281 lines
13 KiB
Markdown
281 lines
13 KiB
Markdown
# Minecraft LAN Party Server — Project Context
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> Self-hosted modded Minecraft server for a LAN party (~8 players), with
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> persistent auth/skin infrastructure designed to outlive the LAN weekend
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> and integrate with the existing homelab.
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## Goals & Constraints
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- **Players**: 4–10 friends, LAN-based
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- **Modpack vibe**: Kitchen-sink (tech + magic + exploration + QoL)
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- **Pack approach**: Manually curated (~50–100 mods), NOT a forked existing pack
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- **Minecraft version**: 1.21.1
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- **Mod loader**: NeoForge (NOT classic Forge — see Decisions below)
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- **Network**: LAN party context, but stack is persistent (lives past the weekend)
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- **Auth**: Self-hosted Yggdrasil-compatible (Drasl) + Keycloak OIDC
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- **Skins**: Handled by Drasl
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- **Persistence horizon**: Long-term homelab service, not disposable
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## Existing Homelab Context (relevant to this project)
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- **Keycloak 26.0.7** running in Docker Compose (PostgreSQL 17, production mode,
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bind-mounted secrets, xforwarded proxy headers). This is the IdP for everything.
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- **NetBird** as the proxy/networking layer for remote access (NOT used for the
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LAN party itself — see Decisions).
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- **AdGuard Home** as recursive DNS resolver — used here for `*.home.local` LAN records.
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- **Multi-VPS topology**: this Minecraft project likely runs on a local box or
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beefier homelab node, not a VPS (RAM/CPU requirements).
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- Operator timezone: Europe/Madrid.
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## Key Decisions (with reasoning)
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### NeoForge over classic Forge
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Despite the user originally saying "Forge", the 1.21.x kitchen-sink ecosystem
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(ATM10, Leaking Kitchen Sink, etc.) is overwhelmingly NeoForge in 2025/2026.
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The original Forge team essentially migrated to NeoForge. `itzg/minecraft-server`
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supports both via `TYPE=NEOFORGE`. Going with NeoForge 1.21.1.
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### Drasl over Ely.by or vanilla offline mode
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- **Ely.by**: not self-hosted, Russian-hosted, no control over identity layer.
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- **Vanilla offline + no auth server**: works for one weekend but skins break,
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no persistent identity, doesn't match homelab philosophy.
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- **Drasl**: self-hosted Go service, Yggdrasil-compatible, drop-in Mojang
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replacement, supports skins + capes, **has first-class OIDC support with
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PKCE** (perfect for Keycloak), actively maintained (current version 3.4.2+).
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GPLv3 licensed.
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### LAN (not NetBird) for the party itself
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NetBird is the homelab's remote access layer, but adding a mesh VPN on top
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of a LAN party introduces complexity for guests with no upside. Drasl and
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Minecraft live on the LAN; clients reach them via `drasl.home.local` resolved
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through AdGuard.
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### Manual curation (user choice — flagged as expensive)
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User insisted on manual curation despite my pushback that forking ATM10 or
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Leaking Kitchen Sink would save weeks of crash-log triage. **Note for future
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sessions**: if curation gets painful, the fork-and-trim option is still on
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the table — Leaking Kitchen Sink is the closest match to the requested vibe.
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### itzg/minecraft-server as base image
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The de facto standard. Handles NeoForge installation automatically via
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`TYPE=NEOFORGE` + `VERSION` + `NEOFORGE_VERSION`. Supports Modrinth and
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CurseForge mod auto-download via `MODRINTH_PROJECTS` and `CURSEFORGE_FILES`.
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## Architecture
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```
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LAN segment
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│
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├── AdGuard Home → resolves drasl.home.local, keycloak.home.local
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│ to the Docker host's LAN IP
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│
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├── Keycloak (existing, separate compose)
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│ realm: homelab
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│ client: drasl (confidential, PKCE S256)
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│
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└── Minecraft host (this project's compose)
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│
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├── drasl :25585 (Yggdrasil API + web UI)
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│ └── OIDC → Keycloak
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│
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├── minecraft :25565 (server)
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│ :24454/udp (Simple Voice Chat, optional)
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│ └── -javaagent:authlib-injector.jar=http://drasl.home.local:25585/authlib-injector
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│ └── ONLINE_MODE=false (required for authlib-injector)
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│
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└── mc-backup (itzg/mc-backup, 6h interval)
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└── RCON → minecraft
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Clients (LAN party guests):
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Prism Launcher → authlib-injector account pointing at Drasl
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→ joins minecraft:25565
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```
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## Auth Flow (end-to-end)
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1. Guest opens `http://drasl.home.local:25585` in browser.
