When using MODRINTH_PROJECTS, figure out the highest VERSION instead of using very latest MC version

[Cameronsplaze]

Enhancement Type

Improve an existing feature

Describe the enhancement

Right now, if you don't have VERSION declared, it defaults to the very latest MC version (currently 1.21.8). Then with the following MODRINTH_PROJECTS:

    MODRINTH_PROJECTS: |
      viaversion
      viabackwards
      griefprevention
      discordsrv

It fails with:

[mc-image-helper] 19:20:10.560 ERROR : Invalid parameter provided for 'modrinth' command: No files are available for the project 'GriefPrevention' for loader paper and Minecraft version 1.21.8

And obviously if you set the VERSION lower manually, it works.

Is there a way to switch the two checks? First grab the plugins and see what the latest possible is, then pass THAT to VERSION to download the right jar. This would let me jump up to the next version without constantly checking each plugin. It has viaversion/viabackwards so you don't need the exact version as the server to connect anyways, if you were expecting one version but it got upgraded on startup.

I don't think this would break any backwards compatibility either, since it's letting more configurations work instead of less. However you could add some sort of MODRINTH_VERSION_CHECK=True to be safe, and make sure it's not declared at the same time as VERSION=<whatever>.

Thank you!

[itzg]

I understand that would be useful in your scenario, but in all other cases users have a particular version they have installed for the client. That version has to match the server, so specifically declaring the version is expected.

Also the Modrinth lookup API requires version and loader to be specified which you can see from their website as well

I'll leave this enhancement request open, but I'll be honest that it will be a low priority to address this and it will be awkward to implement.

[Cameronsplaze]

Thank you for getting back to me so quickly!

all other cases users have a particular version they have installed for the client...

Even without viaversion though, if I upgrade the server, people will have to restart their client if they don't know about the upgrade to load the new version. But often they'd be excited anyways since it's a new version with new features. Same is true for people that don't set VERSION for vanilla MC currently too.

Also the Modrinth lookup API requires version and loader to be specified which you can see from their website as well.

For the GriefPrevention example above, it looks like I can hit https://api.modrinth.com/v2/project/GriefPrevention, and it returns:

{
  "client_side": "unsupported",
  "server_side": "required",
  "game_versions": [
    "1.17",
    "1.17.1",
    "1.18",
    "1.18.1",
    # ...

But I'm guessing you're referencing when you download it you need those two things. If you don't already hit this endpoint already, I agree that adding logic to figure out the latest possible version between all plugins (assuming there even is overlap) is awkward in bash.

• Although it looks like the lists are in numeric order, so maybe there's a trick you can do by walking backwards up each one until they all match?
• Or maybe combine all lists into one sorted list, then walk backwards until you find 1.21.6 repeat itself as many times as plugins you have?

Things might slow down for me in a few weeks finally, and I might be able to take a stab at this. Would it be something you'd consider reviewing?

[itzg]

Since posting my comment I had some similar thoughts as you.

Thinking out loud (and to point you in a direction if you do get to it before me)

• The flow here https://github.com/itzg/docker-minecraft-server/blob/master/notes/start-script-flow.drawio.png would need to have an early check for something like VERSION_FROM_MODRINTH_PROJECTS, calls the new subcommand (next bullet) and then skips back to the entry point where VERSION is needed to kick off things in regular flow
• Over in https://github.com/itzg/mc-image-helper/tree/master/src/main/java/me/itzg/helpers/modrinth would introduce a new subcommand like modrinth-resolve-version that would walk the given projects and pick off the intersection of newest version

[Cameronsplaze]

I should have realized it'd be in the mc-image-helper repo, shoot. I was thinking it'd be here, and I know bash decently well. I haven't touched Java yet, so it might be longer if I pick this up.

Regardless, thank you for the directions

[itzg]

Yeah I've managed to scatter bits and pieces for the image across Bash, Java, and Go 😀

Your feature idea has piqued my interest, so I might jump on this sooner rather than later.