lmm - Linux Mod Manager

A terminal-based mod manager for Linux that provides a CLI interface for searching, installing, updating, and managing game mods from various sources.

Features

• NexusMods Integration: Search, download, install, and check updates from NexusMods
• Profile System: Manage multiple mod configurations per game
• Update Management: Check for updates with configurable policies (auto, notify, pinned)
• Rollback Support: Revert to previous mod versions when updates cause issues
• Flexible Deployment: Symlink, hardlink, or copy mods to game directories
• Dependency Detection: Fetches mod dependencies from NexusMods (automatic installation coming soon)
• Pure Go: No CGO required, easy cross-compilation

Installation

From GitHub Releases

Download the latest release for your architecture from the Releases page:

• lmm_<version>_linux_amd64.tar.gz - 64-bit x86
• lmm_<version>_linux_arm64.tar.gz - 64-bit ARM

Extract and install:

tar -xzf lmm_*.tar.gz
sudo mv lmm /usr/local/bin/

With Go Install

Requires Go 1.21 or later.

go install github.com/DonovanMods/linux-mod-manager/cmd/lmm@latest

From Source

git clone https://github.com/DonovanMods/linux-mod-manager.git
cd linux-mod-manager
go build -o lmm ./cmd/lmm

Quick Start

Authentication

NexusMods requires an API key for downloading mods. Get your personal API key from NexusMods API settings and authenticate:

lmm auth login
# Or set the environment variable
export NEXUSMODS_API_KEY="your-api-key"

Set Default Game

Set a default game to avoid specifying --game for every command:

# Set default game
lmm game set-default skyrim-se

# Now all game commands work without --game
lmm search "skyui"
lmm install "skyui"
lmm list
lmm update
lmm uninstall 12345
lmm mod set-update 12345 --auto
lmm profile list

# Show current default
lmm game show-default

# Clear the default
lmm game clear-default

Basic Usage

# Search for mods
lmm search "skyui" --game skyrim-se

# Install a mod (interactive selection)
lmm install "skyui" --game skyrim-se

# Install multiple mods (select with 1,3-5 or 1..3 syntax)
lmm install "stack" --game starrupture

# Install by mod ID (for scripting)
lmm install --id 12345 --game skyrim-se

# List installed mods
lmm list --game skyrim-se

# Check for updates
lmm update --game skyrim-se

# Update a specific mod
lmm update 12345 --game skyrim-se

# Rollback to previous version
lmm update rollback 12345 --game skyrim-se

# Show status
lmm status

Update Policies

Control how each mod handles updates:

# Auto-update when checking
lmm mod set-update 12345 --game skyrim-se --auto

# Notify only (default)
lmm mod set-update 12345 --game skyrim-se --notify

# Pin to current version
lmm mod set-update 12345 --game skyrim-se --pin

Configuration

Configuration files are stored in ~/.config/lmm/:

Main Config (config.yaml)

default_link_method: symlink # Global default: symlink, hardlink, or copy
default_game: skyrim-se # Optional, set via 'lmm game set-default'
cache_path: ~/.local/share/lmm/cache # Optional, defaults to <data_dir>/cache

The cache_path setting allows you to store downloaded mod files in a custom location. This is useful if you want to:

• Store mods on a separate drive with more space
• Share cached mods between multiple installations
• Use a faster SSD for mod storage

Paths support ~ expansion for the home directory.

Games (games.yaml)

games:
  skyrim-se:
    name: "Skyrim Special Edition"
    install_path: "/path/to/skyrim"
    mod_path: "/path/to/skyrim/Data"
    sources:
      nexusmods: "skyrimspecialedition"
    # link_method: symlink  # Optional: override default_link_method for this game
    # cache_path: ~/skyrim-mods  # Optional: override global cache_path for this game

  starfield:
    name: "Starfield"
    install_path: "/path/to/starfield"
    mod_path: "/path/to/starfield/Data"
    sources:
      nexusmods: "starfield"
    link_method: copy # This game requires file copies instead of symlinks
    cache_path: /mnt/fast-ssd/starfield-mods # Store this game's mods on fast storage

Deployment Methods

Mods can be deployed using three methods:

Method	Description
symlink	Symbolic links to cached files (default, space efficient)
hardlink	Hard links (transparent to games, requires same filesystem)
copy	Full file copies (maximum compatibility, uses more disk space)

Priority: Per-game link_method in games.yaml takes precedence over default_link_method in config.yaml. If neither is set, defaults to symlink.

