Installing Vivado 2018.2 on Ubuntu

February 12, 2025 3 min read
how-tolinux

Table Of Contents

  1. Prerequisites
  2. Get the installation files
  3. Run the installer
  4. Install drivers
  5. Test the installation
  6. Create desktop shortcut

I had to install Vivado 2018.2 for my academic work on my Ubuntu machine. The installation process was a little cumbersome and I wanted to document it so that I can direct someone if they got in a similar situation. For different versions of Vivado, the installation steps might be different.

# Prerequisites

Sudo permissions are required to install Vivado.

Before installing Vivado, some dependencies must be installed for a smooth experience with Vivado.

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade
sudo apt-get install \
  default-jre default-jdk \
  python3 python3-pip \
  libstdc++6 libgtk2.0-0 dpkg-dev

wget http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/universe/n/ncurses/libtinfo5_6.3-2ubuntu0.1_amd64.deb
wget http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/universe/n/ncurses/libncurses5_6.3-2ubuntu0.1_amd64.deb
sudo dpkg -i libtinfo5_6.3-2ubuntu0.1_amd64.deb
sudo dpkg -i libncurses5_6.3-2ubuntu0.1_amd64.deb

I am not sure if they are required per se. I am recommending to run these becase:

After running all the above-mentioned commands, restart the machine.

The above command snippet is from https://github.com/Johnmakuta/Vivado_Setup_Ubuntu . I have altered the scripts a little bit for convenience.

# Get the installation files

Cross-platform installation files can be downloaded from the official website. You will be required to log in to your account. I was using the Webpack version, which is free. Other variants might require a license key.

After downloading, the installed file, which is a .tar.gz file, must be extracted.

# Run the installer 

cd <the_extracted_directory>
chmod +x ./xsetup
chmod +x ./tps/lnx64/jre/bin/java

sudo ./xsetup

The installer will run now. The installation wizard will open and set the tools and options appropriately. In the installation process, the installation directory can be selected. Remember the directory you choose, and enter that below. By default it’s /opt/Xilinx. Don’t include a trailing slash.

The directory you provide above will be used in the commands below, to make it easy for you to copy-paste.

# Install drivers

Vivado installation script doesn’t install the cable drivers, by default. To install them:

cd $Vivado_installation_directory/Vivado/2018.2/data/xicom/cable_drivers/lin64/install_script/install_drivers
sudo ./install_drivers

# Test the installation 

cd $Vivado_installation_directory/Vivado/2018.2/bin
./vivado

This will start Vivado. If the installation is successful and working as intended, you can proceed to the next step.

# Create desktop shortcut

Create ~/.local/share/applications/vivado.desktop file with the content:

[Desktop Entry]
Version=1.0
Name=Xilinx Vivado
Comment=FPGA Design Suite
Exec=$Vivado_installation_directory/Vivado/2018.2/bin/vivado
Icon=$Vivado_installation_directory/Vivado/2018.2/doc/images/vivado_logo.png
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Categories=Development;Electronics;

Let me know if you get stuck in the installation process. I will try my best to help you.