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XoL: Running X-Plane on Linux

This documentation covers setup and optimization of X-Plane 12 (Laminar Research) under Linux. It is aimed at experienced Linux users — a working installation is assumed. The examples are based on Debian but transfer to other distributions with minor adjustments.

Where to Start

  • Why Linux? Introduction explains what makes X-Plane on Linux different.
  • New to X-Plane on Linux? Getting Started covers system requirements, installation, and first launch.
  • X-Plane already running? Performance explains the three load dimensions (CPU, I/O, network) before diving into System Tuning.

About This Documentation

The core focus is on Linux system tuning — kernel parameters, CPU governor, GPU drivers, display server selection, and filesystem optimization — complemented by performance analysis using both X-Plane's built-in tools and Linux monitoring utilities. Additional sections cover scenery management with orthophoto streaming, flight operations including ATC procedures, and a reference catalog of Linux-compatible addons and plugins. The guides are modular — individual topics can be implemented independently or combined as needed.

Contributing

This documentation is an open project. Improvements or additions can be contributed via GitHub:

  • Create issues for bugs or suggestions
  • Submit pull requests for changes
  • Share experiences in the discussions in the footer of this website (e.g., via the Discord link)

All Videos →

Recent Changes

2026-11-02

  • XEarthLayer updated for version 0.5.0: macOS support, generated night lighting for ortho scenery, the rebuilt 17-region package library with its new package manager, a separate prefetch lane that never delays X-Plane's tile requests, and XDG paths under ~/.config and ~/.cache. A warning box covers the switch from the old package generation

2026-11-01

  • New plugin pages: AOC Datalink Center brings ACARS/CPDLC dispatch via Hoppie as a native Linux plugin, XP CabinState simulates cabin, crew, and passengers — officially Windows-only, documented with a tested Wine setup and the SimLoad Manager integration — XP BirdState adds bird flocks with an official Linux build, and Night Sky Fix replaces the star catalog for a visible Milky Way
  • SimLoad Manager is now a native plugin with its own ground vehicles, passengers, and crew — no FlyWithLua or SGES required; the page moved to Traffic & Ground Ops

2026-08-27

  • The section overview pages now carry real orientation text instead of a one-liner — what the section covers, for whom, and in which order to read: Fundamentals, Utilities, Structure & Sources, Orthophotography, Autogen, Scripting, ToLiss Mods, Sounds, Tools, Traffic & Ground Ops, Scenery Plugins, Via KVM, Weather, Online and Videos. Along the way a few summaries were corrected against their detail pages — XRoads hides road polygons on ortho tiles rather than adding traffic, XOrganizer is Windows-only, and on X-Plane 12 openSAM v5 replaces standalone AutoDGS
  • Easy Freighter now explains how the cargo door is switched per livery and lists the setup steps
  • The Videos pages describe each video with duration and upload date in machine-readable form, so search engines can show them as video results
  • The sidebar shows only the active section, which cuts page weight by roughly 40 %; the retired airport blog posts were removed