CFLAGS=-m32 CXXFLAGS=-m32 LDFLAGS=-m32
make

Copy

cd ~/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/Team\ Fortress\ 2/bin
mv libtcmalloc_minimal.so.4 libtcmalloc_minimal.so.4.bak  # backup
cp <gperftools-dir>/.libs/libtcmalloc_minimal.so.4.5.13 ~/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/Team\ Fortress\ 2/bin/libtcmalloc_minimal.so.4

[GoTeamAnt]

Today (29.08) archlinux udpated llvm-.libs to 16.0.x and I experienced the same issue.

Possible solution for archlinuxers:

• Install lib32-gperftools from aur

Start tf2 like this (launch options): LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib32/libtcmalloc.so %command%

[scorpius2k1]

Today (29.08) archlinux udpated llvm-.libs to 16.0.x and I experienced the same issue.

Possible solution for archlinuxers:

* Install lib32-gperftools from aur

Start tf2 like this (launch options): LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib32/libtcmalloc.so %command%

Experiencing the same issue.

Arch Linux AMD Radeon 6900XT rc/tcmalloc.cc:278] Attempt to free invalid pointer 0x97a9ad0

Confirming @GoTeamAnt's workaround also allows 'Half-Life 2: Deathmatch' to launch properly. Thank you.

[LargeOunce]

Seconding the confirmation for GoTeamAnt's workaround.

[lflo5727]

Will add another confirmation for @GoTeamAnt 's workaround. Just updated Arch the other day and found TF2 wouldn't launch. Workaround works for me. Hope to see it patched soon.

[fraz0815]

Today (29.08) archlinux udpated llvm-.libs to 16.0.x and I experienced the same issue.

Possible solution for archlinuxers:

• Install lib32-gperftools from aur

Start tf2 like this (launch options): LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib32/libtcmalloc.so %command%

confirming also on manjaro (testing), thanks :-)

[jessienab]

Today (29.08) archlinux udpated llvm-.libs to 16.0.x and I experienced the same issue.

Possible solution for archlinuxers:

* Install lib32-gperftools from aur

Start tf2 like this (launch options): LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib32/libtcmalloc.so %command%

Working as well for me, thank you.

However, I am slightly concerned that this could trigger a VAC ban. Is there any such risk in having an LD_PRELOAD relating to C++ code like this? EDIT @lflo5727 thank you for valiantly testing relating to this, that is good to hear :) I hope this is resolved soon enough upstream.

Longer term: is this something that Valve has to fix, or the Arch maintainers? I would assume it being some sort of llvm library conflict, that it's on Valve's side.

[lflo5727]

However, I am slightly concerned that this could trigger a VAC ban. Is there any such risk in having an LD_PRELOAD relating to C++ code like this?

Well, I just sat down to play after using that patch and I can't connect to the TF2 game coordinator at all. According to https://steamstat.us/ it seems to be up. Wondering if that could be related? Hard to tell since I can't launch the game without the workaround

EDIT: I take it back, seems to be working fine now EDIT: @jasonnab played for about 30 min and no VAC ban, so I think that's fine

[LargeOunce]

I also can't connect to the game coordinator. I haven't been able to since i downloaded a 40 MB update; I think the second most recent.

terminal log: https://gist.github.com/LargeOunce/874ccb8178fed03a5218bf783634c05d

I'm using an old version of rayshud, but friends aren't showing and the community server browser says "Steam must be running to make use of find servers" Clicking casual crashes the game, with only this as any output.

crash log: https://gist.github.com/LargeOunce/397da2e7b33a9018068b0b7150950fb4

[LargeOunce]

Hosting a local server results in this. I tried to load tr_walkway_rc2 and then the training mode. Neither could connect to the internal server.

[kisak-valve]

Hello @LargeOunce, running Team Fortress 2 with Proton is not officially supported and your issue is unrelated to this issue report.

Having written that, unofficial support for running Team Fortress 2 with Proton is being tracked at https://github.com/ValveSoftware/Proton/issues/3150.

[LargeOunce]

I had it unchecked but i think it had downloaded. it's fixed now with the workaround.

[Beanie496]

Today (29.08) archlinux udpated llvm-.libs to 16.0.x and I experienced the same issue.

Possible solution for archlinuxers:

• Install lib32-gperftools from aur

Start tf2 like this (launch options): LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib32/libtcmalloc.so %command%

Same issue. Arch Linux, AMD Radeon 5600H. ./hl2.sh gives src/tcmalloc.cc:278] Attempt to free invalid pointer 0xa6adad0. After installing lib32-gperftools from the AUR and installing, running LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib32/libtcmalloc.so ./hl2.sh gives a couple of errors though:

ERROR: ld.so: object '/usr/lib32/libtcmalloc.so' from LD_PRELOAD cannot be preloaded (wrong ELF class: ELFCLASS32): ignored.
ERROR: ld.so: object '/usr/lib32/libtcmalloc.so' from LD_PRELOAD cannot be preloaded (wrong ELF class: ELFCLASS32): ignored.

