https://github.com/nexuls/legacy-launcher-git
An unofficial Arch Linux package for installing Legacy Launcher as a native application.
https://github.com/nexuls/legacy-launcher-git
arch-user-repository aur legacy-launcher package-installer pkgbuild
Last synced: 1 day ago
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An unofficial Arch Linux package for installing Legacy Launcher as a native application.
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/nexuls/legacy-launcher-git
- Owner: nexuls
- License: other
- Created: 2026-07-20T18:10:58.000Z (4 days ago)
- Default Branch: master
- Last Pushed: 2026-07-20T19:45:54.000Z (4 days ago)
- Last Synced: 2026-07-20T20:18:31.157Z (4 days ago)
- Topics: arch-user-repository, aur, legacy-launcher, package-installer, pkgbuild
- Language: Shell
- Homepage:
- Size: 9.41 MB
- Stars: 0
- Watchers: 0
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 0
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- License: LICENSE
Awesome Lists containing this project
README
# Legacy Launcher PKGBUILD
**An unofficial Arch Linux package for installing [Legacy Launcher](https://llaun.ch/) as a native application.**
[](LICENSE)
[](https://archlinux.org/)
[](https://openjdk.org/)
---
This package downloads the official Legacy Launcher JAR from upstream at build time, verifies it against a pinned checksum, installs it under `/opt`, creates a launcher script, installs a desktop entry, and registers application icons so it integrates cleanly with your desktop environment.
> [!NOTE]
> This repository is **not affiliated with the Legacy Launcher project**. It simply packages the official launcher for Arch Linux. All rights to the launcher itself belong to its original authors.
## Table of Contents
- [Features](#features)
- [Requirements](#requirements)
- [Installation](#installation)
- [What Gets Installed](#what-gets-installed)
- [Usage](#usage)
- [Updating Legacy Launcher](#updating-legacy-launcher)
- [Uninstall](#uninstall)
- [Repository Structure](#repository-structure)
- [Troubleshooting](#troubleshooting)
- [Contributing](#contributing)
- [License](#license)
## Features
- ✅ Native Arch package built with `makepkg`
- 🔒 JAR fetched from upstream at build time and verified against a pinned SHA-256
- 🖥️ Desktop menu integration via a `.desktop` entry
- 🎨 Scalable SVG and high-resolution PNG application icons
- ⌨️ Launcher available as the `legacy-launcher` command
- 📁 Installs to standard Linux locations (`/opt`, `/usr/bin`, `/usr/share`)
- 🧹 Clean removal through `pacman`
## Requirements
| Requirement | Notes |
| --- | --- |
| Arch Linux (or an Arch-based distro) | e.g. Manjaro, EndeavourOS |
| `base-devel` | Provides `makepkg` and build tooling |
| Java 17 or newer | Runtime dependency (`java-runtime>=17`) |
Install the required packages:
```bash
sudo pacman -S --needed base-devel jre17-openjdk
```
## Installation
Clone the repository and build the package:
```bash
git clone
cd legacy-launcher
makepkg -si
```
`makepkg -si` builds the package and installs it (along with any missing dependencies) via `pacman`. When it finishes, Legacy Launcher is available in your application menu and on the command line.
> [!TIP]
> To build the package **without** installing it, run `makepkg` on its own. The resulting `legacy-launcher-*.pkg.tar.zst` can then be installed later with `sudo pacman -U `.
## What Gets Installed
| Path | Description |
| --- | --- |
| `/opt/legacy-launcher/LegacyLauncher.jar` | The launcher application |
| `/usr/bin/legacy-launcher` | Wrapper script (`java -jar …`) |
| `/usr/share/applications/legacy-launcher.desktop` | Desktop menu entry |
| `/usr/share/icons/hicolor/scalable/apps/legacy-launcher.svg` | Scalable icon |
| `/usr/share/icons/hicolor/256x256/apps/legacy-launcher.png` | Raster icon (tray/dock size) |
| `/usr/share/icons/hicolor/512x512/apps/legacy-launcher.png` | Raster icon |
## Usage
Once installed, launch Legacy Launcher from:
- **Your application launcher** — search for *Legacy Launcher*
- **The command line:**
```bash
legacy-launcher
```
Any arguments you pass are forwarded to the underlying JAR:
```bash
legacy-launcher --help
```
## Updating Legacy Launcher
The `PKGBUILD` fetches the JAR from `https://llaun.ch/jar` — a rolling "latest" endpoint with
no version in the path — and pins its SHA-256. When upstream publishes a new build, that
checksum stops matching and `makepkg` fails at the validation step:
```
==> Validating source files with sha256sums...
