The Fenix A320 is one of the most popular add-ons for Microsoft Flight Simulator — but it officially only runs on Windows.
With a bit of preparation, the installer can also be used on Linux if your simulator is installed via Steam.
This guide shows you step by step how to install and run the FenixSim Installer on Linux using Proton-GE.
👉 Works for:
- MSFS 2020
- MSFS 2024
- Steam Version
- Proton-GE Environment
Preface
This guide describes how the installer works on Linux. Unfortunately, the aircraft do not work in MSFS on Linux because Fenix is deeply integrated with .NET, which is currently not possible with Wine/Proton to run the app that starts Fenix in the background.
Requirements
You will need:
- Microsoft Flight Simulator installed via Steam
- Proton-GE (in this case: 10-30)
- Fenix Installer downloaded from the official website
- .NET 8 SDK (Windows x64)
Why is the environment important?
The Fenix Installer must run inside the same Wine/Proton environment as MSFS.
Steam creates a separate CompatData environment for every game.
For the installer to:
✔ detect the simulator
✔ install into the correct location
✔ function properly
… we must tell Proton which prefix to use.
This is done with:
export STEAM_COMPAT_DATA_PATH="/home/chris/.steam/debian-installation/steamapps/compatdata/2537590"
👉 This ID belongs to MSFS 2024 (Steam AppID)
This ensures Proton uses exactly the same environment where MSFS is installed.
Step 1 – Download .NET 8
Download the Windows x64 SDK:
👉 https://dotnet.microsoft.com/en-us/download/dotnet/thank-you/sdk-8.0.418-windows-x64-installer
Save it for example as:
/home/chris/Downloads/dotnet-sdk-8.0.418-win-x64.exe
Step 2 – Install .NET 8 into the MSFS Prefix
Now .NET is installed directly into the MSFS Proton prefix — not globally.
/home/chris/.steam/debian-installation/compatibilitytools.d/GE-Proton10-30/proton runinprefix /home/chris/Downloads/dotnet-sdk-8.0.418-win-x64.exe
What does this command do?
proton runlaunches a Windows EXE via Proton- Installation happens inside the active Proton prefix
- This ensures Fenix can run later
Step 3 – Download the Fenix Installer
Download it from:
Example:
/home/chris/Downloads/FenixInstaller-1.0.286-0763ce3.exe
Step 4 – Install the Fenix App
Run it in the same MSFS prefix:
/home/chris/.steam/debian-installation/compatibilitytools.d/GE-Proton10-30/proton runinprefix /home/chris/Downloads/FenixInstaller-1.0.286-0763ce3.exe
The installer will automatically install additional dependencies like:
- VCREDIST
- Edge WebView
After that, it should correctly detect the simulator.
Step 5 – Create a Desktop Launcher
To easily start Fenix, create a launcher.
Create this file:
/home/chris/Desktop/Fenix.desktop
⚠️ Important:
Use the full path in the launcher — do NOT use ~.
You can download an icon image from the internet or use a default one.
Content:
[Desktop Entry]
Name=Fenix
Exec=env STEAM_COMPAT_DATA_PATH="/home/chris/.steam/debian-installation/steamapps/compatdata/2537590" /home/chris/.steam/debian-installation/compatibilitytools.d/GE-Proton10-30/proton runinprefix /home/chris/.steam/debian-installation/steamapps/compatdata/2537590/pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/AppData/Local/FenixApp/current/FenixApp.exe
Icon=/home/chris/fenix.jpeg
Type=Application
StartupWMClass=FenixApp.exe
StartupNotify=true
Make it executable:
chmod +x /home/chris/Desktop/Fenix.desktop
Graphically it looks like:
What does this launcher do?
Key components:
STEAM_COMPAT_DATA_PATH
→ ensures Proton uses the MSFS prefix
runinprefix
→ starts the app directly inside that environment
This enables:
✔ Login
✔ Updates
✔ Simulator communication
✔ Liveries
Done 🎉
You can now start the Fenix Installer directly from your Linux desktop.
The Fenix A320 works with:
- MSFS 2020
- MSFS 2024
- Steam
- Linux + Proton-GE
Deutsche Version hier https://hummel-web.at/fenixsim-installer-fuer-msfs-2020-2024-auf-linux-installieren-steam-proton-ge