All I see is water everywhere.

[Darktrax]

On Linux Mint (Ubuntu), I clicked the upgrade to 2016.3.1
For some reason, Ubuntu installs in /usr/share/games/flightgear.
Not really a "game", but that's OK.
I guess it broke. FlightGear is a BIG download, and looks like it can get into complicated variants of installation setups.
I really don't want to start over!

The aircraft is clearly stood at ground level, allegedly at KSFO default, but all around is just WATER everywhere!
I can see all the files in place, and I am hoping this is just some sort of PATH configuration problem.

Is there a clear, logical procedure for checking all is well, with no bits missing?

[Thorsten]

I guess that's the thing - KSFO is NOT the default of 2016.3.1, Rio de Janeiro is. Presumably you don't have any scenery installed.

[Necolatis]

Did you have terrasync enabled?

[Darktrax]

I guess that's the thing - KSFO is NOT the default of 2016.3.1, Rio de Janeiro is. Presumably you don't have any scenery installed.

OK - I get back to Flightgear. My apologies for the absence - but comes from the need to earn a crust!
About seeing only water.
Thanks for the clue about scenery. I thought it might be some thing to do with no scenery, and we know from the wiki that "Initial Starting Positions" is all-important, else all you see is water.
http://wiki.flightgear.org/Initial_Starting_Positions

I should be clearer. There used to be lots of scenery.
The download that comes from the Ubuntu repository used by Linux Mint installs in /usr/share/games (not really appropriate, but I did not fight it), has a whole set of default airports, of which KSFO is the first seen.
It also comes with Cessna 172 set, but with several aircraft available.
Then there is fgrun
This is a extra Flightgear launch control helper program which lets the user select aircraft and locations and other scenario that would normally be in the launch command options, or, navigated to from the running Flightgear window. Basically it puts together the command line options, and starts it off.
I don't know what fumble happened, but suddenly, all is water .. and I want the airports back!
Re: Terrasync.
Please explain - should Terrasync be enabled? Can one fly over scenery already installed without Terrasync?
I thought Terrasync was to download scenery "in the background", if it was not already there, anticipating your flight might soon lead you into places without scenery at the ready.

I can see the whole thing is nearly working. What I needed was advice on what things to check. Flightgear has many bits and pieces, setting paths, configurations, scripts, etc. There has to be a better way than to nuke it and start again, just because it cannot find scenery when I can see there is lots of files of scenery right there, just waiting to be used.

[Parnikkapore]

Sorry- Having all those airports listed in your launcher doesn't mean you have scenery for them.
Unless you want to download KSFO, you're best off picking the default airport, which in the case of 2016.3 is SBRJ.(LSZR for 2016.4)
NOTE: If you're not using the PPA, please read your FlightGear version from Mint's Software portal...

[Captainkool]

I heard that Terrasync does not work in some versions( even if enabled) Try to get the newest version.