Technic Modpack Support

Install and play Technic Platform modpacks in Prism Launcher

The Technic Platform is a long-standing modpack hosting service that hosts both official Technic packs and thousands of community-created modpacks. Prism Launcher provides full support for browsing and installing Technic modpacks.

Overview

The Technic Platform integration offers:

• Complete Technic catalog - Browse all public Technic modpacks
• Multiple pack formats - Support for both ZIP and Solder-based packs
• Direct URL installation - Install packs by URL or slug
• Platform search - Search the Technic Platform modpack database
• Automatic updates - Solder packs support version checking
• Custom modpack support - Install custom Technic packs from any URL

Creating a Technic Instance

1. Open the New Instance dialog

   Click Add Instance from the main window.

2. Navigate to Technic

   Select the Technic tab in the new instance dialog.

3. Search or enter URL

   Either:

   • Use the search bar to find modpacks on the Technic Platform
   • Enter a direct modpack URL or slug
4. Select a modpack

   Click on a search result or let the URL load the modpack details.

5. Choose version (if applicable)

   For Solder-based packs, select from available versions. Single-ZIP packs have only one version.

6. Create the instance

   Click OK to download and install the modpack.

Pack Formats

Technic Platform supports two main modpack formats:

Single ZIP Packs

Structure

• Complete modpack in a single ZIP archive
• Contains mods, configs, and Minecraft version
• Simpler format, easier to create
• No built-in update mechanism

Installation Process

1. Download the ZIP file
2. Extract contents to instance directory
3. Detect Minecraft version from pack
4. Configure mod loader if present

Single ZIP packs are the simplest format and work well for smaller modpacks or personal distributions.

Solder Packs

Structure

• API-based modpack distribution system
• Mods hosted as individual components
• Version management and updates
• More complex but more powerful

Features

• Multiple versions - Recommended, latest, and specific builds
• Incremental updates - Only download changed mods
• Mod manifests - Detailed mod metadata and dependencies
• Build tracking - Track which build is installed

Solder is the recommended format for larger, actively maintained modpacks. It provides better update support and more efficient downloads.

Solder API

Technic Solder uses a REST API for modpack distribution.

Pack Metadata

{
  "name": "technic-pack",
  "display_name": "My Technic Pack",
  "url": "https://example.com/modpack/technic-pack",
  "icon": "https://example.com/icon.png",
  "icon_md5": "abc123",
  "logo": "https://example.com/logo.png",
  "logo_md5": "def456",
  "background": "https://example.com/bg.png",
  "background_md5": "ghi789",
  "recommended": "1.0.0",
  "latest": "1.1.0",
  "builds": ["1.1.0", "1.0.0", "0.9.0"]
}

Build Information

{
  "minecraft": "1.20.1",
  "minecraft_md5": "...",
  "forge": "47.2.0",
  "java": "17",
  "memory": "4G",
  "mods": [
    {
      "name": "example-mod",
      "version": "1.0",
      "url": "https://example.com/mods/example-mod-1.0.jar",
      "md5": "abc123",
      "filesize": 1024000
    }
  ]
}

Solder manifests include MD5 checksums for all files, ensuring download integrity and enabling efficient caching.

Installation Process

Single ZIP Installation

1. Download ZIP

   Fetch the modpack ZIP file from the URL.

2. Extract archive

   Unzip contents to a temporary staging directory.

3. Detect configuration

   Identify Minecraft version, mod loader, and mods from the extracted files.

4. Process modpack

   Use TechnicPackProcessor to set up the instance with correct settings.

5. Finalize instance

   Move files to the final instance directory and configure launcher settings.

Solder Installation

1. Query Solder API

   Fetch pack metadata and available builds.

2. Select build

   Choose recommended, latest, or specific version.

3. Download build manifest

   Get the list of mods and files for the selected build.

4. Download mods

   Fetch each mod file individually, with MD5 verification.

5. Configure instance

   Set up Minecraft version, Forge/Fabric, and launcher settings.

Solder installations are more complex but provide better progress reporting and error handling.

