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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)

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Recent Changes

2026-06-24

  • New page X-ProTurb: physics-based turbulence engine for X-Plane 12, modelling the atmosphere from MIL-F-8785C, FAR 25.341 and ICAO 9625 Level-D standards with per-airframe 6-DOF response, von Kármán/Dryden spectra, CAT, mountain-wave and CB/storm modelling
  • New page AnyAirline: passenger cabin immersion with AI cabin announcements, a route-aware passenger manifest, boarding ambience and a free passenger IFE map — the desktop connector ships an official Linux build
  • XEarthLayer updated for v0.4.6: four-step setup wizard with dynamic disk-cache sizing (25% of free space) and RAM-based memory cache, GPU adapter selection step, and a cache fix so tiles from failed downloads are no longer stored
  • AutoOrtho expanded with the latest ProgrammingDinosaur-fork features: unified single-process architecture across all OS, VRAM optimization via dynamic DDS sizing, and a lightweight map UI that drops the bundled Chromium browser

2026-04-27

  • XEarthLayer updated for v0.4.4: Long-haul prefetch fix (dead state on flights >2h eliminated, verified on 9h LOWW log), max_concurrent_jobs default halved to 50% of logical CPUs for less X-Plane stutter, separate hit rates for Memory/DDS-Disk/Chunks tiers in the TUI

2026-04-08

  • XEarthLayer updated for v0.4.3: Three-tier cache with DDS disk layer eliminates re-encoding, speed-proportional prefetch box reduces over-fetching by ~45%, GPU encoding now built-in, CPU concurrency defaults to 50%