Xilinx ISE on Ubuntu

[alexwhittemore]

Has anyone gotten Xilinx ISE 13.1 installed under Linux successfully? Specifically, I'm trying to install it in a Ubuntu 10.10 VM. Everything goes pretty smoothly up until trying to get the cable drivers installed, which just fails left and right.

Bonus points if you have tips on how to get the Digilent cable plugin installed too, as it's a Digilent board that I'm actually targeting. In fact, I'm only trying to get the Xilinx cable drivers installed so iMPACT doesn't complain every time it launches.

[Frangible]

I actually got it going at home under Xubuntu 10.10, but I think it's an earlier version.  I'll check it when I get home later...

[alexwhittemore]

At this point I'm willing to back down to 12.x. I'd like the newest and greatest obviously, but Digilent doesn't say anything about supporting 13.x, so I might have to anyway. If you can remember how, I'd love to hear.

[mikeselectricstuff]

From what I hear you really don't want recent versions of ISE... I've seen words like 'crisis' used in the context of the state of Xilinx's software tools recently...

[Frangible]

Here are my notes on the installation of WebPACK 12.4:

This assumes XUbuntu 10.10 and a Nexys2 board (Spartan 3E, -4 speed, FG320 package)

Install a bunch of support packages

> sudo apt-get install libusb-dev libusb-1.0
> sudo apt-get install libstdc++5 libmotif3 libxp6 libcurl3
> sudo apt-get install build-essential
> sudo apt-get install fxload libftdi1

Install WebPACK:

> tar xvf Xilinx_ISE_DS_Lin_12.4_M.81d.2.0.tar
> cd Xilinx_ISE_DS_Lin_12.4_M.81d.2.0
> sudo bash ./xsetup

• It will default to installing "ISE Design Suite: System Edition". You, of course, aren't a millionaire, so you'll install the free "ISE WebPACK"
• You'll have to acquire a license (free) and install the Cable Drivers
• Allow it to install to /opt/Xilinx/12.4
• Go get some coffee - it takes a while
• It will connect to the internetz and will get you a license.

Build and install urjtag 0.10

You need this, but unfortunately the version provided by Ubuntu is old (0.0) - and not much use.
Get it from http://www.urjtag.org/

Standard stuff...

> tar zxvf urjtag-0.10.tar.gz
> cd urjtag-0.10
> ./configure
> make
> sudo make install

Install the Digilent Nexys2 drivers:

Get it here: http://www.digilentinc.com/Products/Detail.cfm?NavPath=2,66,828&Prod=ADEPT2

> tar zxvf digilent.adept.runtime_2.5.1-i686.tar.gz
> cd digilent.adept.runtime_2.5.1-i686
> sudo bash ./install.sh

> tar zxvf digilent.adept.utilities_2.1.1-i686.tar.gz
> cd digilent.adept.utilities_2.1.1-i686
> sudo bash ./install.sh

> cd /opt/Xilinx/12.4/ISE_DS/ISE/lib/lin/plugins/
> sudo mkdir Digilent
> cd Digilent
> sudo mkdir libCseDigilent
> cd ~/gzip_file_location
> tar zxvf libCseDigilent_2.0.3-i686.tar.gz
> cp libCseDigilent_2.0.3-i686/ISE12x/plugin/* /opt/Xilinx/12.4/ISE_DS/ISE/lib/lin/plugins/Digilent/libCseDigilent

[alexwhittemore]

Thanks man! That's perfect!

[ErnieEngineer]

hey mikeselectricstuff. Just curious, what is the perceived issue with the xilinx tools? Other than the built in HDL editor sucking I have no real criticisms.