The general idea behind this program is fairly simple. Given a Mod Organizer 2 folder and profile, generate list of instructions that will allow
a program to automatically recreate the contents of the folder on another machine. Think of it as replication, but without ever distributing copyrighted
files or syncing data between the source and destination machine. The end result is a program that recreate a modlist on a computer while respecting the
At this point you may be wondering how much of a complex modlist Wabbajack can handle. At this point it's more about what Wabbajack *can't* handle, but
1) Hash and cache the contents of every archive in the `\downloads` folder. This lets Wabbajack know of all the possible locations where you could have installed mods
Every file analyzed by Wabbajack is passed through a stack of rules. The first rule to match the file creates a `Install Directive` or a instruction on how to install that specific file.
So as you can see we handle a lot of possible install situations. See the section on [`Creating a Modpack`](README.md#Creating_a_ModList_Installer) for information on working with the installer
Wabbajack can create binary patches for files that have been modified after installation. This could be `.esp` files that have been cleaned or patched. Or
it could be meshes and textures that have been optimized to work better in a given game. In any case a BSDiff file is generated. The output of this process
is copied directly into the modlist instructions. However! It is important to note that the patch file is 100% useless without the source file. So `original + patch = final_file`. Without the original file, the final file cannot be recrated. This allows us to distribute arbitrary changes without violating copyrights as we do not copy
copyrighted material. Instead we copy instructions on how to modify the copyrighted material.
Self-contained folders are a cleaner abstraction than dumping tons of modlists into the same set of folders. It's easy to uninstall a modlist (simply delete the folder),
and MO2 really isn't designed to support lots of disparate modlists. For example if two modlists both wanted a given texture mod, but different options they would
somehow have to keep the names of their mods separate. MO2 isn't that big of an app, so there's really no reason not to install a new copy for each modlist.
Make sure you selected the "Portable" mode when starting MO2 for the first time. In addition, make sure you haven't installed MO2 in a non-portable way on the same box.
Really, always use "Portable Mode" it's cleaner and there really isn't a reason not too do so. Make the data self-contained. It's cleaner that way.
**Will Wabbajack ever support Vortex/other mod managers?**
I'll be honest, I don't use anything but MO2, so I probably won't write the code. If someone were to write a patch for the functionality
I wouldn't throw away the code, but it would have to be done in a way that was relatively seamless for users. Since Wabbajack treats all files in the same way
it doesn't know what mod manager a user is using. This means that if the modlist creator used Vortex all users of the modlist would have to use Vortex. This doesn't seem
**Where is the modlist? Why am I just given an .exe?**
When Wabbajack creates a modlist, as a final step it copies itself (the wabbajack.exe) and tacks onto the end of the file the modlist data, and a few bits
of magic text. When Wabbajack starts it looks at itself to see if it has this extra data tacked on to the end of the executable. If the data is found the app kicks
Yes, I've heard this, but they chose to host their data on a public site. And no, they don't have the right to dictate what HTTP client is used to download a file.
We're using official Nexus APIs for nexus downloads, so any downloads Wabbajack performs are correctly tracked, and MO2 encourages users to endorse mods. It's 2019, we can
have better tools than manually clicking links.
**How does Wabbajack differ from Automaton?**
I (halgari) used to be a developer working on Automaton. Sadly development was moving a bit too slowly for my liking, and I realized that a complete rewrite would allow the
implementation of some really nice features (like BSA packing). As such I made the decision to strike out on my own and make an app that worked first, and then make it pretty.
All original code in Wabbajack is given freely via the GPL3 license. Parts of Wabbajack use libraries that carry their own Open Sources licenses, those parts
retain their original copyrights. Note: Wabbajack installers contain code from Wabbajack. Therefore, selling of modlist files is strictly forbidden. As is hosting
the files behind any sort of paywall. You recieved this tool free of charge, respect this by giving freely as you were given.
