OPEN SOURCE / PROJECT BOUNDARIES
How Clash, mihomo, and clients fit together
Understand how the projects fit together before choosing an installation and configuration path. Open-source repositories provide code, release notes, and issue discussions. Similar client interfaces don’t mean they use the same core, integrate with the system in the same way, or merge configuration identically.
Project history: the original project and its successors
The original Clash project’s maintenance status has changed, and several independent projects now carry the ecosystem forward. mihomo evolved from Clash.Meta and is one of its actively developed core branches. Search results still include old guides, clients, and configuration screenshots. Check which core an article covers and whether it matches your current software. A name containing Clash doesn’t guarantee that a field is supported or that projects are officially affiliated.
When migrating an old configuration, preserve the logic of your nodes, proxy groups, and rules, then check core support field by field. Don’t assume that a file being importable means every field is active. Some clients rewrite ports, controller settings, or TUN options before startup, so the running configuration may differ from the subscription file. When they do, use the client’s exported runtime configuration and core logs to troubleshoot.
Open-source ecosystem: interface and traffic handling are maintained separately
Graphical clients such as Clash Verge Rev and FlClash provide configuration management, proxy selection, connection lists, and system proxy controls. mihomo handles lower-level tasks such as protocol connections, rule matching, and DNS. A client may bundle the core with its installer or offer a separate core update; updating the interface and updating the core are not necessarily the same thing. When reviewing project documentation, check both client releases and core changes, especially new fields, default changes, and platform service updates.
Open-source code makes implementations available for inspection, and issue discussions can help identify compatibility differences in specific environments. That doesn’t mean one configuration will work on every device. This site organizes client download links and Chinese-language instructions; it doesn’t speak for project maintainers or provide proxy nodes or subscription services. Software downloads, configuration sources, and network services are separate parts of the setup. Check each one when troubleshooting.
How the core turns configuration into connections
A connection typically enters the core through a system proxy or virtual network adapter, then rules are matched against its destination and DNS results, and a proxy group selects the egress. Proxy configuration describes node protocols, proxy groups organize possible egress routes, and rules decide where traffic goes. Once you understand these three layers, you can change nodes without rewriting every rule, or adjust rules without reinstalling the client. Node service availability must be checked separately, including authentication, server status, and your local network.
The direct-connection example in the configuration card shows YAML structure only; it does not establish a proxy connection. For actual use, import a configuration with real nodes from a trusted source and make sure the groups referenced by rules exist. YAML indentation uses spaces, and list items must stay at the correct level. Check spelling for domains, node names, and proxy group names. Run the client’s configuration check before reloading to avoid having to troubleshoot syntax errors and network issues at the same time.
Updates: keep a rollback path and verify changes
Before upgrading, save your current configuration and any local overrides, then read the relevant project’s release notes. Subscription updates typically refresh nodes and remote rules; client updates change the interface and system integration; core updates affect lower-level behavior. These updates cover different things. If connections fail after an upgrade, first check whether the runtime configuration changed, then inspect permissions, service status, and logs. Don’t upgrade while also changing DNS and routing modes, or it will be hard to tell what caused the difference.
To verify changes, start a new connection and check the matched rule, proxy chain, and egress—not just the tray icon. Existing connections may keep their original egress, and browser caches can hide configuration changes. Before sharing logs, remove subscription URLs, credentials, and personal network information. To discuss an issue, share only the relevant fields, system details, and steps to reproduce it; don’t publish a complete private configuration.