Installing and Upgrading - V8.16 and Later

So how do I install X-Plane?

It depends on whether you've bought the DVD or you want to install a demo version over the network. It also depends on which DVD kit you have. There are four basic types of DVD kits:

Single DVD sold by Laminar Research and X-Plane.org. This package has been discontinued but some are still available.
Single DVD packaged by Graphsim and sold through retail stores, including internet retailers.This package is now pretty old, but it still being sold. (Then again, some retailers are still selling the 6 year old V5.54 Xicat package! These things just won't go away.)
Set of 7 DVDs containing X-Plane V8.21 and global scenery, sold by Laminar Research and X-Plane.org. This kit is also offered as a retail kit by Graphsim.
Set of 8 DVDs containing X-Plane V8.40 and global scenery, sold by Laminar Research . This kit is identical in content to the 7 DVD kit, except for the X-Plane version and that the 7 DVD kit has the base sim and US scenery on the same DVD where the 8 DVD kit has them on separate DVDs. Laminar also sells 2 DVD subset kits consisting of the base sim DVD and one scenery DVD of your choice.

To install:

If you've bought the DVD, run the installer on the DVD first. That installs the version on the DVD, which will be a whole lot faster than pulling the whole thing over the net. Once you've done that, run the installer you downloaded from X-Plane.com to update to the current version via the net.
If you don't have the DVD, run the installer you downloaded. It will download all X-Plane components over the network. This is some 500MB total, so expect it to take a while.

Either way, you'll need upwards of 1GB of HD space for the demo download or just the base install from the single DVD. Plan on several gigs if you want to install the optional scenery from the single DVD kit. The 7/8 DVD kit is huge - installing just X-Plane and the US scenery takes about 10 GB; installing the entire set takes about 60 GB.

For details on how to use the installer in the V8.21 and V8.40 kits, see the installer FAQ page. Most "where is my scenery?" type problems come from not specifying the install destination correctly; read the description carefully.

How do I install it on Linux?

Not all DVD kits include a Linux installer or Linux applications. However, you can install the scenery from the DVD(s), and then install the linux apps over the network. The DVD still works as a full version key.

You get the Linux installers from the Linux download page. The precise URLs for the installers change as the installers are updated. From this page, click the link for the latest installer version to get to the current installer set. There are three different installers listed here.

First, use X-Plane-DVD-Install.gz to install the US scenery from the first DVD.
Then use X-Plane-Scenery-Install.gz to install the remaining scenery DVDs.
Finally, use X-Plane-Net-Install.gz to install the current Linux applications over the network.

I've been running the X-Plane demo and liked it so much I just bought the DVD. How do I install the full version?

This depends on which DVD kit you've bought.

If you've bought the single DVD (like the 1 DVD Graphsim retail package), you already have the full version! The same download acts as a demo or as the full version, depending on whether or not you have the DVD loaded. The DVD acts as the full version key. Additional scenery is on the DVD in compressed archives and must be installed on your HD. See the V8.00 install FAQ page for details. There is a version of X-Plane on the CD, but it's usually way out of date. Ignore it.

If you've bought the 7 or 8 DVD kit, you need to install X-Plane over again. The reason is that, in addition to the basic global scenery, the 7/8 DVD kit contains scenery resource files that are not part of the demo download. You need to install the DVD kit over the top of your existing demo install. This works even if your current demo install is a later version than what's on the DVD, but if you take some care you can minimize the overall effort:

Run the installer on each DVD, starting with the main X-Plane 8 disc. Specify your current X-Plane folder as the destination. You will get a bunch of warnings about files having been modified. Select the option to keep the modified files - these are files that are new for your current X-Plane version.
Run the network installer to verify and repair any files from the current version that might have been modified by the scenery installation process. In theory, there shouldn't be any if the installer has respected your request to leave modified files alone, but the installer sometimes has a mind of its own...

For more details on installing and upgrading, read on...

Installing and Upgrading - V8.16 and Later

Where do I get versions of X-Plane??

So how do I install X-Plane?

How do I install it on Linux?

I've been running the X-Plane demo and liked it so much I just bought the DVD. How do I install the full version?

Installing the 7/8 DVD Global Scenery Kit

Using the Network Installer to Install the Demo or Update X-Plane

Installing Scenery and Aircraft