LegacyLauncher.jar ... FAILED
```
**This is the intended signal that an update is available, not a bug.** To take the update:
```bash
updpkgsums # refresh sha256sums= from upstream
makepkg -si # rebuild and install
```
Then bump `pkgver` to match the new release. The authoritative version is inside the JAR
itself, not on the website:
```bash
unzip -p LegacyLauncher.jar META-INF/bootstrap-meta.json
# {"version":"1.40.3+legacy","shortBrand":"legacy","brand":"Stable"}
```
> [!WARNING]
> Do not take the version from upstream's `.deb` control file — it still reports `1.0` from a
> 2024 build and is stale.
> [!CAUTION]
> Never commit `sha256sums=('SKIP')` for the JAR. The download endpoint sits behind
> Cloudflare, and every other artifact path on that host answers unauthenticated requests
> with an HTTP 403 challenge page. Without the pin, `makepkg` would happily save that HTML
> as `LegacyLauncher.jar` and report a successful build. The pin turns that into a loud
> checksum failure instead.
### What the checksum does and does not cover
The file this package installs is a **bootstrap**, not the launcher itself
(`Start-Class: net.legacylauncher.bootstrap.BootstrapStarter`). On first run it downloads the
actual launcher into your home directory and self-updates there, outside of `pacman`.
So the pinned checksum verifies *the downloader* that `pacman` tracks; the code that arrives
afterwards is not covered by it. This is inherent to how upstream ships the launcher and no
change to this `PKGBUILD` can alter it. Worth knowing rather than assuming otherwise.
Upstream also publishes no GPG signature, no detached `.sig`/`.asc`, and no checksums file,
and the JAR is not JAR-signed — so the SHA-256 pin is the only integrity mechanism available
here.
## Uninstall
Remove the package with `pacman`:
```bash
sudo pacman -R legacy-launcher
```
This removes all files installed by the package. Your personal Legacy Launcher data and game files are left untouched — including the launcher the bootstrap downloaded into your home directory, which `pacman` never tracked (see [above](#what-the-checksum-does-and-does-not-cover)). Remove that manually if you want a full cleanup.
## Repository Structure
```
.
├── PKGBUILD # Build recipe for makepkg
├── legacy-launcher.svg # Scalable application icon
├── legacy-launcher_256.png # 256×256 raster icon
├── legacy-launcher_512.png # 512×512 raster icon
├── LICENSE # MIT license for packaging files
└── README.md # This file
```
`LegacyLauncher.jar` is **not** stored in this repository. It is downloaded into the build
directory by `makepkg` and is listed in `.gitignore`.
## Troubleshooting
The legacy-launcher command isn't found after install
Make sure `/usr/bin` is in your `PATH` (it is by default). Try opening a new shell, or run `hash -r` to refresh your shell's command cache.
Nothing happens / a Java error appears when launching
Verify a compatible Java runtime is installed and active:
```bash
java -version # should report 17 or newer
archlinux-java status # list and switch between installed JREs
```
If needed, set the default: `sudo archlinux-java set java-17-openjdk`.
The icon or menu entry doesn't appear
Refresh the desktop caches, then log out and back in:
```bash
sudo update-desktop-database
sudo gtk-update-icon-cache /usr/share/icons/hicolor
```
## Contributing
Issues and pull requests are welcome — for example, keeping the pinned checksum and `pkgver` current, improving the desktop integration, or refining the `PKGBUILD`. Please keep changes focused on the packaging; anything relating to the launcher itself should be reported to the [upstream project](https://llaun.ch/).
## License
The packaging files in this repository (PKGBUILD, wrapper script, desktop entry, README, and related metadata) are provided under the [MIT License](LICENSE).
The **Legacy Launcher** application, its name, logo, and JAR file are the property of their respective authors and are distributed under their own license and terms. See [llaun.ch](https://llaun.ch/) for details.