Converting Client Modpack Versions To Server Version
Last modified on Dec 13, 2021 in Control Panel
Introduction
Modpacks that are hosted using 3rd party launchers like Feed the Beast, Technic, or AT generally provide a client-side version and server-side version of the modpacks they host. The client-side version in what you would install locally on your machine in order to connect to the server using the server-side version of the modpack. The key difference to note between the two is that the client side may have mods that are only meant for the client, such as minimap mods. Server-side versions on the other hand typically don’t require those client side mods since they offer no interactive features that would translate between the server and client. With this in mind, you can virtually convert any client side modpack pack to server side by removing those client side mods, the trick is knowing what mods to remove.
Knowing what mods to remove comes down to how exposed you are to the modding community and how familiar you are with the mods you play with. When reviewing the mods installed in a modpack, experienced users can off-hand pick out the client side mods without referencing them. For newer users, you may need to review the mods official development page for a statement on whether or not the mod needs to be installed on both ends. You can also make an educated guess by remembering this general rule of thumb, “does the mod add in-game additions like mobs or blocks”, if not then it most likely doesn’t need to be included in the server-side version. Now other than editing the mods folder of the modpack, that’s really all it takes to convert a client side to a server side version.
Getting Started
Now before you consider converting a client side to server side, you should check to see that the server side doesn’t already exist. Finding this out may not always be as apparent as it is to download the client-side version by using one of the 3rd party launchers and will require a little bit of investigation. The following video guides show how you can find out if a server side version exists for the three main launchers.
• FTB Legacy (Feed the Beast) – Typically includes server side.
• ATL (ATLauncher) – Typically includes server sides.
• Technic (Technic Platform) – Sometimes includes server sides.
• Curse Launcher – Rarely includes server sides.
If a server version exists then you can begin to install it onto your server once you have set it up properly. Otherwise, will need to proceed with converting the client side over to server side.
To obtain the client side version will need locate its saved location. You can normally locate the saved location under the settings of the respective modpack. The following video guides show how you can navigate to the save located for the three main launchers.
FTB (Feed the Beast) –
ATL (ATLauncher) –
Technic (Technic Platform) –
Extracting Core Modpack Files
Once at the save location we need to locate the respective pack you plan on converting. In this case, we should be looking for a folder with the name of the modpack and in it, the client side files used to run it. In the respective folder will need to pay close attention to a couple of files and several folders. The first couple of folders are the as followed.
- mods
- configs
In essence, these two folders are what make up the modpack. Every pack has a different set of mods and those mods configured with there own unique settings. When converting the modpack, it is essential that the config files stay exactly the same otherwise you may encounter mod ID conflicts. Once you have located these two folders, take and place them into a new temporary folder. This new folder will be the start of the server side version of the mod pack.
Obtaining Forge Server Files
Next, we need to obtain the server’s core Forge jar files, the set of files that actually runs the server and its mods. Now because the client version uses a client side version of Forge and not a server side version, will need to obtain the respective Forge server jar from online. If you know the Forge version you need, you can download the installer from the Forge site.
If you don’t know the Forge version you need, you can use the client-side version of the modpack to find it out. To do this simply run the respective modpack. Once the pack has loaded up, focus your attention to the bottom left of the main menu. Around this area will be the Forge versioning details which you can then use to select the correct Forge installer on the Forge site.
The server Forge version must be the same as the client Forge version and vis verse.
Once you download the installer, run it and select the Server option and opt to install it into the new folder you created previously. You will receive a warning popup saying the folder is not empty and it will advise you to install it into a clear directory, you can simply ignore this and proceed. After a few moments, the installer will download the Forge server files and finish with a confirmation. You should end up with 3-4 new files, one of which will be a log file detailing the installation process, you can discard this file. What you are left with should be 2 jar files and one folder labeled libraries.
- libraries
- minecraft_server.jar
- X.XX.XX-forge.jar
At this point in the conversion, we should have 5 files contained within our server modpack folder.
- libraries
- minecraft_server.jar
- X.XX.XX-forge.jar
- mods
- configs
These files alone are what make up most modpacks and can run without any additional files.
Removing Client Side Mods
When converting a client side pack to the server-side, we need to ensure we remove any mods that are only meant for the client. If you attempt to run these client-side mods on the server then it will most likely crash. Knowing what mods to remove is arguably the hardest part of this process. If you’re experienced in the modding community then you’ll most likely be able to tell which mods are only for clients and shouldn’t be on the server. Once you believe you have removed all client side mods, give the server a test by starting it up using a .bat file.
Finalizing
If the server starts then the conversion was a success. If not then you need to refer to the server console for the issue. Upon success, we can take our server files
- libraries
- minecraft_server.jar
- X.XX.XX-forge.jar
- mods
- Configs
And upload them to our server. After several minutes (possibly longer depending on your connection), we will then need to tell our server what jar to use in order to start up.
We can set the startup jar by editing the JAR File value on the server details page. We will need to set the value to whatever the full name of our Forge jar is, i.e “X.XX.XX-forge.jar”; Click save and then start the server up.
