I seem to be missing basic instructions?

[shadowfirebird]

I mean, I've downloaded the mod launcher. It runs. It all looks damn slick and workable; I'm impressed. I honestly didn't think I would be able to play Tekkit under Linux. This looks good.

Now, I could press buttons at random and see what happens -- and maybe screw up Minecraft. But, on the whole, I'd rather there was a page somewhere I could read that told me what to expect and what to do? Apologies if there is one and for some reason I've missed it.

Some very basic questions:

1) Why on earth does the mod loader want my Minecraft login details?

2) What, actually, do the different mod packs do? (It's very cute to have the same description for each on your website, but not terribly helpful. Am I supposed to be able to click on them to get more information? Because, I can't.)

3) Thanks to the Yogscast I do, in fact, have a vague idea what Tekkit is. So, I'd like to try that. Definitely SMP, so, Tekkit not Technic. Presumably I need to run the modloader against my server machine? Do I also need to run it against the client? Are there any instructions for doing this? Will it play nice with existing Bukket plugins, or do I have to start over?

Again, sorry if I've missed the glaringly obvious page somewhere that explains all this. I really can't find it.

[Industrial Miner]

1) It is required to play Minecraft. All the information you type in redirects you to minecraft.net and then it downloads the mods and installs them. You can check the code because it is opensource.

2) Different modpacks for different gameplays. Technic is for SSP, Tekkit has Technic SMP mods only, Yogbox is a fun RPG like modpack, Voxelbox is for the creative ones, Hack'n'Slash is a full dungeon RPG modpack and then you have Vanilla.

3) No idea.

[shadowfirebird]

1) So this *isn't* a program to mod my Minecraft, like Modloader was supposed to do? It's a replacement for the Minecraft menu? Aha. Thank you. Somewhere on the site it should really explain that.

[Industrial Miner]

Nope, this isn't to mod minecraft. It's a launcher to launch modpacks.

[shadowfirebird]

Err, wow. This is -- and I'm sure I'm not telling you anything you don't already know -- bloody amazing.

The creators are *seriously* selling themselves short on their website by not explaining what this does and how it works. It's an *astonishingly* slick bit of UI design and coding. I especially love how it completely fails to effect anything about your existing Minecraft.

I mean, I come from Linux. I know software written by people who plan to give it away for free. Based, admittedly, only on a quick play with Voxelbox -- this puts a lot of Linux FOSS software to shame. Of course, it's based on the amazing Minecraft, but still.

[Industrial Miner]

This is especially designed to not affect your .minecraft.

[Lothos]

the technic launcher is designed to run independant copies of minecraft for use with tekkit, technic, and vanilla, as well as some others...since they al could possibly be different versions of the jar's and mods used.

[cmwatford]

Which distro are you running by the way?