Preparing Minecraft Modpacks: Manifest Files

This guide will walk you through the process of preparing a Minecraft modpack containing only the manifest files and how to turn it into a working modpack on your server. It's a lot of steps, but it isn't as scary as it seems, promise!

Downloading Server Files

Occasionally, when downloading server files from CurseForge, or getting them directly from the Overwolf Launcher, you will be presented with a small zip file that contains only the folder overrides, and the files manifest.json, and modlist.html. See pic below for an example.

The contents of a manifest-type modpack: an overrides folder, manifest.json, and modlist.html

There are none of the files you would need to create a server. It's a set of incomplete files for what we need. We're going to fix that!

What is the Purpose of These "Modpacks" Anyway?

These files are used by certain launchers to create instances for users. The manifest.json file is used like a recipe, to tell the system which ingredients are to be added. When you install the modpack, it "cooks" it from that recipe. This is particularly common with the Overwolf launcher.

Because of this entirely automated system, the easiest way to create server files from these packages, is to just let either the Overwolf launcher or another launcher do this work for you.

We will describe both ways of doing this; one using the Overwolf launcher, and an alternative method using a standalone Minecraft launcher called MultiMC.

Method #1: Overwolf Launcher

Launch Overwolf, then open the CurseForge app. Search for the modpack you're wanting to add to your server. We'll be using "All the Mods 6" for our example.

The search field on CurseForge

Select the modpack and click the "install" button. Let it finish installing the modpack. This may take a while.

The

When it's finished installing, click on the back button and it will display the installed modpacks. Right click on the pack you just installed, and select "Open Folder" from the small menu that appears.

The

The folder it opens should have contents similar to the picture below. Depending on the modpack, this may vary a bit.

The contents of the modpack's folder in CurseForge

Delete Unnecessary Files

Now you have all the files for the modpack inside this folder. Unfortunately, if you're familiar with Minecraft server files, you will immediately notice many folders and files that are normally not seen on a Minecraft server. These are folders are used by the CurseForge system itself, and have nothing to do with the running of a Minecraft dedicated server. You may also notice there are no jar files or libraries, but that can be easily fixed later by using the One Click Installer on the Nodecraft control panel.

The following files can be deleted immediately:

.curseclient
manifest.json
minecraftinstance.json
modlist.html
saves
resourcepacks

There are also a couple of redundant backup systems that are not needed on the server and will quickly eat up your SSD space. They won't always be included, but many times they are. These are found in both the config folder and the mods folder. Delete these if they exist:

aromabackup.jar
aromabackup.cfg
ftbbackups.jar
ftbbackups.cfg
And you may need to edit ftbutilities.cfg to disable backups, as well.

Ultimately, if you aren't 100% sure what a folder does, DO NOT DELETE IT, and include it in the files being uploaded to the server. The Minecraft game will ignore any folders with names that do not match the important ones it is looking for (mods, config, etc).

Acquire Minecraft and Forge files

Now that we have the necessary server files, the core jar files for Minecraft and Forge are needed.

The easiest method is to use the One Click installer on the Nodecraft control panel to create a Minecraft server with the correct version of Forge installed already. When you are installing Forge, make sure you are selecting the correct version of Minecraft needed by the modpack. The version of Forge and Minecraft highlighted on the ATM6 modpack in CurseForge The correct version selected in the NodePanel

Do not start the server yet!

Select the files that the Overwolf launcher created and add them to a zip file. We like to use 7Zip, but any zipping tool will work. Zipping the contents of the modpack folder

Upload that zip file to the main directory of the server. Select it, then click on the "unzip" button. Once unzipped, you can delete the zip folder just to keep your files tidy! The zipped modpack now in the NodePanel file manager The modpack file selected with the

FTP is generally the best way to upload files, especially large ones. FTP breaks the file up into small portions and sends each portion one at a time. It keeps tracks of what's been sent, checks it off a list when it gets to the other ends okay, and will resend if one gets lost. It also double-checks the integrity of what it sends, and will resend if any are corrupted.

This does require that you have a program installed on your computer for doing FTP, but there are several very good FTP programs that are completely free to install and use. We have a basic guide on how to use FTP, and how to install the programs needed for it here: Basic FTP Tutorial

You can also use drag and drop method in the file manager of the control panel to upload files. It works, but it is slower than FTP, and if anything interrupts it during the process it will cancel the upload and need to be restarted, or cause a corrupted unusable file to be sent to the server. It doesn't double-check the information it sends like FTP does. Keep that in mind if you choose to use the drag and drop method!

Start and Test the Server

Now, start the server. Make sure it starts up and goes online. You may see crashes caused by the presence of client side mods in the mods folder, and these will need to be deleted one by one until the server runs correctly. If that happens, check the console and crash reports for the names of the mods causing the trouble and either disable or delete them from the server. This may involve a lot of trial and error!

Method #2: MultiMC Launcher

The alternative to using the Overwolf launcher is to use a standalone launcher like MultiMC, which can take the manifest packages and create the necessary files. MultiMC can be downloaded and installed free from here: https://multimc.org/

Once MultiMC is installed and launched, click the "add instance" button along the top edge.

The MultiMC Launcher with the

On the next screen, click "import from zip", then click the "browse" button and navigate to the CurseForge package (with overrides, manifest.json, and Modlist.html), select it, and click "Ok".

The

MultiMC will begin downloading the files needed and you will see two progress bars. Wait for it to complete. Once installation is finished, click the modpack in the instance list to select it. Then click "Instance Folder" on the right side of MultiMC

The test modpack we imported and the

In the window that opens up, click on the "Minecraft" folder and open it.

Everything in that folder needs to be copied and uploaded to the server. One of the main reasons we prefer using MultiMC to acquire the files is that MultiMC doesn't add any extraneous files. Everything in the "Minecraft" folder is necessary for the modpack you are installing. The next steps will be almost exactly the same as if using the Overwolf launcher.

Acquire Minecraft and Forge files

Now that we have the necessary server files, the core jar files for Minecraft and Forge are needed.

The correct version selected in the NodePanel

Do not start the server yet!

Select the contents of the "Minecraft" folder you opened from the MultiMC launcher and add them to a zip file. We like to use 7Zip, but any zipping tool will work.

The contents of the instance folder showing the right-click menu with 7-Zip highlighted

Upload that zip file to the main directory of the server. Select it, then click on the "unzip" button. Once unzipped, you can delete the zip folder just to keep your files tidy!

The zipped modpack now in the NodePanel file manager The modpack file selected with the

Start and Test the Server

Congrats, you've now got complete server files and a working modpack!