How to use Craft: build, run and play the C Minecraft clone

What Craft is and what it isn't

Craft is a Minecraft clone for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. Its terrain uses Simplex noise, its world changes are saved to a sqlite3 database, and it includes a Python-based server for online multiplayer.

It is a simplified clone with a limited feature set, so it is not a substitute for the full Minecraft experience. The README points to Mac and Windows binaries on the project website; otherwise you build it from source.

• Terrain generated from Simplex noise, deterministic for each position
• More than 10 block types, with more that can be added easily
• Plants, transparent glass, simple clouds, and day/night cycles
• World changes persisted in a sqlite3 database
• Optional multiplayer through a Python server

Install the dependencies for your system

You need CMake, a C compiler and a few libraries. The README lists separate steps for each platform.

On Mac OS X, install CMake (Homebrew can do this). On Ubuntu Linux, install the listed packages. On Windows, install CMake and MinGW, add C:\MinGW\bin to your PATH, and install cURL so that CURL/lib and CURL/include are in your Program Files directory.

• Mac OS X: CMake, optionally via Homebrew
• Linux (Ubuntu): cmake, libglew-dev, xorg-dev, libcurl4-openssl-dev, and the glfw build dependencies
• Windows: CMake, MinGW and cURL; use the MinGW commands instead of the standard ones

Build and run Craft from source

Once the dependencies are installed, clone the repository, enter the folder, generate the build files with CMake, compile, and start the game.

On Windows, use the MinGW commands in place of the standard CMake and make steps.

• Clone the repository with git
• Enter the project folder
• Generate build files with cmake
• Compile with make
• Run ./craft

Learn the controls

Movement uses the usual WASD keys. Left click destroys a block and right click creates one. Tab switches between walking and flying.

• WASD to move forward, left, backward and right
• Space to jump
• Left click to destroy a block
• Right click or Cmd + Left Click to create a block
• Ctrl + Right Click to toggle a block as a light source
• 1-9 to select the block type, E to cycle through block types
• Tab to toggle walking and flying
• ZXCVBN to move in exact directions along the XYZ axes
• F for orthographic mode, O and P to observe players
• T to chat, / to enter a command, ` to write text on a block (signs)

Join or host a multiplayer server

The original public server has been taken down, so you need to host your own or find another server. To connect, pass a host and port on the command line, or use the /online command in the game. To run a server, compile the terrain generation DLL and start server.py with Python.

The server is written in Python but needs a compiled library so it can generate terrain the same way the client does.

• Connect from the command line with ./craft [HOST [PORT]]
• Or in game with /online [HOST [PORT]]
• Server requires the compiled world library built with gcc before running server.py

Use chat commands and save files

Chat commands are entered with / in the game. /offline [FILE] switches to offline mode and uses the save file named craft by default. /online HOST [PORT] connects to a server. /goto [NAME] teleports you to another user, /list shows connected users, and /spawn returns you to the spawn point.

World changes are stored in a sqlite database, and only the changes are saved; the default world is regenerated and your edits are applied on top.

• /list displays connected users
• /login NAME switches to another registered username (case-sensitive)
• /logout returns you to guest status
• /pq P Q teleports you to a chunk
• /spawn returns to the spawn point