Tutorials/Upgrading to Mekanism v8

This article is a brief guide to upgrading an existing Mekanism 7 world from 7.1.2 to 8.1.0. As of this writing, Mekanism 8.1.0.215 is the latest release, but this process should apply to the current "latest release" as well.

NOTE: This is not a comprehensive administrator's guide. It assumes that you are already familiar with typical modded-Minecraft tasks like backing up worlds and keeping multiple Minecraft profiles. Upgrading to Mekanism 8 is not complicated, but there are a few steps you will want to take before updating your existing Mek 7 world. If you have any problems during this process, feel free to stop by the Mekanism IRC. (#mekanism on esper.net)

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Will all my data be saved?

Most things will be saved, but because of some internal changes in Mekanism, you will lose items. There is currently no way around this. But don't panic! You will later replace these with some creative-mode magick after your new Mekanism 8 world is back online.

Here is a quick list of the items that will NOT migrate to version 8:

• Items / Machines :
  • Free Runners
  • In-world Logistical Transporters (only affects placed pipes, not pipes in chests or your inventory)
  • In-world Pressurized Tubes (only affects placed tubes, not tubes in chests or your inventory)
  • Some machines may lose their customized input/output confiuration
• Ores:
  • Dusts: Copper, Diamond, Lead, Silver, Steel, Sulfur, Tin
  • Dirty Dusts: Lead, Obsidian
  • Clump: Lead, Obsidian
  • Shard: Lead, Obsidian
  • Crystal: Lead, Obsidian
  • Refined Dust: Obsidian

• NOTE: This only applies to the Mekanism version of these items. All other mods' versions of these items will remain. If you have questions about which version you're looking at, my advice is to use WAILA.

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Steps

• (1) An ounce of caution:
  • Back up your world. Just do it, you will be glad you did.
  • Backup your Mekansim.cfg file. Make a copy and name it something like "Mekanism-PREVIOUS.cfg" or something obvious.

• (2) In-Game Preparation:
  • Since so many "mid-process" ores are affected, clear your ore processing systems. Stop the ore inputs and let your processing lines finish.
  • Remove all in-world (placed) Logistical Transporters and Pressurized Tubes. Pipes and Tubes in your inventory will get converted to Basic-level items in the new tiered system. But any Pipes or Tubes that are in-world will get removed! To help you remember what gets connected where, use signs or replace the Pipes and Tubes with another block, like maybe two different colors of wool.
  • Take stock of your Free Runners and the ores mentioned above. These items will NOT convert, no matter how you prepare. But don't panic! You will creative-mode them back to yourself after the migration. To be safe, you might want to just dispose of them now, rather than risk a corrupted world later.

• (3) Mekanism update:
  • Download the latest version of the Mekanism mods. Do not download the MDK -- that is for mod developers.
  • Place the new Mek mods in your mods folder
  • Disable the previous versions of the Mekansim mods by changing the .jar file to a .jarX file.
  • Start Minecraft so that a new config file is generated, then quit. DO NOT ENTER YOUR SERVER WORLD.

• (4) Update the new Mekanism.cfg:
  • If you had made changes to your old Mekanism configuration (power usage, power standard, etc) now is the time to replace your customizations.
  • Even if you didn't make any changes, now is a good time to check out what's in there! Mekanism 8 is highly customizable.

• (5) Client-side test world
  • Using your updated configuration, start up a new creative-mode test world LOCALLY.
  • Don't start up your server world just yet. Check for "SEVERE" or "ERROR" errors in the Forge Log. Some errors are OK but you should not see java errors or missing classes.
  • If there were errors, fix and restart the world until everything loads clean.
  • Once you have successfully loaded a new test world, confirm that the new content is in-game. If not, check which version of Mekanism you are using
    

A note about APIs. An API is what allows different mods to talk to each other and use each other's stuff. There were several changes in the Mekanism8 API. Other mods might still be looking for the "old style" Mekanism API, and when they don't find it, they will likely crash. This is not a Mekanism problem. The author of the mod needs to update to the new Mekanism API, then everything will start working again.

• (6) Server-side world
  • Now that the client-side testing is done, disable the server's old Mekanism and config files by renaming them.
  • Copy your new Mekanism .jar files and your new configuration from your client/local PC to your server.
  • Start up your server.
  • Check for "SEVERE" or "ERROR" errors in the Forge Log.
  • Repair & restart as necessary.
  • If everything checks out, then join the server!

• (7) Post-update
  • Using your list of items you knew you'd lose, replace your lost ores and Free Runners, as needed.
  • Replace your Logistical Transporters and Pressurized Tubes.
  • Check the connections to Mekanism machines.
  • Replace any fluids that you temporarily moved.
    
• WARNING: If you see any magenta & black boxes, these are items that did not convert. Dispose of these IMMEDIATELY in lava or some other method that takes them out of the world.

Have fun!

• You've completed the update! Now go make a new Flame Thrower for yourself and burn something!