Mars Command is a Windows and Linux desktop companion for the Mars modded Minecraft server. It monitors server status, verifies the signed pack manifest, syncs an isolated game directory, and registers the installation in Minecraft Launcher.
| Minecraft | 1.21.1 |
| Loader | NeoForge 21.1.250 |
| Server | play.nexusgit.info:25565 |
| Voice | voice.nexusgit.info (not yet integrated) |
The Rust backend polls the Minecraft Java status protocol every 15 seconds and reports online state, player count, latency, MOTD, and server build. Polling avoids overlapping checks and pauses while the window is hidden. The Mars proxy requires protocol version 767 for Minecraft 1.21.1; the conventional -1 sentinel is rejected.
Mission Control lets users change the host and port used for dashboard status polling; the target is stored locally and does not change the Minecraft Launcher server entry. The Crew Channel currently shows only aggregate player presence. The server API does not yet provide roster or messaging endpoints.
The client fetches manifest.json and manifest.json.sig from the Mars API. It verifies the detached Ed25519 signature against the public key compiled into the application before trusting the manifest. Invalid signatures fail closed.
Each managed file, including mod JARs, is verified using its signed SHA-256 and size. Unlisted JARs in managed directories are reported as foreign. Config and default-config files are mutable: local edits are preserved and reported as conflicts. Sync stages downloads, validates them before replacement, and removes obsolete files only when they still match the last installed hash.
The Preserve personal data setting is enabled by default. During updates it keeps existing worlds, screenshots, mod configuration, shader packs, server-list entries, and selected Minecraft options. Missing baseline files are still installed. Turn the setting off to let normal pack updates replace or remove managed files in those locations.
Setup creates a Minecraft Launcher profile named Mars Client <pack version> and an isolated game directory:
Windows: %APPDATA%\.minecraft\mars-client\<pack-version>
Linux: ~/.minecraft/mars-client/<pack-version>
The shared .minecraft/mods folder is left untouched. Setup uses the matching NeoForge version already installed in Minecraft Launcher, preserves other profiles and account data, adds or updates the Mars server entry in the isolated profile's server list, syncs the signed pack, verifies it, and opens the launcher. On Linux, the launcher must be available as minecraft-launcher on PATH. Close Minecraft Launcher before Setup or Update so its profile file is not being edited concurrently. The default maximum Java heap allocation is 6 GB.
The dashboard remembers the installation and offers:
| Action | When it appears |
|---|---|
SETUP |
No Mars installation is registered. |
UPDATE |
The signed pack version, immutable file hashes, or NeoForge version changed. |
LAUNCH |
The installation matches the current signed manifest and passes integrity checks. |
BLOCKED |
Required files or mods need attention, or there is no trusted manifest. |
Launch rechecks integrity but does not rewrite the profile or sync again. Minecraft Launcher handles Microsoft sign-in; select the Mars profile and click Play there. When enabled in Settings, Mars Command waits up to two minutes for the Java process using the configured Mars game directory, then closes itself. It does not directly start the game process.
Settings also provides reduced-motion and larger-text accessibility options, plus quick actions to open the installation folder, report a bug, and visit the project links. Fund This Project opens GitHub Sponsors; payments are handled by GitHub, not Mars Command.
World-specific data packs are not placed into a save automatically; they remain manual until a world target is selected.
The Build client installers workflow runs when a client-vX.Y.Z tag is pushed. Before tagging, set the same X.Y.Z version in package.json, src-tauri/tauri.conf.json, and src-tauri/Cargo.toml. The workflow validates those versions, builds a Windows NSIS installer and Linux Debian package, then publishes them as setup-X.Y.Z.exe and setup-X.Y.Z.deb assets on the GitHub release. Building the tagged release publishes it; do not push a tag until both installers are intended for release.
The in-app repair check compares the installed client version with stable GitHub release assets. It prefers versioned installer names and also recognizes a generic setup.exe or setup.deb when the release tag contains a valid version. The user opens and runs the downloaded installer; Mars Command never installs an update silently.
The client defaults to https://api.nexusgit.info/api/v1. The release feed exposes the signed manifest, detached signature, and files referenced by that manifest:
GET /api/v1/manifest.jsonGET /api/v1/manifest.json.sigGET /api/v1/files/<manifest-relative-path>
The API serves release artifacts but does not need the Ed25519 private key. Deploy manifest.json, manifest.json.sig, and every referenced file while preserving relative paths. Only host files you are authorized to redistribute. The client never embeds or sends the development API JWT.