Cache Path Priority

The mod cache location is determined by:

1. Per-game cache_path in games.yaml (if set)
2. Global cache_path in config.yaml (if set)
3. Default: ~/.local/share/lmm/cache/

This allows you to store different games' mods on different drives (e.g., large games on HDD, frequently accessed games on SSD).

CLI Reference

Global Flags

Flag	Short	Description
--game	-g	Game ID (optional if default set via game set-default)
--verbose	-v	Enable verbose output
--config		Custom config directory
--data		Custom data directory

Commands

Command	Description
lmm search <query>	Search for mods
lmm install <query>	Search and install a mod
lmm install --id <mod-id>	Install by mod ID
lmm uninstall <mod-id>	Uninstall a mod
lmm list	List installed mods
lmm status	Show current status
lmm update	Check for and apply auto-updates
lmm update <mod-id>	Update a specific mod
lmm update --all	Apply all available updates
lmm update --dry-run	Preview what would update
lmm update rollback <mod-id>	Rollback to previous version
lmm mod enable <mod-id>	Enable a disabled mod
lmm mod disable <mod-id>	Disable mod (keep in cache)
lmm mod set-update <mod-id> --auto	Enable auto-updates for mod
lmm mod set-update <mod-id> --notify	Notify only (default)
lmm mod set-update <mod-id> --pin	Pin mod to current version
lmm game set-default <game-id>	Set the default game
lmm game show-default	Show current default game
lmm game clear-default	Clear the default game setting
lmm auth login	Authenticate with NexusMods
lmm auth logout	Remove stored credentials
lmm auth status	Show authentication status
lmm profile list	List profiles
lmm profile create <name>	Create a profile
lmm profile switch <name>	Switch to a profile (installs missing mods)
lmm profile delete <name>	Delete a profile
lmm profile export <name>	Export profile to YAML
lmm profile import <file>	Import profile from YAML
lmm profile import <file> --force	Import and overwrite existing
lmm profile sync	Update profile to match installed mods
lmm profile apply	Install/enable mods to match profile
lmm redeploy	Re-deploy all enabled mods from cache
lmm redeploy <mod-id>	Re-deploy specific mod from cache
lmm redeploy --method hardlink	Re-deploy using different link method

Architecture

cmd/lmm/                  # CLI entry point (Cobra)
internal/
├── domain/               # Core types (Mod, Profile, Game)
├── source/               # Mod source abstraction
│   └── nexusmods/        # NexusMods API client
├── storage/
│   ├── db/               # SQLite storage
│   ├── config/           # YAML configuration
│   └── cache/            # Mod file cache
├── linker/               # Deployment strategies
└── core/                 # Business logic
    ├── service.go        # Main orchestrator
    ├── installer.go      # Install/uninstall
    ├── updater.go        # Update checking
    ├── downloader.go     # HTTP downloads
    └── extractor.go      # Archive extraction

File Locations

Type	Path
Config	~/.config/lmm/
Database	~/.local/share/lmm/lmm.db
Mod Cache	~/.local/share/lmm/cache/ (default)

The mod cache location can be customized via cache_path in config.yaml.

Roadmap

• NexusMods authentication and downloads
• Update management with policies and rollback
• Default game setting (avoid --game on every command)
• Mod dependency detection from NexusMods
• Automatic dependency installation
• Interactive TUI (Bubble Tea) - see BACKLOG.md
• Additional mod sources (CurseForge, ESOUI)
• Conflict detection and resolution
• Game auto-detection (Steam, Lutris, Heroic)
• Mod file verification (checksums)
• Backup and restore

Development

# Run tests
go test ./...

# Format code
go fmt ./...

# Vet code
go vet ./...

# Build
go build -o lmm ./cmd/lmm

License

MIT License - See LICENSE for details.

Acknowledgments

• Cobra - CLI framework
• NexusMods - Mod hosting platform