Wabbajack is an automated ModList installer that can recreate contents of a folder on another machine without ever distributing copyrighted materials or syncing data between the source and destination machine. Wabbajack will create instructions for a ModList when compiling, those can be as simple as Download Mod abc from the Nexus or complex as Clean the Game ESM files using zEdit.
- wabbajack.org The official Wabbajack website where you can find instructions and a Gallery for some ModLists.
- Discord The official Wabbajack discord for instructions, ModLists, support or friendly chatting with fellow modders.
- Patreon contains update posts and keeps the Code Signing Certificate alive.
| Game | Platform | Mod Manager | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oblivion | Steam, GOG | MO2 | Normal and GotY Edition |
| Oblivion | Steam | MO2 | |
| Fallout 3 | Steam | MO2 | |
| Fallout New Vegas | Steam | MO2 | |
| Skyrim | Steam | MO2 | |
| Skyrim Special Edition | Steam | MO2 | |
| Fallout 4 | Steam | MO2 | |
| Skyrim VR | Steam | MO2 |
Every ModList comes with its own set of instructions which you should read before doing anything. The following steps are the general steps you would take, but every ModList is different from one another so don't rely on those.
A ModList comes as a .wabbajack file. You might have a .zip, .7z or .rar file which contains the ModList so extract the archive using 7zip before starting Wabbajack. Once extracted, start Wabbajack and click on the Install a ModList from Disk button and select the extracted .wabbajack file.
On the installation screen, configure the installation/staging and downloads folder before clicking the begin button. Once everything is correctly setup, the button will be clickable and you can proceed with the installation.
The installation can take everything from a few minutes to hours depending on the size of the ModList, your Internet speed and your hardware so just be patient and wait for Installation complete! You may exit the program. to appear in the log.
Wabbajack will index all files in the game folder during compilation. It is highly recommended that you run a compilation with an empty ModList and copy the vfs_cache.bin file to a safe location. Depending on the game, indexing can take a long time for the game files alone so having done it already will save you time.
Overview video on YouTube.
Before doing anything make sure that:
- Wabbajack is not inside commonly used folders like
Documents,Downloads,Desktopbut rather on a very high level directory likeC:\Wabbajack\. - The game you modded is not inside the default Steam folder
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common, see this post on how to move your library. - You have a stable connection to the Internet
Wabbajack must not be located inside the MO2 folder or else the entire universe and the time-space continuum we know and love will be destroyed... this includes all kitten and puppies you have ever seen so be careful!
MO2 must be in Portable and every archive you used in your MO2 profile has some sort of download information attached:
- You need all archives and all
.metafiles for those archives inside yourMO2/downloads/folder. - If you downloaded a file manually from the Nexus, make sure its in the
MO2/downloads/folder and clickQuery Infofrom the right-click menu in MO2. - For other files like
ENBSeries,SKSE,SRO, etc. look at the RECIPES.md file.
There are special flags that can be placed in a mod's notes or comments to trigger special behavior in Wabbajack:
WABBAJACK_INCLUDE- All mod files will be inlined into the.wabbajackfileWABBAJACK_ALWAYS_ENABLE- The mod's files will be considered by the compiler even if the mod is disabled in the profileWABBAJACK_NOMATCH_INCLUDE- The mod's files will be included as inline files inside the.wabbajackfile even if Wabbajack did not found any match for them
Wabbajack can create binary patches for files that have been modified after installation. This could be an .esp that has been cleaned or patched. It could also be a mesh or texture that has been optimized to work better in a given game.
In any case, a BSDiff file is generated. The output of this process is copied directly into the ModList instructions. However! It is important to note that the patch file 100% useless without the source file. So original + patch = final_file. Without the original file, the final file cannot be recreated. This allows us to distribute arbitrary changes without violating copyrights as we do not copy copyrighted material. Instead, we copy instructions on how to modify the copyrighted material.
Once you have everything setup, launch Wabbajack and click the Create a ModList button. Select MO2 as your Mod Manager and point to your modlist.txt file located at MO2\profile\<profile_name>\modlist.txt. Make sure that the downloads folder is set correctly.
You now also have the option to change some properties for your ModList. Users will see those information when they select your ModList before installation. You can not change these properties during/after compilation!
When everything is correctly set up, click the begin button and wait for Wabbajack to finish. Depeding on your hardware, size of your MO2 folder and game of choice, this can take up anything from a few minutes to hours. Do note that whenever Wabbajack has an error you can restart the compilation and Wabbajack will resume at the exact position.
Wabbajack is finished when you see Done Building ModList in the log. At that point you can close Wabbajack and the .wabbajack file will be located in the same folder as Wabbajack.exe.
How can I get Wabbajack to handle mods from X?
Look at the RECIPES.md file, we keep a knowledge base of how to deal with given types of mods in that file.
How do I contribute to Wabbajack?
Look at the CONTRIBUTING.md file for detailed guidelines.
How does Wabbajack differ from Automaton?
I (halgari) used to be a developer working on Automaton. Sadly development was moving a bit too slowly for my liking, and I realized that a complete rewrite would allow the implementation of some really nice features (like BSA packing). As such I made the decision to strike out on my own and make an app that worked first, and then make it pretty. The end result is an app with a ton of features, and a less than professional UI. But that's my motto when coding "make it work, then make it pretty".
Can I charge for a Wabbajack Modlist I created?
No, as specified in the license, Wabbajack modlists must be available for free. Any payment in exchange for access to a Wabbajack installer is strictly prohibited. This includes paywalling, "pay for beta access", "pay for current version, previous version is free", or any sort of other quid-pro-quo monitization structure. The Wabbajack team reserves the right to implement software that will prohibit the installation of any lists that are paywalled.
Can I accept donations for my installer?
Absolutely! As long as the act of donating does not entitle the donator to access to the installer. The installer must be free, donations must be a "thank you" not a purchase of services or content.
All original code in Wabbajack is given freely via the GPL3 license. Parts of Wabbajack use libraries that carry their own Open Sources licenses, those parts retain their original copyrights. Selling of ModList files is strictly forbidden. As is hosting the files behind any sort of paywall. You recieved this tool free of charge, respect this by giving freely as you were given.
Our testers and Discord members who encourage development and help test the builds.
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