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'''Addons''' or '''mods''' are modifications to the official version of the game. They either add new parts, systems and mechanics to the game or replace existing ones. Addons are generally made by the community rather than the developers and can greatly enhance your playing experience. Due to their widespread popularity, Squad offers an official website for exchanging them, the [http://kerbalspaceport.com/ Kerbal SpacePort].
+
'''Addons''', '''mods''' or '''plugins''' are modifications to the official version of the game. They either add new parts, systems and mechanics to the game or replace existing ones. Addons are generally made by the community rather than the developers and can greatly enhance the playing experience. Due to their widespread popularity, Squad offers an official website for exchanging them on the [http://www.curse.com/ksp-mods/kerbal Curse Network]. As an alternative and independent unofficial source [https://SpaceDock.info SpaceDock] has a larger selection of mods. Previously the Kerbal SpacePort was used as official, but redirects now to the Curse Network page.
  
==How to install addons==
+
Another source is [http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/55401-Community-Mods-and-Plugins-Library?s=0a707ae1e1673b4747e726c2a86815e7 this post] on the Kerbal Space Program forums, maintained by the community.
Provided you downloaded an addon from the SpacePort, you should first unpack the .zip archive and then copy the unpacked contents to the appropriate folder in your KSP directory. Here's how.
 
  
Open up your KSP directory and go to the "GameData" folder. In another window, find the (unpacked) contents of the .zip archive that you just extracted. As of update 0.20, compatible addons should just show a [mod name here] folder. Copy that folder to the GameData folder, and you're done! All you have to do from there is start the game.
+
== Installing addons ==
 +
=== CKAN - Comprehensive Kerbal Archive Network ===
 +
[[File:-home-krys-Pictures-ckan.png|thumb|right|CKAN Example]]
 +
Usually the easiest way to install addons is to use the CKAN (Comprehensive Kerbal Archive Network) utility, which handles finding and installing mods for you. The facility has its own wiki https://github.com/KSP-CKAN/CKAN/wiki and may be downloaded from https://github.com/KSP-CKAN/CKAN/releases  (The usual caveats about downloading and installing modules from third party sites apply)
  
Uninstalling is just as simple as deleting the folder with the name of the addon that you want to remove. However, any ships created with those addons will not load next time you start your game, once uninstalled.
+
Once you've downloaded it, save it somewhere useful (such as My Documents or the Desktop) and open it - it should locate the KSP directory automatically and present you with a list of mods you can install. However, some mods may still require manual installation, for which the details are below.
  
===Directory system===
+
In general addons are installed into the [[GameData]] directory. If the installation technique differs there is usually a more detailed description in the readme, on the Curse page or in the forum's opening post. Some mods directly distribute the content which should go into the GameData directory, while others distribute the GameData directory in which all new directories are. There are also some cases in which the root directory of the zip is itself containing a GameData directory. So unless the root directory is not named GameData it is always good to look if there is a GameData directory in the root directory.
  
Note: as of the 0.20 update, all of the addon folders are contained in a parent folder (containing the name of the mod downloaded) in the GameData folder. For "legacy" (pre-0.20) addons, the folders were at the root of the .zip file - requiring the user to move the "Parts" and/or "Plugins" folders to the corresponding KSP directory folders. With many mods installed, it may have been hard to tell what parts were mods and what parts weren't when uninstalling. Now, each addon gets its own folder in the KSP directory (instead of sharing one with the game itself), simplifying things.
+
For example some addons contain sample [[craft]]. These are not installed in "Gamedata" folder, but in "Ships/SPH" or "Ships/VAB" folders. The sample [[Subassembly|subassemblies]] are installed in the "Subassemblies" folder in save folders, of course.
  
* Inside of the .zip file will be the folders "Parts", "Plugins", and (occasionally) "Source". There may also be documentation, usually in the form of a "README" text file.
+
To install the content of a ZIP archive a program to unzip is required. Usually there is a program already installed, but there are various available on the internet. Of course it should be checked if the sources are trustworthy.
** The "Parts" folder contains the actual ship-building parts you would see in the ship builder interface.
 
** The "Plugins" folder contains the plugin .dll files that would support the plugin system implemented by the addon.
 
** The "Source" folder is just the source code, and is only needed by modders wanting to see how the addon was made and maybe attempt to modify it (with permission/attribution, of course).
 
