Skip to main content

​
Installation Overview

Substratum offers two distinct installation methods depending on your use case. This guide will help you choose the right approach and understand what each method entails.

​
Installation Methods

World Installation

Create a complete underground world where Substratum is the primary terrain generator

Drop-In Merge

Add Substratum’s cave biomes to an existing Terra pack for enhanced underground variety

​
Choosing Your Installation Method

​
World Installation

Best for:
  • Creating dedicated underground survival worlds
  • Players who want the full Substratum experience
  • Servers focused on cave exploration and underground gameplay
  • Testing and showcasing all Substratum biomes
What you get:
  • Entire world generated as interconnected cave systems
  • Terrain from Y=-64 (bedrock) to Y=319 (top bedrock layer)
  • All 14 Substratum cave biomes (plus optional Coral Coves)
  • No surface generation - pure underground experience
World installation replaces the default overworld generation entirely. The world will be underground from bedrock to bedrock.

​
Drop-In Merge Installation

Best for:
  • Enhancing existing Terra packs with unique underground biomes
  • Adding variety to vanilla-style worlds (e.g., OverworldConfig)
  • Keeping surface generation while upgrading caves
  • Modpack creators wanting diverse cave systems
What you get:
  • Substratum cave biomes added to your existing pack’s underground
  • Surface biomes remain unchanged
  • Configurable Y-level ranges for where Substratum caves appear
  • Mix of your pack’s caves and Substratum’s unique biomes
Drop-in merge requires careful file management and configuration. Make sure to follow the merge guide closely to avoid conflicts.

​
Prerequisites

Before installing Substratum, ensure you have:
1

Terra Plugin/Mod Installed

Install Terra for your platform:See the Terra installation guide for detailed instructions.
2

Download Substratum Pack

Get Substratum from one of these sources:Extract the downloaded pack to your Terra packs directory.
3

Backup Existing Worlds (if applicable)

If merging into an existing pack or world:
  • Backup your world files
  • Backup your Terra pack configurations
  • Document any custom changes you’ve made

​
Terra Packs Directory

You’ll need to know where Terra stores configuration packs: 
# Default location
plugins/Terra/packs/

# Place Substratum folder here
plugins/Terra/packs/Substratum/

​
Version Information

Current Version: 1.6.0Terra Compatibility: Requires Terra with support for:
  • biome-provider-pipeline-v2
  • chunk-generator-noise-3d
  • biome-provider-extrusion
  • And other addons listed in pack.yml
Ensure your Terra version supports these addons before installing.

​
Platform-Specific Notes

​
Bukkit/Spigot/Paper

  • Configuration is done through bukkit.yml
  • Supports multiple worlds with different generators
  • Easier to configure and manage
  • No file editing required for dimension support

​
Fabric

  • Requires editing level.dat for custom dimension generation
  • Configuration is more technical
  • May need additional tools like NBT editors
  • Fabric users should be comfortable with manual file editing

​
Next Steps

Choose your installation path:

World Installation Guide

Set up a complete Substratum world

Drop-In Merge Guide

Merge Substratum into an existing pack

​
Need Help?

If you encounter issues during installation:

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get started for freeTalk to us