ModelSim 17.1 for (Arch) Linux

ModelSim 17.1 for (Arch) Linux.md

ModelSim 17.1 (Starters Edition) for (Arch) Linux

You need to download the setup file yourself. Put in where you run the setup script. Easy DL link It should be named ModelSimSetup-17.1.0.590-linux.run.

1. Install dependencies (some AUR, both 32 and 64 bit is required.)
   • 64 bit: expat fontconfig freetype2 xorg-fonts-type1 glibc gtk2 libcanberra libpng libpng12 libice libsm util-linux ncurses tcl tcllib zlib libx11 libxau libxdmcp libxext libxft libxrender libxt libxtst
   • 32 bit lib32-expat lib32-fontconfig lib32-freetype2 lib32-glibc lib32-gtk2 lib32-libcanberra lib32-libpng lib32-libpng12 lib32-libice lib32-libsm lib32-util-linux lib32-ncurses lib32-zlib lib32-libx11 lib32-libxau lib32-libxdmcp lib32-libxext lib32-libxft lib32-libxrender lib32-libxt lib32-libxtst
   • ncurses compat libs: ncurses5-compat-libs and lib32-ncurses5-compat-libs
2. Run setup file, from console, install in default location (~/intelFPGA/17.1) The setup hangs after completing.
3. Get lib32-freetype2-2.5.0.1 and unpack libs to ~/intelFPGA/17.1/modelsim_ase/lib32
4. Modify the startup script (~/intelFPGA/17.1/modelsim_ase/vco)
   • Replace linux_rh60 with linux
   • Add LD_LIBRARY_PATH=${dir}/lib32 after $dir is set

A semi automatic script is provided below for the lazy :)

setup.sh

#/bin/bash

echo Installing dependencies...
pacaur -S --needed expat fontconfig freetype2 xorg-fonts-type1 glibc gtk2 libcanberra libpng libpng12 libice libsm util-linux ncurses tcl tcllib zlib libx11 libxau libxdmcp libxext libxft libxrender libxt libxtst lib32-expat lib32-fontconfig lib32-freetype2 lib32-glibc lib32-gtk2 lib32-libcanberra lib32-libpng lib32-libpng12 lib32-libice lib32-libsm lib32-util-linux lib32-ncurses lib32-zlib lib32-libx11 lib32-libxau lib32-libxdmcp lib32-libxext lib32-libxft lib32-libxrender lib32-libxt lib32-libxtst ncurses5-compat-libs lib32-ncurses5-compat-libs

echo Running setup file...
./ModelSimSetup-17.1.0.590-linux.run --modelsim_edition modelsim_ase --accept_eula 1 --mode unattended --unattendedmodeui minimal &
PID=$!
echo Press enter when the setup dialog says \"Setup complete.\"
read -n 1
kill $PID

wget -q --show-progress https://dl.dries007.net/lib32-freetype2-2.5.0.1.tar.xz -O lib32-freetype2-2.5.0.1.tar.xz
tar xf lib32-freetype2-2.5.0.1.tar.xz -C ~/intelFPGA/17.1/modelsim_ase/

cd ~/intelFPGA/17.1/modelsim_ase/
sed -i 's/linux_rh60/linux/' vco
sed -i 's/dir=`dirname "$arg0"`/dir=`dirname "$arg0"`\nexport LD_LIBRARY_PATH=${dir}\/lib32/' vco # adds "export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=${dir}/lib32" after $dir is found.
cat > ~/.local/share/applications/modelsim.desktop <<EOF
[Desktop Entry]
Version=1.0
Name=ModelSim
Comment=ModelSim
Exec=$HOME/intelFPGA/17.1/modelsim_ase/bin/vsim
Icon=applications-electronics
Terminal=true
Type=Application
Categories=Development
EOF

echo "Done, enjoy!"

Thank you so much for this. I was aware of the process but couldn't for the life of me find a bloody download link for the correct type of libfreetype. Mind sharing how you found one?

Thank you!

@samwhiteUK Sorry for the late reply, but a good choose is to have a look at the Arch repositories. I think I got mine from the Arch archives, I don't quite remember.

@jonnew Your welcome :) I hope it still works, it's been a long time since I needed it.

Thanks! Is there any possibility to avoid launcher opening a new terminal hanging on "reading pref.tcl" while running ModelSim (it closes when I close ModelSim and vice versa) ?

@PronElle it's been a long time since I've used the this. I do remember a console window popping up, but I don't think I ever got rid of it.