[2.0.72][linux] Crash saving while alt-tabed

[Kingdud]

This has happened to me multiple times. It didn't used to, but started within the last few minor patches (so, maybe 0.68 was ok, and somewhere after that it broke? Don't know for sure which version is when it started). It may be related to OS updates from Manjaro and not an update to the game itself.

What happens?
When I alt-tab out and an autosave occurs, the game sometimes crashes. Not always, just sometimes. The SSD is very good. Samsung 990 Pro with < 1 year of use and no hard life (very low TB written). The SSD is under 50% full. This happens under both X11 and Wayland. I did not report it before Manjaro's update to Wayland as the default desktop for KDE Plasma because I figured, like most crashes, it'd be fixed before I could report it.

It may be the crash happens if you alt-tab *during* an autosave, I don't have a way to know as most of my windows are full screen. But it wouldn't shock me to learn it's some edge case more exotic than just 'be alt tabbed when the game tries to autosave'. It is NOT a 100% crash rate. It feels random. I've had game sessions stable for 4+ hours while alt-tabbing, and other sessions break on the second autosave (like the one below)

Savefile attached is the one autosave just before this crash happened. I was in editor mode planning out my Fulgora base for a 40h run. Also fixing my first ship. This happens outside of editor mode as well.

This is from journalctl. There were no logs for 2+ minutes prior to this output.

Code: Select all

Dec 16 13:02:29 my_pc steam[7718]:  700.281 Info AppManager.cpp:323: Saving to _autosave3 (blocking).
Dec 16 13:02:29 my_pc steam[7718]: src/common/processpipe_posix.cpp (519) : Assertion Failed: CCrossProcessPipe::BWrite: 32 (Broken pipe)
Dec 16 13:02:29 my_pc steam[7718]: 12/16 13:02:29 minidumps folder is set to /tmp/dumps
Dec 16 13:02:29 my_pc steam[7718]: 12/16 13:02:29 Init: Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(factorio)/version(1.0)/tid(42548)
Dec 16 13:02:29 my_pc steam[7718]: assert_20251216130229_3.dmp[44211]: Uploading dump (out-of-process)
Dec 16 13:02:29 my_pc steam[7718]: /tmp/dumps/assert_20251216130229_3.dmp
Dec 16 13:02:29 my_pc steam[7718]: src/common/processpipe_posix.cpp (519) : Assertion Failed: CCrossProcessPipe::BWrite: 32 (Broken pipe)
Dec 16 13:02:29 my_pc steam[7718]: src/common/pipes.cpp (861) : CClientPipe::BWriteAndReadResult: BWrite failed
Dec 16 13:02:29 my_pc steam[7718]: src/common/pipes.cpp (861) : CClientPipe::BWriteAndReadResult: BWrite failed
Dec 16 13:02:29 my_pc steam[7718]: src/common/pipes.cpp (861) : Fatal assert; application exiting
Dec 16 13:02:29 my_pc steam[7718]: 12/16 13:02:29 minidumps folder is set to /tmp/dumps
Dec 16 13:02:29 my_pc steam[7718]: 12/16 13:02:29 Init: Installing breakpad exception handler for appid(factorio)/version(1.0)/tid(42548)
Dec 16 13:02:29 my_pc steam[7718]: Adding process 44210 for gameID 427520
Dec 16 13:02:29 my_pc steam[7718]: assert_20251216130229_6.dmp[44214]: Uploading dump (out-of-process)
Dec 16 13:02:29 my_pc steam[7718]: /tmp/dumps/assert_20251216130229_6.dmp
Dec 16 13:02:29 my_pc steam[7718]: Adding process 44213 for gameID 427520
Dec 16 13:02:30 my_pc steam[7718]: assert_20251216130229_6.dmp[44214]: Finished uploading minidump (out-of-process): success = yes
Dec 16 13:02:30 my_pc steam[7718]: assert_20251216130229_6.dmp[44214]: response: Discarded=1
Dec 16 13:02:30 my_pc steam[7718]: assert_20251216130229_6.dmp[44214]: file ''/tmp/dumps/assert_20251216130229_6.dmp'', upload yes: ''Discarded=1''
Dec 16 13:02:30 my_pc steam[7718]: pid 44214 != 44213, skipping destruction (fork without exec?)
Dec 16 13:02:30 my_pc steam[7718]: assert_20251216130229_3.dmp[44211]: Finished uploading minidump (out-of-process): success = yes
Dec 16 13:02:30 my_pc steam[7718]: assert_20251216130229_3.dmp[44211]: response: Discarded=1
Dec 16 13:02:30 my_pc steam[7718]: assert_20251216130229_3.dmp[44211]: file ''/tmp/dumps/assert_20251216130229_3.dmp'', upload yes: ''Discarded=1''
Dec 16 13:02:30 my_pc steam[7718]: pid 44211 != 44210, skipping destruction (fork without exec?)
Dec 16 13:02:30 my_pc steam[7718]: Game Recording - game stopped [gameid=427520]
Dec 16 13:02:30 my_pc steam[7718]: Removing process 44213 for gameID 427520
Dec 16 13:02:30 my_pc steam[7718]: Removing process 44210 for gameID 427520
Dec 16 13:02:30 my_pc steam[7718]: Removing process 42548 for gameID 427520
Dec 16 13:02:30 my_pc steam[7718]: Removing process 42431 for gameID 427520
Dec 16 13:02:30 my_pc steam[7718]: Removing process 42430 for gameID 427520
Dec 16 13:02:30 my_pc steam[7718]: Removing process 42429 for gameID 427520

[Rseding91]

The log file doesn't show any crash. Are you sure that's the correct log file?

[Kingdud]

The log file doesn't show any crash. Are you sure that's the correct log file?

I am. That's why I included journalctl, where you can see it creating a crash dump from Factorio's appID at the same second as the autosave occurs. The game window vanishes without an error message or warning of any form. If you told me 'this isn't our app crashing, this is the OS killing the app after weirdness occurred' I might believe that. But why are pipes breaking on autosave while tabbed? That's what I don't get.

[Rseding91]

Without being able to investigate further my first guess would be what ever desktop shell you're using is broken and causing the issue. Factorio doesn't do anything different when "alt-tabbed" vs not.

[pioruns]

Without being able to investigate further my first guess would be what ever desktop shell you're using is broken and causing the issue. Factorio doesn't do anything different when "alt-tabbed" vs not.

That would match typical Manjaro experience. It's a rolling distro, with many things being broken and fixed often.
OP, I suggest switching to more stable and reputable Linux distro. I am using Fedora KDE, I alt-tab all the time, leave game paused for days and I can still alt-tab back to it anytime withouh any crash. Did that earlier on Devuan X11, now in Fedora Wayland, same experience.