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2. Clicks "Register with Keycloak" → redirected to Keycloak login.
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3. Logs in with homelab Keycloak credentials.
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4. Returned to Drasl, picks a player name, uploads a skin.
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5. Drasl shows them a "Minecraft Token" on their profile page.
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6. In Prism Launcher: Settings → Accounts → Add authlib-injector account
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with URL `http://drasl.home.local:25585/authlib-injector` and the
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Minecraft Token as password.
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7. Joins Minecraft server. Server validates session against Drasl (via
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authlib-injector JVM agent), Drasl confirms, player enters with their skin.
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## Critical Gotchas
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### Minecraft 1.21+ secure profile incompatibility
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- Server: must set `enforce-secure-profile=false` (compose: `ENFORCE_SECURE_PROFILE=FALSE`)
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- Drasl: must set `SignPublicKeys = false`
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- These are linked. The Drasl docs explicitly warn: *"Mixed authentication does
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not work with `SignPublicKeys = true` on Minecraft 1.21+."*
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### authlib-injector JVM agent
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- Syntax: `-javaagent:/path/to/authlib-injector.jar=<yggdrasil-api-url>`
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- The URL after `=` is the **API root**, which for Drasl is
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`<BaseURL>/authlib-injector`.
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- **Must match between server and client.** If server uses
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`http://drasl.home.local:25585/authlib-injector` and client uses anything
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else (e.g. an IP), session validation fails silently with "Invalid session".
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- Download from: https://github.com/yushijinhun/authlib-injector/releases
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- Mount into the itzg container at `/extras/authlib-injector.jar`.
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### Keycloak reachability on LAN day
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If Keycloak is only reachable via NetBird or only from the public internet,
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**Drasl OIDC registration breaks on LAN-only day**. Options:
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1. Expose Keycloak on the LAN (simplest)
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2. Pre-register all guests before the party
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3. Temporarily disable OIDC and allow password registration during the LAN
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(`AllowPasswordLogin = true`, comment out the OIDC block)
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### HTTP vs HTTPS for OIDC
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Modern browsers warn on plain HTTP for OIDC flows but they work. For a
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production-grade setup, front Drasl with Caddy or Traefik using a local CA
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cert (smallstep/step-ca pairs well with the existing homelab). For LAN-only
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HTTP is fine.
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### NeoForge version pinning
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Mods are picky about exact NeoForge minor versions. The compose currently
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pins `NEOFORGE_VERSION: "21.1.209"` as a placeholder. **Verify against
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https://projects.neoforged.net/neoforged/neoforge before deploying.** Don't
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use `"latest"` for a stable server.
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### Drasl username vs player name
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- **Drasl username** = OIDC user's email (used for web UI login)
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- **Player name** = `preferred_username` from OIDC, or user-chosen if
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`AllowChoosingPlayerName = true`
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- Keycloak users must have email set. Verify the realm's email-as-username
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setting and the `preferred_username` mapper are configured.
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### Mod source preference
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Prefer **Modrinth over CurseForge** for itzg auto-download. CurseForge
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requires an API key (`CF_API_KEY`) and has been historically flakier with
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the itzg image. Use CF only for mods that are exclusive to it.
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## Compose Stack
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The working compose file is at `./docker-compose.yml`. Key environment vars
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documented inline. Adjacent files:
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```
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.
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├── docker-compose.yml
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├── .env # RCON_PASSWORD, CF_API_KEY (if needed)
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├── drasl/
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│ └── config/
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│ ├── config.toml # see ./drasl-config.toml example
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│ └── keycloak-client-secret # single line, no trailing newline
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├── extras/
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│ ├── authlib-injector.jar # downloaded from yushijinhun's releases
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│ ├── modrinth-mods.txt # one mod slug per line
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│ └── cf-mods.txt # only if using CurseForge mods
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├── backups/ # mc-backup writes here
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└── CLAUDE.md # this file
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```
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### Memory sizing
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With ~50–100 mods and 8 concurrent players on 1.21.1:
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- `INIT_MEMORY: 4G`, `MAX_MEMORY: 10G` is a safe starting point
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- Use `USE_AIKAR_FLAGS: TRUE` for the well-known GC tuning
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- Monitor with `mc-monitor` (itzg makes one) if you want metrics
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### Backups
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`itzg/mc-backup` runs alongside, talks to the server via RCON, takes
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snapshots every 6h, prunes after 14 days. Backups are world-only (no mod
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jars), which is correct — mods are reproducible from the mod list files.
