New FTB Launcher Server Install

[TomSalem]

This may be a real beginner's question for one or the other. But is there an instruction (text or video) how to install the server on Mac and Linux (Windows is really easy)?

It could be that I was blind so far and there are numerous instructions here. Then don't feel obliged and show me these. Thank you very much!

 

[Grolimo]

I second that, especially since the installer seems to be a binary blob of the unknown type. (.exe on windows, no extension on linux).
This binary blob is a huge no-go for me as i'm unable to verify and it's undocumented what it does/doesn't and what it is supposed to do.
Especially since i have already a server running on my Linux system. I don't want that binary blob start cluttering my installation by blabbering files all over the place because the maker of the unknown binary blob found that a neat thing.
I want total control over what it does, where it does it and when it does it and how it does it. With a binary blob that's not possible.

 

[TomSalem]

Also I can agree. I hope that someone who really knows what he is doing will do a tutorial on the current version and then maybe the manufacturer will improve it so you get more control.

But I can't say anything about the current system because I don't understand it.

 

[Jake_Evans]

Download it, chmod +x it, run it with --help.

 

[Grolimo]

Download it, chmod +x it, run it with --help.

Sure, anyone can figure out how to run a binary blob.
But what does it do?
Where does it install files?
Do i have any control over it?
Is it a CLI tool, or does it require a GUI?
Why a binary blob anyways?
Where can i get the source code?
I'd rather compile it myself so i can know what will happen and have total control over it.

 

[ShneekeyTheLost]

As a fellow Linux user, allow me to answer your questions:

* The download is a shell script (.sh) as such you can simply Display instead of Run and see exactly what it is doing
* It includes its own GUI
* It asks you for installation directory, but defaults to /opt/FTBA

I've compiled enough programs in my day, thank you very much. I'm glad I don't have to compile this one. There's not a whole lot of effort in setting up a makefile, but it's a time waster.

 

[Grolimo]

As a fellow Linux user, allow me to answer your questions:
* The download is a shell script (.sh) as such you can simply Display instead of Run and see exactly what it is doing
* It includes its own GUI
* It asks you for installation directory, but defaults to /opt/FTBA

It is *not* i repeat NOT a shellscript.
A shellscript is a human readable file with commands. This is a binary executable (if you +x it) blob, it's not humanly readable, which is my main problem with it.

While according to you its gui says it's defaulting to /opt/FTBA there is no way of knowing that the entire payload goes there because it's an unreadable binary blob for which source code is apparently not accessible.

Also since you say it has a gui it will not even work on most servers including mine.
So unfortunately it's impossible to get an FTB server running for me.

 

[Grolimo]

Okay, here's the result.
The installer is a total clusterfuck.

It is very buggy and you can crash it with next to no effort at all. (just use -h instead of --help and it crashes).
You "can" use it from the CLI, but it just doesn't listen to the cli commands that you can give like the --path --noscript.
It just downloads and installs files all over the place.

I would advise *not* to use this installer blob.
It's a java app wrapped into an elf executable.
If you ask me a total waste of time and effort.

A shell script would have been much preferred over this monstrosity.
It would have taken less time to develop, be far more stable, much faster. readable, far more maintainable and could be trust by the user because he can see and control everything. And incidentally it would work on any Linux version without having to rely on anything but the core install without the need of a GUI.

 

[Jake_Evans]

Okay, here's the result.
The installer is a total clusterfuck.

It is very buggy and you can crash it with next to no effort at all. (just use -h instead of --help and it crashes).
You "can" use it from the CLI, but it just doesn't listen to the cli commands that you can give like the --path --noscript.
It just downloads and installs files all over the place.

I would advise *not* to use this installer blob.
It's a java app wrapped into an elf executable.
If you ask me a total waste of time and effort.

A shell script would have been much preferred over this monstrosity.
It would have taken less time to develop, be far more stable, much faster. readable, far more maintainable and could be trust by the user because he can see and control everything. And incidentally it would work on any Linux version without having to rely on anything but the core install without the need of a GUI.

Feel free to develop it. The modpacks.ch api is documented. I'm closing this thread as it's just turning into needless conversation.
There's an issue tracker for... issues. You're welcome to use it to support the development. Or you know, you could just call it garbage and not help improve it at all.