The Download Browser brings the SM64 Coop DX mod community directly into the launcher. Instead of visiting external websites and manually copying files, you can search, filter by tag or author, and install mods with a single keypress — all without leaving the launcher window.Documentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/retired64/sm64coopdx_launcher/llms.txt
Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
Opening the Download Browser
The Mod Database
The launcher ships with a bundled database file (database_sm64coopdx.json) located in the assets directory at ~/.local/share/sm64coopdx/assets/database_sm64coopdx.json. It contains metadata for over 1,000 community mods, including each mod’s title, author, tags, description, download URLs, and version history.
Each DbMod entry in the database carries the following fields: id, url, extracted_at, title, version, author, description, tags, is_featured, image_url, description_images, downloads, views, rating, rating_count, review_count, update_count, first_release, last_update, download_urls, and updates.
The database is loaded and indexed once the first time you open the Download Browser. The search index pre-computes lowercased, combined text (ID + title + author + tags + description) for every mod so that filtering is instantaneous even on slower hardware.
Mods whose download URLs point to a GameBanana page (detected by checking whether any URL contains
gamebanana.com, case-insensitively) are automatically excluded from the browser. These mods require a manual visit to GameBanana to download. The rest of the list contains only mods that can be installed with a single keypress.Searching for Mods
Activate search
Press
/ to focus the search input. A cursor appears in the search bar at the top of the panel.Type your query
Type any part of the mod’s title or mod ID. The list updates instantly as you type. The search uses word-AND matching: every word you type must appear somewhere in the mod’s metadata.
Filtering by Tag
The browser displays a row of tag chips representing the most popular tags in the database. Activating a tag narrows the list to mods that carry that tag.Toggle a tag
Navigate to the desired tag chip with
← / → and press Enter to toggle it on or off. Multiple tags use OR semantics — a mod appears if it matches any active tag.Filtering by Author
Switch to the author input
Press
Tab twice from the mod list (or once from the tag chips) to move focus to the author filter input.Type an author name
Start typing the author’s name. The mod list immediately filters to show only mods by matching authors. Unlike tag filters, the author filter is a single-select — entering a new name replaces the previous filter.
Focus Mode Cycle
The Download Browser has three focus modes, cycled withTab:
| Mode | Description |
|---|---|
| Mod List | Browse and select mods with ↑ / ↓ |
| Tag Chips | Navigate tag chips with ← / → |
| Author Input | Type an author name to filter results |
Selecting and Installing a Mod
Navigate the mod list
Use
↑ / ↓ to move through the filtered list. The highlighted row shows the mod’s title and author.Press Enter to download
Press
Enter on the selected mod to begin downloading. A download progress overlay appears, showing a progress bar and the number of bytes received.Wait for extraction
Once the ZIP file finishes downloading from a temporary
_downloads directory, it is extracted automatically into ~/.local/share/sm64coopdx/. The launcher’s smart extraction finds every main.lua inside the archive and creates one subdirectory per mod root. If the ZIP contains no main.lua, files are extracted flat into the data directory.After the download and extraction complete, switch to the Mod Manager to enable the newly installed mod. Mods are not enabled automatically after installation. See Mod Manager for instructions.
Where Mods Are Installed
Downloaded mods are extracted directly into the launcher’s data directory:~/.local/share/sm64coopdx/_downloads/) and deleted after successful extraction. An installed-mod map (launcher_downloads.json) is saved in the data directory to track which local folder corresponds to which database mod ID.
Download Progress Overlay
While a mod is downloading, a progress overlay covers the browser panel showing:- The mod title being downloaded
- A progress bar with percentage and bytes received
- An error message if the download fails (network error, HTTP error code, etc.)
Esc. Any partially-downloaded .part file is deleted automatically on cancellation.
ZIP Extraction Logic
The launcher uses a smart extraction algorithm to handle archives that bundle multiple mods:- Scan for
main.lua— every file namedmain.luainside the ZIP defines a mod root. - Extract per mod root — each mod root is extracted into its own named subdirectory under the data directory.
- Fallback flat extraction — if no
main.luais found anywhere in the ZIP, all files are extracted flat into the data directory. - Zip-slip guard — entries with path traversal sequences (
../) or absolute paths are rejected individually and logged; the rest of the archive is still extracted normally.
Keyboard Shortcuts Summary
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
/ | Activate search input |
Tab | Cycle focus: Mod List → Tag Chips → Author Input → Mod List |
↑ / ↓ | Navigate the mod list |
← / → | Navigate tag chips (when tag chips are focused) |
Enter | Download the selected mod / toggle a tag chip |
C | Clear all active filters (search, tags, author) |
Esc | Close the panel, clear search, or cancel a download |