  
==Addon releases==
+
The directory structure was changed in [[0.20]], which introduced the GameData directory. There are still some plugins which use the old directory system which is more complicated and might introduce file conflicts, where two or more files need to be merged.
  
===Plugin-powered addons and parts===
+
===Manual Installation===
 +
Manual installation differs on what mod you are using, refer to a README.md file, or a mod installing tutorial on the specific mod. Usually they involve taking the mod folder out of the ZIP Archive and into the GameData folder.
  
For add-ons that utilize plugins to support their core functionality.
+
=== Directory system ===
 +
The contents of a ZIP archive are usually:
 +
* A directory with the mod name (might be omitted)
 +
** A directory with the name ''GameData'' (might be omitted too)
 +
*** Again a directory with the mod name, which might be confused with the first level mod directory
 +
**** Usually there is some documentation like a readme text file, or changelog.
 +
**** The "Parts" folder contains the actual shipbuilding parts you would see in the ship builder interface.
 +
**** The "Plugins" folder contains the {{Color|darkgreen|'''plugin_name'''}}.dll files that would support the plugin system implemented by the addon.
 +
**** The "Source" folder is just the source code, and is only needed by modders wanting to see how the addon was made and maybe attempt to modify it (with permission/attribution, of course).
  
{| class="wikitable"  style="text-align:center; background:#fff;"
+
=== Addon dependencies ===
|-
+
Sometimes mods require other mods to work which should be mentioned in the readme, Curse or forum page. These are distributed too in most cases with the original mod, which should be checked before copying the contents. Sometimes a mod distribute an older version which might break other plugins which require the newer version. Even worse are mods with a different name, because then the same mod is installed twice which usually break the game. The best way to handle is only installing the mod itself and manually checking if any requirements are already installed and if they might need to be updated.
! style="padding:0 35px; " | Name
 
! style="padding:0 300px; "| Description
 
! style="padding:0 20px; " | Version
 
! style="padding:0 20px; " | Link
 
! width="55px" | Author(s)
 
  
|- style="text-align:center;"
+
A common addon which falls into this category is [[thread:55219|ModuleManager]], because many mods rely on it. Because the version number is in the filename so newer versions of ModuleManager don't overwrite older versions so that multiple versions are installed. But on the other hand it is easy to see which versions are installed and in the case of ModuleManager newer versions of it usually support mods which come with older versions.
|| Ferram Aerospace Research
 
|| FAR provides a complete aerodynamic overhaul to KSP, including mach effects, stalls, support for fairings, and realistic drag. FAR also allows flaps and air brakes on aircraft, provides valuable aerodynamic data, and gives users much more customization with their control surfaces.
 
|| 0.9.4
 
|| [http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/20451 Forum] [http://kerbalspaceport.com/ferram-aerospace-research/ SpacePort]
 
|| ferram4
 
  
|- style="text-align:center;"
+
The [[thread:60863|Toolbar]] mod is similar to the ModuleManager but all version share the same directory (''<tt>000_toolbar</tt>'') which can cause that a newer version may only partially overwrite an old version.
|| Kethane Pack
 
|| Kethane is a multi-purpose fuel that can be scanned, drilled, and refined into other fuels. It can also be burned in a specialized jet engine for flight on oxygen-free planets like Eve.
 
|| 0.4.3
 
|| [http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/23979 Forum], [https://github.com/Majiir/Kethane/wiki Wiki]
 
|| Majiir, MMI
 
  
|- style="text-align:center;"
+
=== Memory size constraints ===
|| Romfarer Lazor System
+
The game comes as a 32-bit and 64-bit application. When started as a 32-bit application there is a limit to the amount of memory it can access. Exceeding this limit results in an Access Violation, in which the game crashes (more often than not without any error message). An error log will then be created in the main directory. That limit is in theory 4&nbsp;GiB (or 2³² bytes about 4 billion bytes) but the OS itself requires some resources so that applications usually can only access about [[w:3 GB barrier|3&nbsp;GiB]]. Usually this isn't an issue with KSP unless running a large amount of mods - though with official 64-bit support in versions 1.1 and above, this is unlikely to occur. However, if you're running on an older device or limited to 32-bit programs only, there are some things you can try.
|| Adds lazors, which can assist in existing areas including vessel control, spacecraft/debris tracking, and map navigation while implementing new features such as a tractor beam, location marking, and teleportation!
 
