Shard Launcher

Reproducible profiles. One deduplicated library. Scriptable workflows.
Open source. Built in Rust with Tauri.

What is Shard? • Why Shard? • Installation • Quick Start • Commands

What is Shard?

Shard is an open-source Minecraft launcher with a global deduplicated library and declarative profiles (plain JSON). It materializes clean instances from a single source of truth, integrates with Modrinth and CurseForge, and supports scriptable workflows via a CLI, while providing a polished desktop experience. Built in Rust with Tauri for a fast, lightweight app.

Define profiles in plain JSON, install content from Modrinth/CurseForge, and launch clean instances without duplicating the same mods across every pack.

Why Shard?

Save Disk Space

Install the same mod in 10 profiles, it's stored once. Shard uses a SHA-256 content-addressed store, so identical files are never duplicated. No more 50GB of redundant mod copies eating up your drive.

Reproducible Profiles

Your entire setup is a single JSON file. Version control it with Git, share it with friends, diff changes between versions, restore it anytime. Profiles are declarative: the launcher materializes clean instances on demand.

No Hidden State

Plain JSON on disk. Predictable directory layout. Fully inspectable (no magic sync, no mystery database files, no state you can't see). If something breaks, you can debug it yourself.

Fast & Lightweight

A polished desktop UI for everyday play, backed by a serious CLI for scripting. Built in Rust with Tauri for minimal resource usage, responsive behavior, and fast startup.

Open Source & Private

Inspect every line of code, contribute, or fork. No telemetry, no launcher account required. Your data stays local. Works offline after initial setup.

Features

Feature	What it means for you
Content-Addressed Store	Mods stored once by hash, shared across all profiles
Declarative Profiles	JSON manifests you can version control and share
Multi-Account	Switch Microsoft accounts instantly with secure token storage
Modrinth + CurseForge	Search and install from both platforms in-app
All Mod Loaders	Fabric, Forge, Quilt, NeoForge with automatic version resolution
CLI + Desktop	Full-featured CLI for automation, polished UI for daily use

Installation

Download

Get the latest release from the download page.

macOS: .dmg installer
Windows: .msi installer
Linux: .AppImage or .deb package

Build from Source

Prerequisites:

Rust 1.75+ (rustup.rs)
Bun or Node.js 18+
Platform tools: Xcode CLI (macOS), build-essential + GTK/WebKit dev libs (Linux), VS Build Tools (Windows)

# Clone and build
git clone https://github.com/Th0rgal/shard.git
cd shard

# CLI only
cd launcher && cargo build --release
# Binary: target/release/shard

# Desktop app
cd desktop && bun install && cargo tauri build
# Bundle: desktop/src-tauri/target/release/bundle/

Quick Start

# Add your Microsoft account
shard account add

# Create a Fabric 1.21.4 profile
shard profile create my-profile --mc 1.21.4 --loader fabric

# Add a mod from Modrinth
shard mod add my-profile sodium

# Launch
shard launch my-profile

Commands

Profiles

shard list                                    # List all profiles
shard profile create <id> --mc <version>      # Create profile
shard profile create <id> --mc 1.21.4 --loader fabric
shard profile clone <src> <dst>               # Clone profile
shard profile show <id>                       # Show profile details
shard profile diff <a> <b>                    # Compare profiles

Content

shard mod add <profile> <file|url|slug>       # Add mod
shard mod remove <profile> <name|hash>        # Remove mod
shard mod list <profile>                      # List mods

shard resourcepack add <profile> <input>      # Add resourcepack
shard shaderpack add <profile> <input>        # Add shaderpack

Store

shard store search <query>                    # Search Modrinth + CurseForge
shard store search <query> --platform modrinth
shard store info <platform> <project-id>      # Project details
shard store install <profile> <platform> <project-id>

Accounts

shard account add                             # Add Microsoft account
shard account list                            # List accounts
shard account use <username>                  # Set active account
shard account remove <username>               # Remove account

Launch

shard launch <profile>                        # Launch game
shard launch <profile> --account <username>   # Launch with specific account
shard launch <profile> --prepare-only         # Prepare without launching

Architecture

Shard treats your game setup like code: declarative, reproducible, and efficient.

Principle	Implementation
Single source of truth	Profiles are JSON manifests. Instances are derived artifacts, regenerated on demand.
Deduplication	SHA-256 content-addressed store. One file, infinite profiles.
No magic	Plain JSON on disk. Predictable layout. Fully inspectable state.
Modular	Auth, Minecraft data, and profiles are isolated. Swap or extend without breaking everything.
CLI-first	Every feature works from the command line. Script it, automate it, pipe it.

Data Layout

~/.shard/
├── store/                    # Content-addressed storage
│   ├── mods/sha256/
│   ├── resourcepacks/sha256/
│   └── shaderpacks/sha256/
├── profiles/                 # Profile manifests
│   └── <id>/profile.json
├── instances/                # Materialized game directories
├── minecraft/                # Versions, libraries, assets
├── accounts.json             # Account tokens (keep private)
└── config.json               # Launcher settings

Configuration

Shard uses Microsoft OAuth for authentication. Set your client credentials via environment or config:

# Environment variables
export SHARD_MS_CLIENT_ID="your-client-id"
export SHARD_MS_CLIENT_SECRET="your-client-secret"  # if required

# Or via CLI
shard config set-client-id <your-client-id>

For CurseForge API access:

export SHARD_CURSEFORGE_API_KEY="your-api-key"

License

MIT

_{Built by @Th0rgal}
_{Oraxen •
HackedServer •
AsyncAntiCheat}

shard