Luanti (formerly Minetest), the free and open-source voxel game creation platform on PC, has launched its 5.17.0 release. The new version introduces basic gamepad support for in-game actions alongside critical security patches for both clients and servers, prompting developers to recommend an immediate upgrade for all users.
Quick Facts
- Platform: PC
- New Addition: Basic gamepad support for in-game actions and multi-track animation support for glTF models
- Security: Client and server security vulnerabilities patched
- Ecosystem: Includes games like VoxeLibre (formerly MineClone2) on ContentDB
Key Client and Modding Changes
Release 5.17.0 brings several practical adjustments to the interface and rendering pipeline. Dropdowns now accept selection by mouse down, drag, and release actions, while formspecs no longer close when the window gains focus. Model elements within formspecs are animated again, and the mouse cursor is no longer clamped to window bounds, improving behavior with high DPI mice and lower frame rates.
For scripters and modders, the update adds a dummy auth backend, support for raw deflate compression in core.(de)compress, and extended `core.get_craft_recipe` fields. The script API documentation has also received multiple updates alongside performance enhancements tied to texture modifiers and node visuals.
World and Environment Improvements
Server operators benefit from improved collision handling and more efficient mapblock loading within the current view. Additionally, the `--debugger` command-line argument can now be utilized directly on luantiserver.