Note

Tested on MacOS 15 Sequoia. MacOS 14 is not supported.

Vivado on macOS via Docker

This repository provides a solution to run Xilinx Vivado on macOS using Docker containerization.

Normal Vivado Workflow

The typical FPGA development workflow in Vivado consists of:

1. RTL Design (Verilog/VHDL)
2. Synthesis
3. Implementation
4. Generate Bitstream

Programming with Docker Limitation

When running Vivado in a container, direct hardware programming is not possible due to USB device access restrictions. To solve this, we use openFPGALoader:

1. Generate bitstream in containerized Vivado
2. Locate bitstream in your project directory (typically at <project_name>/<project_name>.runs/impl_1/<top_level_module>.bit)
3. Use openFPGALoader on host to program FPGA:

   brew install openfpgaloader
   openFPGALoader -b basys3 /path/to/project/<project_name>.runs/impl_1/<top_level_module>.bit

Note: Supported board names can be listed using openFPGALoader -h

Table of Contents

1. Prerequisites
2. Installation
3. Usage
4. Troubleshooting

Prerequisites

0. Disk Space

   • Ensure you have at least 120GB of free disk space:
     • ~80GB for Vivado download and Extract (this space will be freed after installation)
     • ~40GB for program data

1. Homebrew

   • Install Homebrew by running:

     /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

   • Follow any additional setup instructions provided by the installer

2. Docker Desktop

   • Install Docker Desktop for macOS from docker.com
   • Alternatively, install via Homebrew:

     brew install --cask docker

3. XQuartz

   • Install via Homebrew:

     brew install --cask xquartz

   • After installation, restart your computer
   • Open XQuartz and enable "Allow connections from network clients" in XQuartz preferences
   • Navigate to XQuartz -> Settings -> Security -> Allow connections from network clients

4. Vivado Installer

   • Download Vivado installer for Linux from AMD/Xilinx website

Installation

1. Get the Repository

   git clone https://github.com/yokeTH/vivado-mac.git
   # or download and extract the ZIP file

2. Run Setup Script

   cd vivado-mac
   ./scripts/setup.sh

3. Install Vivado

   • When prompted, drag and drop the downloaded Vivado installer (from prerequisites no.4) into the terminal
   • Follow the installation instructions in the Vivado installer
   • Select desired Vivado components

Usage

0. Ensure Display Setup

   • Check X11 Display Issues if you encounter problems
   • XQuartz must be running before starting Vivado

1. Start XQuartz

   xhost + localhost

2. Launch Vivado container:

   ./scripts/start_container.sh

3. Vivado GUI will appear in XQuartz window

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. X11 Display Issues
   • Ensure XQuartz is running
   • In XQuartz preferences:
     • Go to Security tab
     • Check "Allow connections from network clients"
   • Try restarting XQuartz
   • Run xhost + localhost before starting container
2. For permission issues, ensure setup script has executable permissions (chmod +x scripts/setup.sh)
3. 100 Killed Error If you encounter the following error while using version 2024.2:

   100 Killed ${X_JAVA_HOME} /bin/java ${ARGS} -cp ${X_CLASS_PATH}    comxilinx.installerapi.InstallerLauncher "$@"
   

   remove the Xilinx folder and try using version 2023 instead.

License

This project is licensed under the BSD 3-Clause License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Vivado License

Vivado requires a license from AMD/Xilinx. Please obtain appropriate licensing from AMD/Xilinx website.

Disclaimer

This repository only provides the environment setup to run Vivado on Apple Silicon Macs via Docker. It does not include Vivado software itself. Users must:

• Download Vivado separately from AMD/Xilinx
• Comply with AMD/Xilinx's licensing terms
• Use at their own risk