Bringing Back the Classic Utility: Forever Enough Items
If you have been playing Minecraft for a while, you probably remember the golden age of Not Enough Items (NEI). That legendary mod was the Swiss Army knife of inventory management, recipe lookup, and cheat toggles. But as Minecraft marched through updates, NEI slowly faded into legacy. Forever Enough Items (FEI) changes that by resurrecting the NEI experience and supercharging it for the latest versions. It is not a simple port; it is a full reimagining built to play nice with modern tools like Just Enough Items (JEI) while adding layers of customization that NEI never dreamed of.
What Exactly Does Forever Enough Items Do?
At its core, FEI overlays a powerful utilities grid on your screen, giving you instant access to item subsets, recipe modes, and a robust inventory save and load system. Think of it as a control panel that sits quietly in your GUI until you need it. The mod does not replace JEI; instead, it complements it. You still need JEI installed for all the recipe viewing and item searching, but FEI wraps its own profile-driven logic around it, moving the search bar to a central location and removing the wrench icon to let profiles take over.
One standout feature is the unlimited profile system. You can create, copy, and switch between entirely different configurations on the fly. Each profile remembers the position, size, colors, and visibility of every FEI element. This means you can have a minimalist setup for building, a full-blown cheat panel for creative testing, and a survival-friendly layout, all without digging into config files.
Installation and First Launch
Getting started is straightforward. You need three core mods: FEI itself, its dependency Excore, and Just Enough Items. For the best experience, the author also recommends adding Light Level Overlay Reloaded (LLOR) and either Chunk Edge Indicator (CEI) or More Overlays. If you install both CEI and More Overlays, CEI takes priority for chunk borders, while LLOR and More Overlays together let you see light levels with crosses and numbers.
Sometimes the GUI elements do not align perfectly with your screen resolution right after installation. If that happens, right-click the profile icon in the bottom left corner or press Ctrl+P, then right-click the profile, select the misbehaving element, and adjust its position and size. You can drag with your mouse, nudge with arrow keys, or snap to edges using the numpad.
A Modern Launcher for a Modern Mod
If you prefer to skip manual file shuffling, you can install FEI directly through the foxygame.net launcher. This launcher offers a built-in mod browser that lets you add Forever Enough Items and its dependencies right from the menu, making the entire process smooth and hassle-free. It is a flexible, up-to-date way to keep your modpack organized without ever leaving the game launcher.
Mastering the Profile System
Everything in FEI revolves around profiles. The small icon in the bottom left corner is your gateway. Left-click it for a quick selector; right-click to open the full profiles manager. Inside the manager, you can:
- Left-click a profile to activate it immediately.
- Right-click to edit its name, icon, and elements.
- Shift + left-click to create a duplicate.
- Shift + right-click to delete.
When you edit a profile, you enter a screen where every FEI element is listed. You can disable elements entirely (some cannot be disabled) or right-click to dive into detailed settings. Most elements let you tweak position and size, border styles, and text and background colors. The position editor is a small GUI where you can move and resize elements visually. Numpad keys snap to two-axis alignment, while arrow keys move one axis at a time. It is intuitive and surprisingly deep.
Permissions and Multiplayer Control
FEI introduces a custom permission system with four tiers: user, moderator, administrator, and owner. This is especially useful for server play. Actions like changing game mode or loading a saved inventory require a certain permission level, while passive actions like displaying chunk edges or saving your inventory are available to everyone. To set up the first owner, use the server console with /feiop . In single-player or LAN, just type /feiop to op yourself as host. You can then promote others up to your own level.
Configuring FEI to Match Your Style
Almost every interactive element in FEI follows a consistent control pattern. Hover over anything and hold Shift to see a tooltip explaining its functions. The universal scheme is:
- Left Click: Select or activate.
- Right Click: Edit settings.
- Shift + Left Click: Alternative action (copy, reload).
- Shift + Right Click: Alternative edit (usually delete).
For advanced tweaking, look inside your Minecraft config folder for the "Forever Enough Items" directory. There you will find a static.cfg file for settings that stay constant across profiles, like JEI override options and permission levels. The profiles folder contains all your individual profile configurations, fully editable outside the game if you prefer raw text.
What FEI Does Not Do
It is important to remember that FEI does not provide any recipe viewing, item searching, or chunk border rendering on its own. It relies entirely on JEI, CEI, More Overlays, and LLOR for those functions. FEI’s job is to give you a unified, profile-aware interface that controls how those tools behave and look. If you run into a crash that seems related to JEI but the log does not mention FEI, report it to the FEI author first; many such issues have turned out to be caused by FEI’s integration layer.
Conclusion
Forever Enough Items is a love letter to the old NEI days, rebuilt with modern flexibility and a staggering amount of customization. Its profile system alone makes it a must-have for anyone who switches between building, exploring, and creative tinkering. The permission layer adds genuine value for server admins, and the visual editor ensures you never have to fight with misaligned widgets again. While it requires a small ecosystem of companion mods, the result is a GUI that bends entirely to your will. Whether you are a nostalgic veteran or a new player craving control, FEI delivers a polished, powerful experience that feels right at home in the latest Minecraft versions.