How to Install a Custom Modpack via FTP

Guide: How to Upload Your Custom Modpack via FTP

This guide is for uploading a custom modpack you've created or customized yourself, such as one built on CurseForge, to your MintServer. This process involves extracting the necessary files from your modpack (like the mods folder) and uploading them to the server using an FTP client (File Transfer Protocol). We'll use CurseForge for accessing your modpack files and FileZilla for uploading.

Part 1: Preparing Your Modpack's Files

To ensure your server runs smoothly, you need to upload only the server-compatible files from your modpack. Client-side mods (e.g., performance or visual enhancements like Sodium or OptiFine) must be removed, as they can cause the server to fail to start.

Step 1: Access Your Modpack Files on CurseForge

If you've created or customized a modpack on CurseForge, you can access its files directly.

1. Open the CurseForge app on your computer and navigate to your modpack.
2. Right-click on the modpack to find Open Folder and click that button.
3. This will open the modpack's directory on your computer, where you'll find folders like mods, config, and scripts.

Step 2: Remove Client-Side Mods and Prepare Files

Review the mods folder and any other relevant folders (e.g., config or scripts if applicable). Identify and delete any client-side-only mods, such as Sodium, OptiFine, or other visual/performance mods that aren't needed on the server. Your server will not start if client-side mods are uploaded.

Once cleaned, your modpack folder should contain only server-compatible files.

Part 2: Uploading the Files to Your Server

Now we'll connect to your MintServer and upload the prepared files from your modpack.

Step 3: Connect to Your Server via FTP

FTP is the most reliable way to upload a large number of files. Before proceeding, you must connect to your server using an FTP client like FileZilla.

If you have never used FTP before, please follow our detailed guide to get connected: How to Use SFTP to Access Your Server Files.

Step 4: Clean Your Server and Upload Files

To prevent conflicts, it's best to start with a completely empty server.

1. In your FTP client, make sure you see your computer's files on the left and your server's empty directory on the right. If your server is not empty, delete all the existing files.
2. On the left side (your computer), navigate to the prepared modpack folder from Step 2.
3. Select all the files and folders inside (e.g., mods, config, etc.) and drag them from the left panel over to the right panel (the server).

The upload will now begin. Modpacks contain thousands of files, so this process can take a very long time. Please be patient and wait for FileZilla's transfer queue to show as empty.

Part 3: Final Server Configuration

Once the upload is complete, there are a couple of final steps in the Game Panel.

Step 5: Install the Correct Server Version

Your server needs the appropriate mod loader (e.g., Forge or Fabric) to run your modpack.

1. Go to your Game Panel and navigate to the "Server Version" menu.
2. Select and install the correct version that matches your modpack's mod loader (e.g., Forge 1.20.1). This ensures the server has the right JAR file and dependencies.
3. Make sure the correct Java Version is also selected if prompted.
4. For detailed, step-by-step instructions on how to do this, please follow our dedicated guide: How to Update Your Minecraft Server Version.

Step 6: Start the Server

Go back to the "Console" page. You may need to accept the EULA in eula.txt if this is a fresh install. Then, click Start. The first startup of a large modpack can be very slow, so allow it 5-10 minutes to load completely.

That's it! Your custom modpack is now uploaded and ready to play.