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Getting started with Agora

Set up Agora, understand what it does, and reach your first playable instance.

Two versions of this page follow. Step by step walks through the task in order. In depth explains the underlying behavior. They describe the same product, at different levels of detail.

Step by step

Follow the steps in order. No prior modding knowledge assumed.

Agora helps you discover, organize, and recover modded Minecraft installations. It calls each separate installation an instance and keeps risky changes contained to that instance.

After this you will be able to

  • Complete the first-run setup without needing prior modding knowledge.
  • Understand the difference between Agora, Minecraft, and the official launcher.
  • Create a safe first instance and know where to go next.

What Agora manages

Agora manages the files and settings around modded Minecraft: instances, mods, packs, Java runtimes, snapshots, compatibility checks, and recovery. By default, the official Minecraft launcher still handles game execution and your Microsoft account.

  • An instance is an isolated Minecraft setup with its own version, loader, mods, and settings.
  • The registry is Agora's community-curated catalog. Downloading it enables catalog and governance features.
  • A mod loader, such as Fabric or Quilt, lets Minecraft load mods. The loader belongs to an instance.

Onboarding, you did this already!

The onboarding wizard checks the optional services and local tools Agora can use. You can skip optional connections and change them later in Settings.

  1. Review the service switches. Leave Modrinth on for a larger live catalog, or off to use only Agora-curated data.
  2. Choose how Minecraft launches: delegated to the official Mojang launcher (the default, no sign-in required) or direct launch inside Agora.
  3. If you chose direct launch, let Agora prepare Java. Delegated launch skips this step because the official launcher brings its own runtime.
  4. Connect GitHub only if you want to vote or participate in community governance.
  5. Download the signed registry when prompted.
  6. Finish onboarding and open Browse to choose a pack, or My Instances to build an empty instance.

A safe first session

For the easiest start, choose a curated pack that matches a current Minecraft version. Packs select a tested group of mods for you and reduce the number of compatibility decisions you need to make.

  1. Open Browse and filter the content type to Pack.
  2. Open a pack, read its description and supported Minecraft versions, then choose Create Instance from Pack.
  3. Keep the suggested loader and memory unless the pack says otherwise.
  4. Launch the new instance. Resolve any health warnings before selecting Launch Anyway.
  5. Play for at least 60 seconds so Agora can establish a Last Known Good recovery point.

In depth

How the system actually behaves, and why, for readers who prefer the model to a recipe.

Treat onboarding as a policy decision: choose which external services, runtime sources, launch responsibilities, and cached data Agora may use.

After this you will be able to

  • Configure a minimal-network or fully featured installation intentionally.
  • Know which setup choices are reversible and where their controls live.
  • Verify the registry and runtime state before building instances.

Choose a service boundary

Agora can run with only its cached registry, or enrich results with Modrinth, GitHub governance, Copilot, and an external MCP client. Each integration has a separate purpose and can be disabled independently.

  • Modrinth consent enables the feature; Privacy network permission controls whether live API and CDN access is allowed.
  • GitHub governance sign-in is independent from the GitHub Copilot connection used by the AI Assistant.
  • Microsoft sign-in is only needed for direct in-app launching and online play. Delegated launch uses the official launcher.

Validate the local foundation

Before constructing a large instance, verify the cached registry, selected launch mode, Java policy, and network policy. This avoids discovering a blocked download or incompatible runtime halfway through an install plan.

  1. Open Settings and enable Advanced mode if you need Privacy, manual JVM, or MCP controls.
  2. Confirm the Registry status is ready and current.
  3. Choose Automatic, Prompt, or Manual Java management.
  4. Review every enabled endpoint in Privacy, especially registry, Modrinth, loader, Mojang, authentication, and runtime access.
  5. Create a small test instance and launch it once before importing a large pack.

Reset or revisit onboarding choices

Onboarding is not a permanent configuration contract. The Services, Accounts, Launching, Java, Updates, and Privacy sections expose the same operational choices with more detail.

This guide is the same text Agora shows in its built-in Help & Guide, which is searchable and links directly to the screens it describes.