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SkunkCrafts Updater

The SkunkCrafts Updater is the de facto standard update tool for X-Plane addons. It scans an X-Plane installation for addons that ship with SkunkCrafts configuration files, compares versions against remote repositories, and downloads updates automatically.

Background

  • Developer: Lionel Zamouth (SkunkCrafts / Aerobask)
  • Forum: forums.x-plane.org
  • License: Freeware, closed source (the update protocol is open and documented)
  • Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux (native binaries)
  • Compatibility: X-Plane 11 and 12

The current standalone version is a complete rewrite in Go with a Fyne UI. It replaces the legacy in-game plugin and runs independently of X-Plane — no running simulator required for updates.

Features

  • Automatic discovery: Scans all X-Plane subdirectories for skunkcrafts_updater.cfg files
  • Differential updates: Only downloads files whose CRC32 checksum or size differs from the remote version
  • Concurrent downloads: Up to 32 simultaneous downloads (configurable)
  • Beta channel: Optional skunkcrafts_updater_beta.cfg for beta releases
  • Open protocol: Any addon developer can integrate by shipping a cfg file pointing to their own repository — no coordination with the updater developer needed

Value in Flight Simulation

Because dozens of commercial and freeware developers have adopted the SkunkCrafts protocol — including Aerobask, X-Crafts, SimCoders, VSKYLABS, Just Flight, FlyJSim, and Stick and Rudder Studios — installing the updater provides a single tool to keep most addons current. Each addon ships a skunkcrafts_updater.cfg that points to the developer's repository; the updater discovers these files automatically and handles the rest.

Troubleshooting

The cfg files are plain text with pipe delimiters (key|value) — not INI, not JSON. When an addon does not appear in the updater, check that skunkcrafts_updater.cfg exists in the addon's root directory, that disabled is set to false, and that the module URL is reachable.

Installation

Download: The standalone client is distributed via the forums.x-plane.org release thread. A free X-Plane.org account is required.

The Linux binary is a single file with the .lin extension. Place it in the X-Plane root directory (the folder containing X-Plane-x86_64) and make it executable:

chmod +x SkunkCrafts_Updater*.lin
./SkunkCrafts_Updater*.lin

The updater must be launched from the X-Plane root directory — it discovers addons by scanning subdirectories relative to its own location. A legacy in-game plugin version exists but is no longer actively developed.

glibc Requirement

The Linux binary requires glibc 2.32 or higher. This is a consequence of the Go + Fyne build toolchain (CGo links against the build system's glibc).

Distribution glibc Status
Debian 12 Bookworm 2.36 Works
Debian 11 Bullseye 2.31 May fail
Ubuntu 22.04+ 2.35 Works
Ubuntu 20.04 2.31 Fails

Fyne UI and Wayland

The Fyne toolkit supports Wayland but may fall back to XWayland depending on the compositor. No SkunkCrafts-specific Wayland issues are documented.

Sources