Anyone know why? EDIT: I've realised it's because I'm preloading the library into hl2, not the shell script, but I'm not sure how to preload the library within the script. EDIT, again: Launching through Steam did work. This was after I move the old bin/libtcmalloc_minimal.so.4 file to the parent directory and added a symlink in its place though. I couldn't move the old library back though because it seems to have been deleted somehow? I hope that doesn't bite me later.

[eiglow]

Based on previous comments, this works for me on Fedora 39 trying to play TF2:

1. Terminal: sudo dnf install gperftools-libs.i686
2. Launch options: LD_PRELOAD=/lib/libtcmalloc_minimal.so.4 %command%

[bbhtt]

Running Steam Flatpak however, these problems go away and the games are playable.

The upcoming steam flatpak (now in flathub-beta) based on 23.08 freedesktop runtime is also affected as that runtime now ships llvm 16.

gperftools-libs is already included in the Flatpak https://github.com/flathub/com.valvesoftware.Steam/blob/4ff190217bbd6ee51d547671de367ba52dd28221/modules-32bit.yml#L65 but the game doesn't use that because

~/.var/app/com.valvesoftware.Steam/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/Team\ Fortress\ 2/hl2.sh has this part:

elif [ "$UNAME" == "Linux" ]; then
   # prepend our lib path to LD_LIBRARY_PATH
   export LD_LIBRARY_PATH="${GAMEROOT}"/bin:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH
fi

To "fix" it, remove (create backup, move it elsewhere) libtcmalloc_minimal.so.4 from ~/.var/app/com.valvesoftware.Steam/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/Team\ Fortress\ 2/bin (change the game name) and run the game as is.

You can also run steam as flatpak run --env=LD_PRELOAD=/app/lib32/libtcmalloc_minimal.so.4 com.valvesoftware.steam

This'll force the game to use the bundled libtcmalloc_minimal.so.4 instead of the game's own one.

(Use with caution, as I have no idea if it triggers anti-cheat mechanisms)

[prismz]

Any updates on this? I've had llvm>=16 masked and that seems to have kept things working on my Gentoo install. I tried all the work arounds and none seemed to work so I just downgraded to LLVM 15. Can we please have confirmation that something is being done to fix this problem?

[Khrozma]

I am also having this issue. Arch Linux (moved from Garuda, which had the same issue as well) RX 6800 XT Ryzen 9 5950x

EDIT: Flatpak seems to be working with no issues. Team fortress 2 ran just fine after installation and loading into a community server. If there's anything else I could provide to help potentially fix this issue please let me know!

[Irets]

@prismz I am also on Gentoo but have never had any issues. This LLVM issue with source games was brought up to me by an Arch user.

I have been on LLVM 16 since July 3rd. My current exact version is 16.0.6 and compiled with the following USE-flags:

• abi_x86_32
• binutils-plugin
• libffi
• ncurses

Haven't done any library overrides for TF2.

[pukmajster]

Other third-party Source games also seem to be affected by this, such as No More Room in Hell

[Khrozma]

I am also having this issue. Arch Linux (moved from Garuda, which had the same issue as well) RX 6800 XT Ryzen 9 5950x

EDIT: Flatpak seems to be working with no issues. Team fortress 2 ran just fine after installation and loading into a community server. If there's anything else I could provide to help potentially fix this issue please let me know!

Now Flatpak doesn't seem to work. Same issue.

[pukmajster]

Yeah the flatpak version was recently updated to include the updated library that breaks the games

[bbhtt]

Yeah the flatpak version was recently updated to include the updated library that breaks the games

The library was always part of the flatpak. The issue is with the copy of the library coming from the game and the game overriding system libraries with LD_PRELOAD/LD_LIBRARY_PATH.

See my comment for a workaround, or downgrade the flatpak https://docs.flatpak.org/en/latest/tips-and-tricks.html#downgrading

[Zettaga]

Based on previous comments, this works for me on Fedora 39 trying to play TF2:

1. Terminal: `sudo dnf install gperftools-libs.i686`

2. Launch options: `LD_PRELOAD=/lib/libtcmalloc_minimal.so.4 %command%`

This fixed it on Fedora 38 for me, thank you!

[Khrozma]

Replying to https://github.com/ValveSoftware/Source-1-Games/issues/5043#issue-1806058075

This fixed my issue on Arch Linux, what I did for anyone who's coming from the web in hopes to fix this issue, I removed

libtcmalloc_minimal.so.4

From /bin/ in tf2s directory, then in launch commands in Properties > General > Launch options add the following;

LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib32/libtcmalloc.so %command%

Please note you will need lib32-gperftools from the AUR.

[spagootie]

However, I am slightly concerned that this could trigger a VAC ban. Is there any such risk in having an LD_PRELOAD relating to C++ code like this?

Well, I just sat down to play after using that patch and I can't connect to the TF2 game coordinator at all. According to https://steamstat.us/ it seems to be up. Wondering if that could be related? Hard to tell since I can't launch the game without the workaround

EDIT: I take it back, seems to be working fine now EDIT: @jasonnab played for about 30 min and no VAC ban, so I think that's fine

From what I understand, VAC bans players in waves and not immediately. This doesn't definitively prove that triggering VAC by doing this isn't possible. Because of this, I'm not using this fix, and I'll instead be waiting for Valve and/or LLVM devs to fix it properly.