VEX is a free and open-source Minecraft launcher focused on making the path from choosing a version to playing as simple as possible. It uses Tauri 2, React, TypeScript, and Rust to provide a modern interface without bundling a complete browser engine.
The project started as a design experiment built with AI-assisted programming. Its goal is to remain lightweight, direct, and accessible for players using either an official Microsoft account or an offline profile.
- Combined Modrinth and CurseForge discovery with source, version, loader, and content-type filters.
- Dedicated pages for mods, modpacks, shaders, resource packs, and plugins.
- Vanilla, Fabric, Quilt, Forge, and NeoForge instances.
- Native Forge and NeoForge installation using their official Maven repositories and installers.
- Compatible Minecraft versions shown directly in the instance editor.
- Modrinth and CurseForge modpack installation with integrity checks when the source provides hashes.
- Automatic compatible Java runtime downloads from Eclipse Adoptium, isolated inside VEX data.
- Saved offline profiles, a reusable skin library, an interactive 3D skin viewer, and official Microsoft login on Windows.
- Instance library with cloning, protected deletion, worlds, screenshots, logs, and installed content.
- Instance backups, existing-installation scanning, and safe Modrinth modpack update checks.
- Local Vanilla, Paper, or Fabric servers with a console and a playit.gg guide.
- Dark, AMOLED, Light, and High Contrast themes.
- Per-user installer, self-contained portable executable, and Linux AppImage.
- Automated AppImage startup smoke test to prevent black-screen releases.
- Optional MangoHud support on Linux.
VEX has its own Forge and NeoForge integration. It reads the official Maven catalogs, selects a compatible loader version, prepares the launcher environment required by the official installer, runs the installation silently, and validates the exact generated profile before adding the instance.
This flow does not depend on Prism Launcher metadata or ForgeWrapper.
The official CurseForge API requires a free API key. CurseForge is optional: Forge, NeoForge, Minecraft, Java, Modrinth, and every local launcher feature continue to work without it. For security, VEX does not publish or embed a private key in the open-source code.
- Create a key at console.curseforge.com.
- Open Settings > Network and sources.
- Paste the key and select Connect.
On Windows, the key is protected for the current user. On Linux, the local file receives user-only permissions. The interface never displays the saved key again.
Some authors block downloads from third-party applications. In those cases, VEX explains the limitation and opens the official project page.
Worlds, skins, profiles, logs, tokens, and settings remain on the player's computer and are ignored by Git. Automatic downloads use HTTPS and are checked with SHA-256, SHA-512, or MD5 when the official source provides a hash.
Read the complete policy in SECURITY.md.
Requirements: Node.js, Rust, and the Tauri dependencies for your operating system.
npm install
npm run tauri devMain validation:
npm run build
cargo check --manifest-path src-tauri/Cargo.tomlOn Windows:
.\build-portable.ps1This creates the installer, a self-contained portable executable, a recommended portable ZIP, and SHA-256 checksums.
The Linux AppImage is built and tested automatically by GitHub Actions. It can run on most modern distributions without installation:
chmod +x VEX-Launcher.AppImage
./VEX-Launcher.AppImage- Integrated Microsoft login is currently available only on Windows.
- CurseForge downloads blocked by their author must be downloaded from the official project page.
- The AppImage requires a Linux desktop environment compatible with WebKitGTK.
MIT