FS25 Linux Mod Switcher

A GTK desktop app for managing and switching Farming Simulator 25 mod profiles on Linux. Built by a Linux FS25 player, for Linux FS25 players.

Most mod switchers work by keeping multiple full copies of your mods — one per profile. This app does it properly: one copy of each mod, zero duplication. Profiles are just lists of shortcuts (symlinks) pointing back to the single library. Switching is instant and costs no extra disk space.

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Features

• Single mod library — each mod zip stored once, no matter how many profiles use it
• Named profiles — create loadouts like "Elmcreek Casual", "Multiplayer Lite", "PV Rivers Full"
• Instant switching — switching profiles just repoints a single symlink, no file copying
• Import Folder — point at a downloaded mod pack folder and assign all of it to a profile in one click
• Import Files — add individual mod zips to the library
• Smart mod list — mods in your profile shown at the top, rest of library below; newly added mods appear at the bottom of the active section so you can see what you just changed
• Clone profile — duplicate an existing profile as a starting point, then add or remove mods from the copy
• Mod metadata — reads modDesc.xml inside each zip to extract title, author, version, and dependencies; map mods are marked with a 🗺 icon
• Auto dependency detection — ticking a mod automatically ticks its declared dependencies if they are in your library; warns about any that are missing
• Dependency safety warning — warns you if you try to remove a mod that another mod in the profile depends on
• Auto-detection — automatically finds your FS25 mods folder across all common Steam and Proton paths
• Settings — if auto-detection misses it, browse to your mods folder manually and save it
• FS25 running guard — warns you if the game is open before switching profiles

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Requirements

• Linux (developed and tested on Bazzite; works on any distro with GTK3)
• Python 3.8 or newer
• PyGObject (GTK3 Python bindings — installed automatically by the install script)
• Farming Simulator 25 via Steam + Proton, or the native Linux build

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Installation

Step 1 — Clone the repository

Open a terminal and run:

git clone https://github.com/william17050/FS25_Linux_Mod_Switcher.git
cd FS25_Linux_Mod_Switcher

Step 2 — Run the install script

chmod +x install.sh
./install.sh

This will:

• Install PyGObject (GTK3 bindings) if not already present
• Copy the app to ~/.local/bin/
• Add FS25 Mod Switcher to your desktop app launcher

Step 3 — Launch

Search for FS25 Mod Switcher in your app launcher (press the Super/Windows key and start typing), or run from terminal:

fs25-mod-switcher

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First Launch

The first time you open the app it will:

1. Scan automatically for your FS25 mods folder across all common Steam/Proton install locations
2. Confirm the path — show you what it found and ask you to confirm, or let you browse to it manually if it wasn't found
3. Migrate your existing mods — if you have an existing mods folder, it moves everything into the library and creates a Default profile containing all of them. Your mods are safe and untouched.

After that you're ready to create profiles and start switching.

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How It Works

The core idea is simple. Instead of copying mods around, the app keeps one master copy of every mod in a library folder. Each profile is just a folder full of shortcuts (symlinks) pointing back to the library. The game's mods folder is itself a shortcut pointing at whichever profile is active.

~/Documents/FS25ModLibrary/          ← every mod lives here, once
    courseplay.zip
    seasons.zip
    FS25_PVRivers.zip
    bigTractor.zip

~/Documents/FS25ModProfiles/         ← profiles are folders of shortcuts
    Default/
        courseplay.zip  →  library/courseplay.zip
        seasons.zip     →  library/seasons.zip
    PV Rivers/
        courseplay.zip  →  library/courseplay.zip
        FS25_PVRivers.zip → library/FS25_PVRivers.zip
        seasons.zip     →  library/seasons.zip

~/.steam/.../FarmingSimulator2025/mods  →  FS25ModProfiles/Default  ← active profile

Switching profiles changes only the last line. The files never move.

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Step-by-Step Usage Guide

Importing your first mods

If you already had a mods folder, your mods are already in the library after first launch. If you have additional mods to add:

• Single mods: Click Import Files in the top-right header → select one or more .zip files
• A full mod pack folder: Click Import Folder → browse to the folder → choose which profile to assign them all to (or create a new one on the spot)

Creating a profile

1. Click New Profile
2. Give it a name (e.g. "PV Rivers")
3. A checklist of every mod in your library appears — tick the ones you want in this profile
4. Click OK — the profile is created with symlinks for each ticked mod

Adding mods to an existing profile

1. Click the profile name on the left to select it
2. The right panel shows two sections: In this profile and Not in profile
3. Tick any mod in the Not in profile section to add it — it moves to the top section instantly
4. Untick a mod to remove it — it drops back into the bottom section alphabetically

Switching profiles

1. Select the profile you want on the left
2. Click Switch to Selected
3. Close the app and launch FS25 — it will load the mods from the new profile

Note: FS25 must be closed before switching. The app will warn you if it detects the game is running.

Cloning a profile

Have a profile you want to use as a base for a new one? Select it and click Clone. Enter a name for the copy — it opens immediately with the same mods already ticked, ready to adjust. Great for creating a "Template" profile with your core mods and cloning it for each new map.

Changing your mods folder path

Click ⚙ Settings in the top-left to browse to a different mods folder. Useful if Steam is installed in a non-standard location or if you reinstall the game.

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Quick Reference

What you want to do	How
Switch to a different profile	Select it on the left → Switch to Selected
Create a new profile	New Profile → name it → tick mods
Import a map mod pack folder	Import Folder → pick folder → assign to profile
Import individual mods	Import Files → select zip files
Add a mod to a profile	Select profile → tick the mod in the right panel
Remove a mod from a profile	Select profile → untick the mod in the right panel
Clone an existing profile	Select profile → Clone → enter new name
Change the FS25 mods folder	⚙ Settings

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Troubleshooting

The app couldn't find my FS25 mods folder Click ⚙ Settings and browse to it manually. For Steam + Proton installs the path is usually:

~/.steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata/<APPID>/pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/Documents/My Games/FarmingSimulator2025/mods

Where <APPID> is a number — look inside ~/.steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata/ for the right one.

The game isn't loading the right mods Make sure you closed the app after switching and launched FS25 fresh. The game reads the mods folder on startup.

Import Files button is greyed out / missing The buttons are in the header bar at the top right of the window. Try maximising the window if they're not visible.

PyGObject install fails Try installing GTK3 development libraries first:

• Fedora / Bazzite: sudo dnf install gcc gobject-introspection-devel cairo-gobject-devel pkg-config python3-devel gtk3
• Ubuntu / Debian: sudo apt install python3-gi python3-gi-cairo gir1.2-gtk-3.0

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Contributing

Pull requests welcome. If you find a bug or have a feature idea, open an issue.

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License

MIT — do whatever you want with it.