|| v27
 
|| [http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/9923 Forum] [http://kerbalspaceport.com/lazor-system/ SpacePort]
 
|| Romfarer
 
  
|- style="text-align:center;"
+
The most common cause of an Access Violation is too many mods so one obvious solution is to uninstall a few mods, but that of course is counterproductive as the player wants to use those mods. Alternatively additional mods can be installed which reduce the memory footprint by compressing textures or similar. One prominent mod is the Active Texture Management mod which does cause most textures in-game to be lower-res.
|| Carts
 
|| Adds rovers and other mobile vehicles to drive around planets on! Can turn on handbrake, cruise control, and lights. Even has a rover with fold-able wheels for a compact fit on a rocket. DISCONTINUED
 
|| 1.34 (.17)
 
|| [http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/7854 Forum]
 
|| Tosh
 
  
|- style="text-align:center;"
+
== Removing addons ==
|| MechJeb
+
In most cases, addons can be easily removed by deleting the addon directory in the GameData directory. (Using CKAN, just untick the 'installed' box.) Sometimes if other mods require the removed addon which then need to be removed too. If the addon introduced additional parts, craft which use those parts can't be loaded or approached. To disable the functionality without losing the craft, it is possible to change the file extension of all DLL files or remove them completely in the mod directory. Upon loading the game, the mod's code won't be loaded but the parts are still available.
|| A plugin that adds a ton of in-flight information and automated operations. With it you can autopilot, see true altitude, and countless other features.
 
|| 1.9.8,  
 
2.0.8
 
|| [http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/12384 Forum]
 
[http://wiki.mechjeb.com/ Wiki]
 
|| r4m0n, The_Duck
 
  
|- style="text-align:cener;"
+
As for installing, removing addons which use the directory system prior to 0.20 is more complex. Each file which was added in that mod needs to be removed manually usually and if files were merged, those needs to be undone.
|| ISA MapSat
 
|| A plugin powered addon that allows you to map planets and moons, see anomalies, current position and many facts.
 
|| 3.3.4
 
|| [http://kerbalspaceport.com/isa-mapsat-3-3-4/ SpacePort]
 
|| Innsewerants
 
  
|- style="text-align:cener;"
+
== See also ==
|| BobCat Ind.
+
* [[List of mods]]: an incomplete list of the most important mods.
|| A group of addons dedicated for surface exploration and colonization, now with a dedicated plugin with additional functionality like electricity usage. Current releases include: Mk1 Archer, Mk2 Pretorian, Mk4 RAT, Mk 5 ANT, Charlie's Deli and Shoe Store (at the outlet), and the Falcon Jet.
 
|| Various releases
 
|| [http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/20286 Forum]
 
|| Bobcat, Crashnburn, CleverWalrus, The Destroyer, BlazingAngel665, Sequence
 
  
|- style="text-align:center;"
+
[[Category:Modding]]
|| Mission Pack
 
|| Mission pack is a group of missions that can help new players learn how to get into an eccentric orbit, getting to the Mun, etc. and for old players to try the game in a new way.
 
|| 0.85
 
|| [http://kerbalspaceport.com/mission-pack/ SpacePort]
 
|| adammada
 
|}
 
 
 
{{clear}}
 
 
 
===Standalone Parts and Part Packs===
 
 
 
For add-ons that provide additional parts for spacecraft and spaceplane construction without utilizing plugins.
 
 
 
{| class="wikitable"  style="text-align:center; background:#fff;"
 
|-
 
! style="padding:0 35px; " | Name
 
! style="padding:0 250px; "| Description
 
! style="padding:0 20px; " | Version
 
! style="padding:0 25px; " | Link
 
! width="35px" | Author(s)
 
|- style="text-align:center;"
 
|| Payload Pack
 
|| Payload pack gives you the ability to create a wide variation of different payload fairings with the a small amount of parts.
 
|| 2.0
 
|| [http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/13692 Forum]
 
|| Mechanical Mouse Industries
 
 
 
|- style="text-align:center;"
 
|| Deep Space Mission Pack
 
|| This pack aims to provide parts for the upcoming deep space part of the game.
 
|| 1.8
 
|| [http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/7790 Forum]
 
|| kockaspiton
 
 
 
|- style="text-align:center;"
 
|| Down Under Aerospace & Party Supplies
 
|| A collection that includes fuel tanks, engines, boosters, interstage/fairings and a few surprises.
 
