Vivado Installation
Xilinx Vivado for FPGA synthesis and implementation.
Prerequisites
- Xilinx account (free): xilinx.com/registration
- 100GB free disk space
- 8GB+ RAM
Download
- Login to xilinx.com/downloads
- Download Vivado ML Enterprise/Standard 2025.1 (Web Installer)
- For VCU-118: Use Standard Edition (free WebPACK doesn’t support Ultrascale+)
Depending upon your situation, you might want to download the full installer for offline installation across multiple WSL instances. Once downloaded, move or copy the installer to your WSL home folder i.e. ~.
Installation
1. Run Installer
cd ~
chmod +x Xilinx_Unified_2025.1_*_Lin64.bin
sudo ./Xilinx_Unified_2025.1_*_Lin64.bin
2. Installation Options
- Select: Vivado
- Edition: Vivado ML Standard (or get eval license)
- Devices:
- ✓ Ultrascale+ (for VCU-118)
- ✓ 7 Series (for Arty A7)
- Installation Location:
/opt/Xilinx(recommended)
Uncheck SDK, Vitis if you only need Vivado.
Installation takes ~60 minutes.
License
WebPACK (Free)
Doesn’t support VCU-118. Arty A7 only.
Evaluation (30-day)
Get from Xilinx License Manager during installation.
Node-Locked
For persistent development, purchase or get academic license.
Post-Install Configuration
1. Environment Setup
Add to ~/.bashrc:
export XILINX_VIVADO=/opt/Xilinx/Vivado/2025.1
source $XILINX_VIVADO/settings64.sh
Apply:
source ~/.bashrc
2. Verify Installation
vivado -version
Expected:
Vivado v2025.1 (64-bit)
Test with Simple Project
mkdir -p ~/test-vivado
cd ~/test-vivado
vivado -mode tcl
In Vivado TCL:
create_project test_led . -part xc7a100tcsg324-1
exit
If no errors, installation successful.
Hardware Server (for remote programming)
hw_server
Default port: 3121
Common Issues
“License not found”
- Run Vivado License Manager:
vlm - Load license file or generate eval license
“Cable not detected”
- Re-run cable drivers:
sudo ./install_drivers - Check USB passthrough (WSL users)
- Try
sudo chmod 666 /dev/ttyUSB*
“Library not found”
sudo apt install -y libncurses5 libtinfo5
Disk Space
Vivado 2025.1 footprint:
- Full install: ~100GB
- Minimal (Ultrascale+ only): ~60GB
Clean old versions:
sudo rm -rf /opt/Xilinx/Vivado/2024.*
Next Steps
Version Compatibility
PowerCommons projects target Vivado 2025.x. Using older versions (2023.x, 2024.x) may require constraint updates.