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Install swift on macOS

Note

use the dedicated 64bit Linux version of swift only

Important

Close your flight simulator and all running swift applications before starting the installation

Prerequisites

To get hotkeys working, follow this guide.

Modify and run the installer

  • First, modify the swift installer to be executable: chmod +x swiftinstaller-linux-64-<version>.run
  • Then, double-click on it in your favourite file browser or run it from console ./swiftinstaller-linux-64-<version>.run
  • components choice: normally you don't need to do anything here, just check if your flight simulator platform is listed and selected and then proceed to the next step in the installation process.

Note

It is advisable to not de-select any of the components, or swift will not run properly. The installer will list all flight simulator platforms that it is compatible with. If you wish, you can de-select the ones that you definitely will not be needing. E.g. if you're only going to use X-Plane, remove the check marks from all other simulators.

  • swift pilot client path: you may select a custom drive and path where you would like to install swift pilot client, it can be place anywhere you like.

Note

Do not use a generic name for the actual program path, but rather use the path name that the installer is suggesting (swift vs. swift-0.9.5-64bit). With new versions being released every now and then, it will be much easier to do your house keeping by keeping them separate.

  • Use existing configuration: At the end of each program installation, swift checks your system for previous installations of the client. Should it find one, the installer will offer you to copy those swift-settings to the new version:

Select "Yes" to copy your settings, as this will save you from configuring swift again. If you are just updating swift and you are using X-Plane, then you will have to update xswiftbus (run the Config Wizard).

However, if you did not get this message, you will have to configure swift before you can use it.

By now, swift should have started its swiftLauncher app. Before you use it, jump to the chapter where we discuss the configuration for each type of flight simulator platform that we support. You can use the directory on the left side or the hyper-links below:

Should you encounter any problems, then see our troubleshooting pages.

Self-compilation

As usual for Linux programs you could theoretically self-compile swift as it is open-source. Unfortunately, a secret key is needed to allow swift connect to any of the official VATSIM servers. This key is built into the official installers that we provide. As a consequence if you plan to use your own compilation of swift on VATSIM, you have to use our installer.