CoolPackHelper

CoolPackHelper is a configurable, security-focused assistant for Minecraft modpacks. It detects missing or incompatible mods, explains why the pack needs them, presents localized project resources, and can install supported files through a guarded download workflow.

The mod also provides an in-game workspace for pack authors: configure requirements, import metadata, scan the current mods directory, create translations, preview the player experience, and maintain installation history without editing JSON by hand.

Current target: Minecraft 1.21.1 · NeoForge 21.1.x · Java 21

Highlights

• Detect mods by loaded NeoForge mod ID, Maven version range, or filename pattern.
• Separate required and recommended entries with a responsive, scrollable interface.
• Show localized descriptions, icons, authors, licenses, and clickable project resources.
• Resolve downloads from Modrinth, CurseForge, GitHub Releases, direct HTTPS files, or ordinary web pages.
• Restrict bulk installation to platform-trusted Modrinth and CurseForge files.
• Verify HTTPS destinations, redirects, hashes, file size, JAR structure, mod ID, and version before installation.
• Back up replaced JARs, keep an installation journal, and roll back completed batches.
• Scan installed JARs against Modrinth and CurseForge independently using hashes or fingerprints.
• Import project metadata and links from Modrinth or CurseForge.
• Edit the complete configuration in a movable, resizable, multi-window in-game workspace.
• Localize the pack-facing UI and mod descriptions; optionally create editable machine-translation drafts.

Documentation

Choose a complete guide:

• English documentation
• Документация на русском

Future development and design decisions are tracked separately:

• Development roadmap - English
• План развития - русский

The guides cover installation, the player workflow, the author workspace, every configuration section, platform scanning, metadata import, translation providers, download security, backups, migration, troubleshooting, and release preparation.

Quick start for players

1. Install NeoForge for Minecraft 1.21.1 and Java 21.
2. Put the CoolPackHelper JAR in the instance's mods directory.
3. Start the game. If the pack has unsatisfied configured requirements, CoolPackHelper opens a compact window over the title screen.
4. Open a mod card to read its description and project resources, or use the download action to review an available source.
5. Restart Minecraft after installing files so NeoForge can load them.

Quick start for pack authors

1. Launch the game once to generate config/coolpackhelper.json and config/coolpackhelper.schema.json.
2. Open Mods → CoolPackHelper Editor, or select CoolPackHelper in the NeoForge mod list and open its configuration screen.
3. Set the pack identity and language policy.
4. Add mod requirements manually, import the local mods folder, or scan Modrinth/CurseForge.
5. Add localized descriptions, project metadata, and one or more download sources.
6. Preview the requirements screen, validate the workspace, and use the top-bar action to save the complete configuration.
7. Export config/coolpackhelper.json with the pack. Do not distribute files from local/coolpackhelper/; they contain per-instance state, author settings, history, and backups.

The generated example entries are disabled. CoolPackHelper will not show a requirements warning until an author enables and configures at least one entry.

Safety model

CoolPackHelper treats a link and a safe automatic installation as different things. An ordinary page can always remain a browser-only resource. Automatic installation requires enough trustworthy metadata to verify the selected file.

Trust levels are visible before installation:

• Platform - resolved through Modrinth or CurseForge metadata and constrained to their official delivery hosts.
• Repository - a GitHub Release asset with a SHA-256 digest; the player must review the repository and owner.
• Unverified - a third-party HTTPS file with a configured SHA-256 or SHA-512 digest; it requires an explicit individual decision and is excluded from bulk installation.

A digest proves that the downloaded bytes match the expected bytes; it does not prove that those bytes are harmless. Pack authors remain responsible for the sources they configure, and players remain in control of non-platform downloads.

Building from source

.\gradlew.bat test build

The development build is written to build/libs/cph-1.0.0.jar.

Project status

CoolPackHelper 1.0 currently focuses on mod requirements, author tooling, localization, metadata, and guarded downloads. Pack-management ideas such as resource-pack/shader management, control presets, Discord Rich Presence, branding, server-pack generation, reusable content presets, and automatic release changelogs are intentionally outside the 1.0 scope and are discussed in the roadmaps above.

License

All Rights Reserved. See the project distribution page for release-specific permissions.