Fabric Minecraft Mod Loader
Last modified on Jul 29, 2022 in Modpacks
By Dalton Whalen
Overview
For quite a long time, Forge was the most popular modloader for Minecraft, with very little competition. A majority of mods and modpacks were created exclusively for Forge, leaving little room for alternatives. When Minecraft 1.13 released, Forge allegedly had slow development, allowing newer modloaders to take some spotlight. Introducing Fabric, a modloader that has been available since Minecraft 1.14 and aims to be significantly more lightweight compared to Forge. With Apex Hosting, installing Fabric is very easy, so today we will show you how to do so.
How to Install Fabric
- Navigate to your Apex Server Panel, then stop the server.
- Scroll down to the
JAR File
section, then use the menu to select your desired version. - We recommend generating a new world, especially if you are changing to an older version.
- Restart to load Fabric onto the server.
Fabric can also be installed on a server manually, if you decide to choose a specific version.
Client Installation
- Navigate to the Fabric download page.
- We recommend selecting the
Universal
download for all supported Operating Systems. - Download the .jar to a safe location, then open it.
- In the installer, select the desired Minecraft version and select
Create Profile
. - Once you are happy with the settings, press
Install
. - When you open Minecraft, a new Fabric profile should be created to play!
Getting Started:
Installing mods is very similar to installing Forge mods, with a few differences:
Fabric API
A majority of Fabric mods require the Fabric API mod in order to run. Because of this, installing it is often recommended by default.
- Access the FabricAPI CurseForge page, then press
Files
at the top. - Locate and download the necessary version for your installation.
- Save the file in a safe place, as we will need it shortly.
Finding Fabric Modpacks
Since Fabric runs differently to Forge, you will need to ensure you download the Fabric version of mods. The easiest way is to browse for Fabric mods on CurseForge.
Once you find a mod, we recommend going to “Files” at the top, then checking the name to see if it says Fabric or Forge. Once you find your mod and version, you can press the download button to save it.
Mod Installation (Server)
- Navigate to your Apex Server Panel, then proceed to the
FTP File Access
on the left. - Once logged in, locate and enter the
mods
folder. - Press
Upload
in the top-left. - Drag + drop the Fabric API file, as well as any other Fabric mods you desire.
- Once at 100% uploaded, return to the main panel page, then restart the server.
Mod Installation (Client)
- Open the Minecraft launcher, then access
Installations
at the top. - Locate the Fabric profile, then press the folder button to the far-right.
- Once the folder opens, locate or create a
mods
folder, then enter it. - Copy + paste the Fabric API file and any other Fabric mods into here
Remember, in order to join a modded server, you must have the same mods installed on your own client in order to match.
Common Issues:
I get an error when I start the game or server:
Oftentimes, this means there is a problem with one of the mods. Ensure that you have downloaded Fabric-compatible mods for your matching game version. Otherwise, check the Relations
tab on a mod’s CurseForge page to check for dependencies.
My mods don’t appear in-game:
This can occur for a number of reasons. Firstly, ensure you are launching your Fabric version and see if the title screen mentions Fabric. If not, retry the installation for both Fabric and make sure the mods are inside of the mods
folder.
Trying to join my server gives an error:
Oftentimes, this error occurs because the game client and server do not match. Make sure that your own mod files match the server’s exactly. If there is a difference, you may get errors when trying to join.