Getting Started

Install XEarthLayer and start flying with photoreal scenery in X-Plane 12.

This guide will help you install XEarthLayer and get flying with photoreal scenery in minutes.

Prerequisites

  • X-Plane 12 installed on your system
  • Linux (Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora/RHEL, or Arch Linux)
  • At least 2GB free RAM for the memory cache
  • Internet connection for streaming imagery

Installation

git clone https://github.com/samsoir/xearthlayer.git && cd xearthlayer && make install

Initial Setup

  1. Run the setup wizard (recommended for first-time users):

    xearthlayer setup

    The wizard will guide you through:

    • Detecting your X-Plane 12 installation
    • Choosing package and cache locations
    • Configuring optimal settings for your hardware

  2. Install a regional scenery package:

    List available regional scenery packages:

    xearthlayer packages check

    Install a package (e.g., Europe):

    xearthlayer packages install EU

    Or North America:

    xearthlayer packages install NA

  3. Start XEarthLayer:

    xearthlayer

    Leave this terminal running while you fly in X-Plane.

  4. Launch X-Plane and fly! You should see satellite imagery streaming in as you move around.

Verifying It Works

When XEarthLayer is running, you’ll see a real-time dashboard showing:

  • Cache statistics (memory and disk usage)
  • Download activity (tiles being fetched)
  • GPS position (if telemetry is available)
  • Pipeline health (download, assembly, encode stages)

If you see tiles being downloaded and cache hits increasing, XEarthLayer is working correctly.

Next Steps