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## Keycloak Client Configuration
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In the `homelab` realm (or whatever the realm is called):
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1. **Clients → Create client**
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- Client type: `OpenID Connect`
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- Client ID: `drasl`
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- Name: `Drasl Minecraft Auth`
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2. **Capability config**
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- Client authentication: **ON** (confidential client)
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- Authentication flow: **Standard flow** only
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- Disable: Direct access grants, Implicit, Service accounts
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3. **Login settings**
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- Root URL: `http://drasl.home.local:25585`
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- Valid redirect URIs: `http://drasl.home.local:25585/web/oidc-callback/Keycloak`
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(the `Keycloak` at the end MUST match the `Name = "Keycloak"` in Drasl's
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`[[RegistrationOIDC]]` block — case sensitive)
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- Web origins: `http://drasl.home.local:25585`
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4. **Credentials tab** → copy Client Secret to
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`./drasl/config/keycloak-client-secret` (no trailing newline).
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5. **Advanced tab** → PKCE Code Challenge Method: `S256`
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## Client Distribution (LAN guests)
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### Recommended launcher
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**Prism Launcher** — open source, cross-platform (Win/Mac/Linux), first-class
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authlib-injector support, can import/export instance ZIPs.
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### Per-guest one-time setup
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1. Install Prism Launcher.
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2. Add authlib-injector account:
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- URL: `http://drasl.home.local:25585/authlib-injector`
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- Username/password: their Drasl credentials (or Minecraft Token if
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registered via Keycloak OIDC)
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3. Import the modpack instance ZIP.
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### What to ship guests
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- A Prism instance ZIP (right-click instance → Export Instance)
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- A one-page README with the auth URL and import steps
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- Optionally `authlib-injector.jar` for guests who refuse Prism
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## Open / Pending Work
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These were on the roadmap when we ended the brainstorm:
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- [ ] **Mod shortlist for the kitchen-sink pack.** Categories to fill:
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- Performance (Embeddium/Sodium-equivalent for NeoForge, FerriteCore, ModernFix)
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- Tech/automation (Mekanism, Create, Immersive Engineering, AE2)
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- Magic (Ars Nouveau, Botania, Iron's Spells 'n Spellbooks)
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- Storage (Sophisticated Storage/Backpacks, Functional Storage)
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- Exploration (YUNG's structures, Repurposed Structures, biome packs)
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- QoL (JEI, Jade, JEI Resources, Inventory Profiles Next, AppleSkin)
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- World gen (Tectonic, Terralith — check NeoForge 1.21.1 compat)
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- Compat glue (Polymorph for recipe conflicts)
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- Map (XaeroMinimap + Xaero World Map)
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- Voice (Simple Voice Chat — port 24454/udp already in compose)
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- [ ] **Decide on dimension/server-side performance mods** (C2ME, Lithium-equivalent)
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- [ ] **Reverse proxy + local TLS** for Drasl (Caddy + step-ca recommended,
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given the existing homelab)
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- [ ] **DNS record** in AdGuard for `drasl.home.local` → Docker host LAN IP
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- [ ] **Keycloak client** creation per the section above
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- [ ] **Verify NeoForge version** against current stable before first deploy
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- [ ] **Bootstrap admin in Drasl**: leave `AllowPasswordLogin = true` initially,
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create the admin account, then optionally disable password login to force OIDC
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## Reference URLs
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- Drasl repo: https://github.com/unmojang/drasl
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- Drasl configuration docs: https://github.com/unmojang/drasl/blob/master/doc/configuration.md
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- Drasl recipes (example configs): https://github.com/unmojang/drasl/blob/master/doc/recipes.md
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- authlib-injector: https://github.com/yushijinhun/authlib-injector
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- itzg/minecraft-server: https://github.com/itzg/docker-minecraft-server
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- itzg NeoForge docs: https://github.com/itzg/docker-minecraft-server/blob/master/docs/types-and-platforms/server-types/forge.md
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- itzg/mc-backup: https://github.com/itzg/docker-mc-backup
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- NeoForge versions: https://projects.neoforged.net/neoforged/neoforge
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- Prism Launcher: https://prismlauncher.org/
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- Reference modpacks for inspiration (NOT forking):
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- ATM10 (Modrinth/CurseForge — ~500 mods, NeoForge 1.21.1)
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- Leaking Kitchen Sink (CurseForge — trimmed ~150 mods, NeoForge 1.21.1)
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## Communication Preferences (carry-over from past sessions)
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- Concise and direct
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- Diagnose and resolve without demanding detailed reproduction steps
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- Prefer iterative single-change updates over large rewrites
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- Cautious scripts that halt on ambiguity rather than proceeding silently
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- Avoid over-engineered responses when a simple answer suffices
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- Spanish or English fine; user is comfortable in both
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