openfsd

openfsd is an open-source multiplayer flight simulation server implementing the modern VATSIM FSD protocol. It connects pilots and air traffic controllers in a shared virtual environment.

About

Flight Sim Daemon (colloquially known as FSD) is the software/protocol responsible for connecting home flight simulator clients to a single, shared multiplayer world on hobbyist networks such as VATSIM and IVAO. FSD was originally written in the late 90's by Marty Bochane for SATCO, later to be forked and taken closed-source by VATSIM in 2001. As of May 2025, FSD is still used to facilitate over 140,000 active members connecting their flight simulators to the network.

Features

• Facilitate multiplayer flight simulation with VATSIM protocol compatibility.
• Integrate web-based management for users, settings, and connections.
• Support SQLite and PostgreSQL for persistent storage.

Quick Start with Docker

The preferred way to run openfsd is using Docker and Docker Compose. See the Deployment Wiki.

Prerequisites

• Docker
• Docker Compose

Steps

1. Clone the Repository:

   git clone https://github.com/renorris/openfsd.git
   cd openfsd

2. Start with Docker Compose:

   docker-compose up -d

   This launches the FSD server and web server sharing an SQLite database persisted in a named Docker volume. This setup will work great for most people running small servers.

3. Configure the Server via Web Interface:

   • Open http://localhost:8000 in a browser.
   • Log in with the default administrator credentials (printed in the FSD server logs on first startup).
   • Navigate to the Configure Server menu
   • Set configuration values. See the Configuration wiki.

4. Connect: See the Client Connection Wiki for client-specific instructions.

API

The web server exposes APIs under /api/v1 for authentication, user management, and configuration. Although a basic web interface is provided, users are encouraged to call this API from their own external applications. See the API documentation.

Docs

Unofficial reverse-engineered protocol documentation is included in this repository:

pip install mkdocs
git clone git@github.com:renorris/openfsd.git
cd openfsd/
mkdocs serve