Searching the Platform

The Technic Platform provides a search API:

Search Query

https://www.technicpack.net/api/search?build=<build>&q=<query>

Results

• Modpack name and slug
• Author information
• Pack description
• Download counts
• Platform URL

The search interface shows:

• Pack icon/logo
• Name and author
• Short description
• Install count

Direct URL Installation

You can install Technic packs directly by URL or slug:

Supported formats:

• Full URL: https://www.technicpack.net/modpack/pack-slug
• Short URL: https://technicpack.net/modpack/pack-slug
• Just slug: pack-slug
• API URL: Direct Solder API endpoint

1. Copy pack URL

   Get the modpack URL from Technic Platform or another source.

2. Paste in Technic tab

   Enter the URL in the search/URL field of the Technic tab.

3. Load pack

   The launcher will fetch and display the modpack information.

4. Install

   Proceed with installation as normal.

Version Selection

For Solder-based packs, you can choose from:

Build Types

• Recommended - Pack author’s recommended stable version
• Latest - Most recent build (may be beta/alpha)
• Specific builds - Any previous version listed in the manifest

Version Display

The version dropdown shows:

• Build name/number
• Minecraft version
• Installation status (if already installed)

Latest builds may be unstable. Use the recommended build unless you have a specific reason to use another version.

Custom Technic Packs

You can create and distribute your own Technic-format modpacks:

Single ZIP Format

1. Create pack structure

   Organize mods, configs, and resources in the standard Technic layout.

2. Include version info

   Add a version.json or similar file specifying Minecraft and mod loader versions.

3. Create ZIP archive

   Compress the pack into a ZIP file.

4. Host the file

   Upload to a web server or file hosting service.

5. Share the URL

   Users can install directly from the URL using Prism Launcher.

Solder API Format

For Solder packs, you need to set up a Solder API server. See the Technic Solder documentation for details on hosting your own repository.

Technic Pack Processor

The TechnicPackProcessor handles pack configuration:

Responsibilities:

• Detect Minecraft version from pack
• Identify mod loader (Forge/Fabric) and version
• Configure instance name and icon
• Set up game settings and profiles
• Handle special Solder pack requirements

Processing steps:

1. Scan for version information
2. Configure mod loader
3. Set instance metadata
4. Apply custom settings
5. Finalize and validate

Update Checking

For Solder packs, Prism Launcher can check for updates:

1. Query Solder API

   Fetch current build information for the pack.

2. Compare versions

   Check installed build against latest/recommended.

3. Notify user

   Display update notification if newer version available.

4. Update (optional)

   User can choose to update to the new build.

Single ZIP packs don’t support automatic update checking. You’ll need to manually check for new versions.

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

“Failed to download modpack”

• Verify the URL is correct and accessible
• Check your internet connection
• Some packs may have been removed or made private

“Invalid modpack format”

• Ensure the ZIP contains a valid Technic pack structure
• Check that version information is present
• Verify the pack wasn’t corrupted during download

“Solder API error”

• The Solder server may be down or unreachable
• Check if the API URL is correct
• Try again later if the server is temporarily unavailable

“Failed to extract modpack”

• Verify you have enough disk space
• Check file permissions in the instance directory
• The ZIP file may be corrupted - try re-downloading

“Version detection failed”

• The pack may be using a non-standard structure
• Check if version information is present in the pack
• Try a different version or contact the pack author

MD5 Verification Failures

If MD5 checksums don’t match, the file may be corrupted or tampered with. The launcher will reject the file for security reasons.

To resolve:

1. Try downloading again
2. Check if the pack has been updated
3. Contact the pack author if the issue persists

Platform Differences

Technic Platform differs from other platforms:

Advantages:

• Very open - easy to create and host custom packs
• No approval process or restrictions
• Simple pack format for basic modpacks
• Direct URL installation

Limitations:

• Less sophisticated than modern platforms
• Limited metadata and search capabilities
• No built-in mod updating for single ZIP packs
• Fewer hosting tools and features

Source Code Reference

The Technic Platform integration is implemented in:

• /launcher/modplatform/technic/TechnicPackProcessor.h - Pack processing
• /launcher/modplatform/technic/SolderPackManifest.h - Solder API structures
• /launcher/modplatform/technic/SolderPackInstallTask.cpp - Solder installation
• /launcher/modplatform/technic/SingleZipPackInstallTask.cpp - ZIP installation
• /launcher/ui/pages/modplatform/technic/TechnicPage.cpp - User interface