|| 0.5
 
|| [http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/3097 Forum]
 
|| Slew
 
 
 
|- style="text-align:center;"
 
|| ExPI (Extraplanetary Infrastructure
 
|| Currently there is a pack of space station parts and a pack of interplanetary probes which is under development.
 
|| 0.4.1
 
|| [http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/6280 Forum]
 
|| Pelf
 
 
 
|- style="text-align:center;"
 
|| JellyCubes Advanced Weapons R&D
 
|| Advanced weaponry from the Advanced Weapons Research and Development division of Cube Corp. For all your intended explosive needs.
 
|| Various releases
 
|| [http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/4542 Forum]
 
|| JellyGoggles
 
 
 
|- style="text-align:center;"
 
|| KW Rocketry
 
|| Mainly Fuel, Engine and Solid Rocket Parts. 1,2 and 3 meter parts and adapters.
 
|| 0.5
 
|| [http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/2448 Forum]
 
|| Winston/Kickasskyle
 
 
 
|- style="text-align:center;"
 
|| NovaPunch Remix Pack
 
|| Very large parts pack, merger of two of the biggest and best rocket packs for [[KSP]]; [http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/12237 SIDR] by NovaSilisko and [http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/59 Wobbly Rockets] by SundayPunch.
 
|| 1.5
 
|| [http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/3870 Forum]
 
|| Tiberion
 
 
 
|- style="text-align:center;"
 
|| The Truss Pack
 
|| Rugged, practical and functional components. Includes many structural parts.
 
|| 2.0
 
|| [http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/8402 Forum]
 
|| Sherbetlemons
 
 
 
|- style="text-align:center;"
 
|| The Firespitter Pack
 
|| Adds propeller plane and helicopter parts.
 
|| 5.0
 
|| [http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/24551 Forum]
 
|| Snjo
 
|}
 
 
 
{{clear}}
 
 
 
===Tools and applications===
 
 
 
For external programs that support Kerbal Space Program (e.g. Mod Managers, Orbit Calculators, etc).
 
 
 
{| class="wikitable"  style="text-align:center; background:#fff;"
 
|-
 
! style="padding:0 35px; " | Name
 
! style="padding:0 300px; "| Description
 
! style="padding:0 20px; " | Version
 
! style="padding:0 20px; " | Link
 
! width="55px" | Author
 
 
 
|- style="text-align:center;"
 
|| Aerobraking Calculator
 
|| An online calculator which computes an aerobraking manoeuver which results in a desired orbit. Works for all planets with an atmosphere.
 
|| 1.0
 
|| [http://alterbaron.github.com/ksp_aerocalc/ Aerobraking Calculator]
 
|| Alterbaron
 
 
 
|- style="text-align:center;"
 
|| Faring Factory
 
|| A website that allows you to construct your own custom farings using an easy to use web interface. Files can then be downloaded an inserted into the game. (Note that as of 0.18.2, drag has not been implemented, so the farings have no use other than to make your rocket look better)
 
|| 1.2
 
|| [http://nathannifong.com/FairingFactory/ Faring Factory]
 
|| Nathan Nifong
 
 
 
|- style="text-align:center;"
 
|| Where can I go?
 
|| A website calculates the Δv needed to intercept, orbit or land on any celestial body starting from Kerbin or Kerbin's orbit.
 
|| ?
 
|| [http://mononyk.us/wherecanigo.php Where can I go?]
 
|| ?
 
|}
 

Latest revision as of 03:16, 1 October 2022

Addons, mods or plugins are modifications to the official version of the game. They either add new parts, systems and mechanics to the game or replace existing ones. Addons are generally made by the community rather than the developers and can greatly enhance the playing experience. Due to their widespread popularity, Squad offers an official website for exchanging them on the Curse Network. As an alternative and independent unofficial source SpaceDock has a larger selection of mods. Previously the Kerbal SpacePort was used as official, but redirects now to the Curse Network page.

Another source is this post on the Kerbal Space Program forums, maintained by the community.

Installing addons

CKAN - Comprehensive Kerbal Archive Network

CKAN Example

Usually the easiest way to install addons is to use the CKAN (Comprehensive Kerbal Archive Network) utility, which handles finding and installing mods for you. The facility has its own wiki https://github.com/KSP-CKAN/CKAN/wiki and may be downloaded from https://github.com/KSP-CKAN/CKAN/releases (The usual caveats about downloading and installing modules from third party sites apply)

Once you've downloaded it, save it somewhere useful (such as My Documents or the Desktop) and open it - it should locate the KSP directory automatically and present you with a list of mods you can install. However, some mods may still require manual installation, for which the details are below.