Prerequisites: Node.js, Rust, and the Tauri v2 prerequisites for your platform.
npm install
npm run tauri devRun checks:
npm run build
cd src-tauri
cargo fmt --check
cargo test --all-targetsBuild Windows installers from the repository root:
$env:MARS_MANIFEST_BASE_URL = "https://api.nexusgit.info/api/v1"
$env:MARS_MANIFEST_PUBLIC_KEY = "<production public key in hex>"
npm run tauri -- buildMARS_MANIFEST_BASE_URL and MARS_MANIFEST_PUBLIC_KEY are compile-time overrides. Rust option_env! does not automatically read .env. On Linux, install the Tauri Linux prerequisites and build a Debian package with npm run tauri -- build --bundles deb. Bundles are written under src-tauri/target/release/bundle/ (NSIS/MSI on Windows and .deb on Linux).
Before public distribution, use a production keypair whose public key is embedded in the client, and code-sign the Windows installer if you want to reduce SmartScreen warnings. Never ship the private signing key or an API JWT in the app.
The maintainer tool hashes these directories from the local pack instance: mods, config, kubejs, defaultconfigs, resourcepacks, and shaderpacks. Only config and defaultconfigs are marked mutable.
From PowerShell at the repository root:
$env:MARS_SKIP_LOCAL_ENV = "1"
$env:MARS_PACKAGE_BASE_URL = "https://api.nexusgit.info/api/v1"
cargo run --manifest-path src-tauri/Cargo.toml --release --example manifest_tool -- build `
"modpack/Mars-Client-1.2.4/Mars Client" `
"1.2.4" `
"manifest-dist/manifest.json"
cargo run --manifest-path src-tauri/Cargo.toml --release --example manifest_tool -- sign `
"manifest-keys/mars-signing.key" `
"manifest-dist/manifest.json"
cargo run --manifest-path src-tauri/Cargo.toml --release --example manifest_tool -- verify `
"manifest-dist/manifest.json"MARS_SKIP_LOCAL_ENV=1 prevents the tool from loading .env. The signing command reads the private key file without printing its contents. Verify the signature against the same public key embedded in the client, then deploy the manifest, signature, and payload files to the API release directory.
The Publish pack manifest workflow publishes a GitHub release and, for non-prereleases, deploys manifest.json and manifest.json.sig to /opt/mars-package-api/releases/1.0.0. It stages both files, replaces the signature first and the manifest last, then fetches both public API URLs and compares them byte-for-byte with the build artifacts. Prereleases are not deployed to the live API.
Configure these repository Actions secrets:
| Secret | Purpose |
|---|---|
CURSEFORGE_API_KEY |
Approved Core API key used to resolve export metadata. |
MARS_SIGNING_KEY |
Ed25519 private key used to sign the manifest. |
MARS_DEPLOY_HOST |
SSH hostname of the Mars API server. |
MARS_DEPLOY_USER |
Dedicated SSH user allowed to deploy to the release directory. |
MARS_DEPLOY_SSH_KEY |
Private SSH deploy key. |
MARS_DEPLOY_KNOWN_HOSTS |
Pinned known_hosts entry for the server; do not discover it during the workflow. |
The deploy user must be able to create a run-specific staging directory, replace files in the release directory, and run sudo -n systemctl restart mars-package-api. The restart reloads the API's cached release-file inventory. Keep the SSH key limited to deployment use. The API server does not receive the manifest signing key or CurseForge API key. The workflow serializes releases so two deployments cannot overwrite each other.
- The Ed25519 signature authenticates the exact manifest bytes. Re-sign after any edit, including whitespace.
- The client verifies the signature before parsing the manifest and rejects unsafe relative paths.
- Downloads require HTTPS and are checked against signed SHA-256 hashes and sizes before installation.
- Keep the private signing key in protected release storage, never in source control or on the API server.
- Hashes detect file changes; the signature proves the trusted maintainer approved those hashes.
src/ React dashboard, settings, hooks, and UI types
src-tauri/src/
minecraft.rs DNS/SRV resolution and Java status protocol
manifest.rs Manifest schema, fetch, signature verification
integrity.rs Hash-based file and mod verification
settings.rs Persistent settings, server list, and Launcher profiles
process_detection.rs Windows/Linux Minecraft process detection
repair.rs GitHub release installer version checks
sync.rs Staged sync and installed-state tracking
lib.rs Tauri commands and Setup/Update/Launch status
src-tauri/examples/
manifest_tool.rs Maintainer manifest generator and signer
Mars-Server-API/
main.py Manifest and package-file API
openapi.json API contract
manifest-dist/ Release manifest and detached signature
- Automatic profile setup supports Windows and Linux with NeoForge. The matching NeoForge version must already be installed in Minecraft Launcher.
- Linux launcher opening expects
minecraft-launcheronPATH; other launcher locations and distributions are not auto-detected. - The Crew Channel has aggregate player count only until the server exposes a roster and messaging API.
- Sync has no progress bar or cancellation yet, and file scans do not report progress.
- Rotating the manifest signing key requires rebuilding the client with the matching public key.
- Voice relay integration is not implemented.