A terminal-based mod installer for Spore on Linux. Supports .package and .sporemod files, reads ModInfo.xml from bundles to present component descriptions and groups, enforces single-selection within componentGroup sets, and auto-installs prerequisite DLLs to SporeModLoader.
- Interactive TUI menu (full-screen, no scroll history)
- Parses
ModInfo.xmlinside.sporemodbundles for display names, descriptions, and component groups - Groups marked
componentGroupin the XML display under a labeled header and reject multiple selections from the same group - Prerequisite DLLs listed in the XML are installed automatically to
SporeModLoader/ModLibs/ - Standard
.packagefiles install directly to the SporeData/folder - Auto-detects Spore's
Data/folder and SporeModLoader across common Steam and Wine paths - Falls back to raw file listing when no
ModInfo.xmlis present
bash4.2 or newerunzip(for.sporemodbundles)python3(stdlib only, forModInfo.xmlparsing)- SporeModLoader — required only for mods that ship DLLs
Download the release zip and extract it. Then copy the script to your local bin directory:
cp ModInstaller/sporemods.sh ~/.local/bin/sporemods
chmod +x ~/.local/bin/sporemods~/.local/bin is included in $PATH by default on Fedora and most modern distros. If sporemods is not found after this, add the following to your ~/.bashrc or ~/.bash_profile and restart your terminal:
export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"You can then run the installer from any directory:
sporemodsIf you want the command available for all users on the machine:
sudo cp ModInstaller/sporemods.sh /usr/local/bin/sporemods
sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/sporemods- Extract the release zip and place the
ModInstaller/folder inside your Spore game directory. The recommended location is:
steamapps/common/Spore/ModInstaller/
This keeps the installer next to the Data/ and SporeModLoader/ folders it writes to, and makes the layout easy to follow. The installer will still work from any location since it auto-detects those paths, but keeping everything under the game directory is cleaner.
- Drop your
.packageor.sporemodfiles into theMods/folder:
steamapps/common/Spore/ModInstaller/
Mods/ <-- put your mod files here
sporemods.sh
-
Run
sporemodsin the terminal. -
Select mods by number (space-separated for multiple),
Ato install all,Dto install defaults only, orQto quit.
After each install the menu redraws. The script does not close until you press Q.
When a bundle contains a ModInfo.xml, the installer displays the mod's name and description, lists components with their descriptions, and labels component groups:
Rattler SPORE
A Space Stage overhaul mod for SPORE. ...
Required DLL(s) - installed automatically:
-> RattlerSpore.dll
Components:
[1] [Package] Rattler SPORE Core v1.1 (default)
...
+ Core Recipe Addons (pick one)
[2] [Package] Casual Tool Recipes v.1.0
[3] [Package] Normal Tool Recipes v.1.0 (default)
[4] [Package] Grindy Tool Recipes v.1.0
+
[5] [Package] Rattler SPORE Wares v.1.0
Selecting more than one component from the same group is rejected with a clear error. But be careful as some may not be grouped.
When no ModInfo.xml is present, the installer falls back to listing the raw files inside the archive.
The installer checks the following locations for Spore's Data/ folder:
/mnt/A/SteamLibrary/steamapps/common/Spore/Data~/.steam/steam/steamapps/common/Spore/Data~/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/Spore/Data~/.wine/drive_c/Program Files (x86)/Steam/steamapps/common/Spore/Data~/.wine/drive_c/Program Files/Steam/steamapps/common/Spore/Data/Applications/Spore.app/Contents/Resources/Data(macOS)
If none are found, you will be prompted to enter the path manually.
SporeModLoader is checked in the same Steam library root and common Wine paths.
MIT