In general addons are installed into the GameData directory. If the installation technique differs there is usually a more detailed description in the readme, on the Curse page or in the forum's opening post. Some mods directly distribute the content which should go into the GameData directory, while others distribute the GameData directory in which all new directories are. There are also some cases in which the root directory of the zip is itself containing a GameData directory. So unless the root directory is not named GameData it is always good to look if there is a GameData directory in the root directory.

For example some addons contain sample craft. These are not installed in "Gamedata" folder, but in "Ships/SPH" or "Ships/VAB" folders. The sample subassemblies are installed in the "Subassemblies" folder in save folders, of course.

To install the content of a ZIP archive a program to unzip is required. Usually there is a program already installed, but there are various available on the internet. Of course it should be checked if the sources are trustworthy.

The directory structure was changed in 0.20, which introduced the GameData directory. There are still some plugins which use the old directory system which is more complicated and might introduce file conflicts, where two or more files need to be merged.

Manual Installation

Manual installation differs on what mod you are using, refer to a README.md file, or a mod installing tutorial on the specific mod. Usually they involve taking the mod folder out of the ZIP Archive and into the GameData folder.

Directory system

The contents of a ZIP archive are usually:

  • A directory with the mod name (might be omitted)
    • A directory with the name GameData (might be omitted too)
      • Again a directory with the mod name, which might be confused with the first level mod directory
        • Usually there is some documentation like a readme text file, or changelog.
        • The "Parts" folder contains the actual shipbuilding parts you would see in the ship builder interface.
        • The "Plugins" folder contains the plugin_name.dll files that would support the plugin system implemented by the addon.
        • The "Source" folder is just the source code, and is only needed by modders wanting to see how the addon was made and maybe attempt to modify it (with permission/attribution, of course).

Addon dependencies

Sometimes mods require other mods to work which should be mentioned in the readme, Curse or forum page. These are distributed too in most cases with the original mod, which should be checked before copying the contents. Sometimes a mod distribute an older version which might break other plugins which require the newer version. Even worse are mods with a different name, because then the same mod is installed twice which usually break the game. The best way to handle is only installing the mod itself and manually checking if any requirements are already installed and if they might need to be updated.

A common addon which falls into this category is ModuleManager, because many mods rely on it. Because the version number is in the filename so newer versions of ModuleManager don't overwrite older versions so that multiple versions are installed. But on the other hand it is easy to see which versions are installed and in the case of ModuleManager newer versions of it usually support mods which come with older versions.

The Toolbar mod is similar to the ModuleManager but all version share the same directory (000_toolbar) which can cause that a newer version may only partially overwrite an old version.

Memory size constraints

The game comes as a 32-bit and 64-bit application. When started as a 32-bit application there is a limit to the amount of memory it can access. Exceeding this limit results in an Access Violation, in which the game crashes (more often than not without any error message). An error log will then be created in the main directory. That limit is in theory 4 GiB (or 2³² bytes about 4 billion bytes) but the OS itself requires some resources so that applications usually can only access about 3 GiB. Usually this isn't an issue with KSP unless running a large amount of mods - though with official 64-bit support in versions 1.1 and above, this is unlikely to occur. However, if you're running on an older device or limited to 32-bit programs only, there are some things you can try.

The most common cause of an Access Violation is too many mods so one obvious solution is to uninstall a few mods, but that of course is counterproductive as the player wants to use those mods. Alternatively additional mods can be installed which reduce the memory footprint by compressing textures or similar. One prominent mod is the Active Texture Management mod which does cause most textures in-game to be lower-res.

Removing addons

In most cases, addons can be easily removed by deleting the addon directory in the GameData directory. (Using CKAN, just untick the 'installed' box.) Sometimes if other mods require the removed addon which then need to be removed too. If the addon introduced additional parts, craft which use those parts can't be loaded or approached. To disable the functionality without losing the craft, it is possible to change the file extension of all DLL files or remove them completely in the mod directory. Upon loading the game, the mod's code won't be loaded but the parts are still available.

As for installing, removing addons which use the directory system prior to 0.20 is more complex. Each file which was added in that mod needs to be removed manually usually and if files were merged, those needs to be undone.

See also

  • List of mods: an incomplete list of the most important mods.