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Open source

SKCraft Launcher

Brand it, host it, and give players your modpacks with your logo and your news. The source lives on GitHub.

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License
LGPL v3
Language
Java

A fit when

You want to run distribution yourself

The project is for communities that publish their own packs and do not want another service in the middle.

  • Your logo and your news

    Put your branding on the window and point the news feed at your own site.

  • Updates on your schedule

    Ship a new pack version when you are ready. The launcher downloads that update.

  • Several packs, one launcher

    Offer a set of modpacks from the same window instead of a separate download for each.

  • Hidden packs

    Keep a pack off the public list until a player enters a code.

  • You host the files

    The launcher does not sit on someone else's service. A normal website is enough. You do not need PHP.

  • Optional features

    Players can turn optional mods and features on or off before they launch.

Skip it when

You do not want to run one

  • One pack, listed somewhere

    If you just want a pack out in the world, this is more machinery than you need.

  • Nowhere to put the files

    You need a site, or some other place, where players can download what you build.

  • You do not want to ship a launcher

    Someone still has to hand out the program. If that is not you, stop here.

What the launcher handles

Building a pack is drag and drop. The program then keeps players on the version you published.

A folder, then a build

Drop mods, configs, and resource packs into a folder. Build with the GUI, or from the command line. You do not have to hand-edit XML or JSON for a normal pack.

Downloads that finish

Interrupted downloads resume. Updates only fetch what changed. Files shared between packs or versions are stored once.

The loaders you already use

Forge, Fabric, LiteLoader, and custom jar mods are supported. Extra files can land outside the mods and config folders.

It can update itself

A bootstrap downloads new launcher builds. Portable mode keeps the data next to the program.

Build from Git

A CI server can generate packs from a repository, down to one pack per branch or tag.

A long-running project

Minecraft's oldest surviving modpack launcher, and the one SKCraft still uses for Alice and the other packs.

Getting started

From a folder to a launcher

The wiki has screenshots for each step. Plan on a few hours the first time, not an afternoon of config files.

  1. Fill the folders

    Mods, configs, and resource packs go in src. Forge, Fabric, or LiteLoader installers go in loaders.

  2. Build the pack

    Use the modpack creator, or the command-line builder. Change the version when you want players to pick up an update.

  3. Point the launcher at it

    Upload the files and set the package list URL. The wiki walks through branding, news, and self-update after that.

Playing on SKCraft

Download the build we ship

Alice and the other modpacks already use this launcher. Grab the SKCraft build, sign in with Microsoft, and pick a pack.

Download launcher

Using it yourself

Start from the repository

Sample files, the creator tools, and the bootstrap all live in the project. The wiki is the setup guide. Issues are where bugs go.

SKCraft/Launcher Read the wiki

Licensed under the GNU Lesser General Public License, version 3. Contributions are dual licensed under that license and the 3-clause BSD license.