Install Vivado using offline installer

vivado_offline_install.md

This guide outlines the process of installing Vivado using pre-downloaded setup unlike Vivado web installer. The guide is implemented on Ubuntu 24.04 and is compatible with recent ubuntu versions incl. 22.04LTS Note: This is not the recommended way to install but not all of us have access to Vivado officially. If you know, you know :-)

Install pre-pre-requisite libraries

sudo apt install libtinfo-dev libtinfo.so.5 libncurses.so.5

Likely you will see

E: Unable to locate package libtinfo.so.5

Install libtinfo.so.6 libncurses.so.6 & create symlink

sudo apt install libtinfo-dev libtinfo6 libncurses6

Verify Libraries

whereis libtinfo.so.6 
whereis libncurses.so.6

Create symlink

sudo ln -s /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libtinfo.so.6 /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libtinfo.so.5
sudo ln -s /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libncurses.so.6 /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libncurses.so.5

Extract the Vivado ISO/ZIP

cd [Extracted Folder]
# make the binary executable
sudo chmod +x .xsetup

# run the setup
sudo ./xsetup

Installation will begin, select the Devices and Software Packages to be installed. Specify the installation directory, preferred /opt

You may refer to this Digilent Guide once the installaer launches.

After install finishes, license loaded will pop-up. Load the .lic and exit.

To verify the installation, run the vivado as

cd /opt/Xilinx/Vivado/2019.1
source settings64.sh
vivado

The terminal should respond with

****** Vivado v2019.1 (64-bit)
  **** SW Build 2552052 on Fri May 24 14:47:09 MDT 2019
  **** IP Build 2548770 on Fri May 24 18:01:18 MDT 2019
    ** Copyright 1986-2019 Xilinx, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

start_gui

Create Launcher icon

Create a new text file, paste the below snippet and save it under /usr/share/applications

[Desktop Entry]
Version=2019.1
Name=Vivado
Comment=Xilinx Vivado Design Suite
Exec=/opt/Xilinx/Vivado/2019.1/bin/vivado
Path=~/Documents/Vivado 
Icon=~/Documents/Vivado/vivado.png
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Categories=Development;

Given that all the paths are accurate, you should see a new icon named Vivado in your app menu

Additional fixes

For simulations to run properly, ensure GCC is present.

sudo apt install gcc

Simulate and synthesize a simple test RTL to ensure the functionality of workflow.

Add license file to bashrc

export XILINXD_LICENSE_FILE="/path/to/license.lic":$XILINXD_LICENSE_FILE

Add board files

Download and Paste the board file under /Xilinx/Vivado/20xx.x/data/boards/board_files

curl -L -o XilinxBoardStore.tar.gz https://github.com/Xilinx/XilinxBoardStore/archive/refs/heads/master.zip
mv XilinxBoardStore.tar.gz XilinxBoardStore.zip
unzip XilinxBoardStore.zip
cd XilinxBoardStore-master/boards
sudo cp -r Digilent /opt/Xilinx/Vivado/2020.2/data/boards/board_files
sudo cp -r Digilent /opt/Xilinx/Vivado/2019.1/data/boards/board_files
sudo cp -r Digilent/* /opt/Xilinx/Vivado/2019.1/data/boards/board_files
sudo cp -r Avnet/* /opt/Xilinx/Vivado/2019.1/data/boards/board_files
sudo cp -r OpalKelly/* /opt/Xilinx/Vivado/2019.1/data/boards/board_files
sudo cp -r iWave/* /opt/Xilinx/Vivado/2019.1/data/boards/board_files

Install Cable Drivers

cd /opt/Xilinx/Vivado/2019.1/data/xicom/cable_drivers/lin64/install_script/install_drivers
sudo ./install_drivers

ToDo

• Make instructions more parameteric
• Makefile flow to do everything

use sudo apt install libtinfo-dev libtinfo6 libncurses6 instead of sudo apt install libtinfo-dev libtinfo.so.6 libncurses.so.6

They are shipped preinstalled with most Ubuntu based distros. Actually the problem is, Vivado version 2020.x and previous use libtinfo.so.5 libncurses.so.5
The workaround is to create a symlink since both libraries are backward compatible.

Thanks! Finally succeeded to install Vivado!

👍🙂

this is amazing

👍🙂

sudo apt install libtinfo-dev libtinfo.so.6 libncurses.so.6

None of these packages exist in the apt repository (for 24.04/Noble). I need to install Vivado and don't want to walk back my OS. Ubuntu suxxxx... anyone have anything to add? Help me please I'm dumb.

Maybe I have them, whereis lists the last two, but apt list doesn't...

They do exist in 24.04 as I have confirmed on one of my systems. Can you check by 'which' to see if it's already there?

Try with libtinfo.so.7 and see if it's there? If so then I'll guide you in creating symlink for libtinfo.so.5 which is required by the vivado

I was able to install and it seems to work. I created the symlinks (and didn't try without that), ran xsetup, and everything went smoothly. Thanks!

which and apt list don't list libtinfo.so.6 nor libncurses.so.6, but whereis gives me their location, so they exist? Creating symlinks didn't give any errors.

What I mean by "don't exist" in the earlier post is that packages.ubuntu.com doesn't list them for 24.04/Noble and apt install <blah> can't find them.

👍🙂

After install finishes, license loaded will pop-up. Load the .lic and exit. " I coildnt find the .lic file

Hi @imran0irk, from where did you acquire your copy of vivado?

Mostly they are shipped with a lic file but it may not be in the root dir of setup but a separate folder or a zip archive mostly.