Vyges Xilinx Tools Docker Template

🚀 GitHub Template Repository - Use this template to create your own customized Vivado Docker environment!

This is a GitHub template repository that provides a complete Docker configuration for building a Vyges development environment with Xilinx Vivado tools. Fork this template to create your own customized version.

🎯 Template Usage

Quick Start (Recommended)

Click "Use this template" above, or visit: https://github.com/vyges/xilinx-tools/generate
Clone your new repository
Customize patches if needed (see Custom Patches section below)
Build your Docker image

Manual Fork Process

# 1. Fork this repository to your GitHub account
# 2. Clone your forked repository
git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/xilinx-tools.git
cd xilinx-tools

# 3. Customize patches if needed
# 4. Build your image
./build.sh

🔧 Customization Guide

Custom Patches

Add your own patches to the patches/ directory:

# Create custom patch files
patches/
├── vivado-2025.1-postinstall.patch
├── vivado-2025.2-postinstall.patch
├── ubuntu-24.04-vivado-2025.1-postinstall.patch
└── your-custom-patch.patch  # Add your patches here

Note: Environment variables can be overridden via command line during build (see Configuration section below).

📋 Template Features

This template provides:

✅ Complete Dockerfile with Ubuntu 24.04 + Vivado 2025.1
✅ Automated build script (build.sh) with caching and monitoring
✅ Download script (download-installer.sh) for enterprise/internal networks
✅ Patch system for post-install fixes
✅ Health monitoring with built-in health checks
✅ Comprehensive logging and build recovery
✅ Multi-organization support for internal networks
✅ Production-ready configuration

🎯 Overview

This GitHub template repository provides a complete Docker configuration for building a Vyges development environment with Xilinx Vivado tools. The Docker image includes:

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS base image
Xilinx Vivado and Vitis (configurable version) with device support for 7 Series (Artix-7, Kintex-7, Spartan-7, Virtex-7) and Zynq-7000 SoCs only (see Install configuration below)
Development tools and dependencies for IP development
Pre-configured environment optimized for Vyges workflows
Built-in health monitoring and container management
Automated build system with caching and recovery

🚀 Getting Started

Prerequisites

Docker or Podman installed and running
Access to Xilinx Vivado installer files
wget command available (for download script)
Minimum 300GB free disk space (see Disk Space Requirements below)
Server machine that does not sleep or suspend (required for 3.5+ hour builds)
Proper system limits configured (see System Limits section below)

Runtime System Requirements

For Running the Container (after build):

RAM: 64GB+ minimum, 128GB+ recommended (184GB image requires significant memory)
CPU: 8+ cores recommended (container loading and Vivado operations are CPU-intensive)
Storage: NVMe SSD required (HDD will cause severe performance issues)
Available Space: 100-200GB for container runtime and temporary files
Startup Time: 15-30+ minutes to load the 184GB image (even with 384GB RAM)

Container Runtime Requirements

Docker: Minimum 20.10+, Recommended 24.0+, Current 28.3.3 with Buildx v0.26.1
Podman: Minimum 4.0+, Recommended 4.9+ (✅ Successfully tested with Podman 4.9.3)
Current: ✅ Podman 4.9.3 - Excellent!

Your Container Runtime Benefits:

Podman 4.9.3: Latest features with rootless containers and Docker compatibility
Docker Compatibility: Podman can run Docker commands seamlessly
Performance: Optimized layer caching and resource management
Security: Enhanced security with rootless containers
Ubuntu 24.04: Full compatibility and optimization

Installing Container Runtime on Ubuntu 24.04

Option 1: Install Podman (Recommended)

# Install Podman from Ubuntu repositories
sudo apt update
sudo apt install podman

# Verify installation
podman --version

Option 2: Install Latest Docker

# Remove old Docker (if installed via apt)
sudo apt remove docker docker-engine docker.io containerd runc

# Remove Snap Docker (if you want to replace it)
sudo snap remove docker

# Install Docker from official repository
curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/docker-archive-keyring.gpg

echo "deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/docker-archive-keyring.gpg] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu $(lsb_release -cs) stable" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list > /dev/null

sudo apt update
sudo apt install docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin

# Verify installation
docker --version
docker buildx version

Option 2: Use Ubuntu Package Manager

# Install from Ubuntu repositories (may be older but stable)
sudo apt update
sudo apt install docker.io docker-compose

# Verify installation
docker --version

Option 3: Use Snap (if preferred)

# Install Docker via Snap
sudo snap install docker

# Verify installation
docker --version

Podman vs Docker Commands

All examples in this README use docker commands, but they work identically with podman:

# These commands are equivalent:
docker build -t vyges-vivado .
podman build -t vyges-vivado .

docker run --rm vyges-vivado echo "test"
podman run --rm vyges-vivado echo "test"

System Limits and Optimization

Critical System Limits

The build process requires proper system limits to handle large files and operations. The build script automatically optimizes these, but you can pre-configure them:

Open Files Limit (Critical)

# Check current limit
ulimit -n

# Set recommended limit (build script will do this automatically)
ulimit -n 65536

# Make permanent in ~/.bashrc or /etc/security/limits.conf
echo "ulimit -n 65536" >> ~/.bashrc

File Size Limit

# Check current limit
ulimit -f

# Set to unlimited (recommended for large builds)
ulimit -f unlimited

# Make permanent
echo "ulimit -f unlimited" >> ~/.bashrc

Memory Limits

# Check current limits
ulimit -a

# Set memory limits (adjust based on your system)
ulimit -v unlimited  # Virtual memory
ulimit -m unlimited  # Physical memory

System Optimization

The build script automatically performs these optimizations:

Automatic Optimizations

Open Files: Sets limit to 65,536 (required for large file operations)
File Size: Checks and warns if limit is too low
Memory Management: Monitors memory usage during build
Cache Management: Optimizes container build cache
Resource Monitoring: Real-time monitoring of CPU, memory, and disk usage

Manual System Tuning (Optional)

# Increase shared memory limits (for large builds)
echo "kernel.shmmax = 68719476736" >> /etc/sysctl.conf
echo "kernel.shmall = 4294967296" >> /etc/sysctl.conf
sysctl -p

# Optimize memory management
echo "vm.swappiness = 10" >> /etc/sysctl.conf
echo "vm.dirty_ratio = 15" >> /etc/sysctl.conf
echo "vm.dirty_background_ratio = 5" >> /etc/sysctl.conf
sysctl -p

Build Script System Monitoring

The build script includes comprehensive system monitoring:

Real-time Monitoring

# Monitor build progress (in another terminal)
./build.sh --progress

# Monitor system resources (in another terminal)
./build.sh --monitor

System Information Logged

Machine Information: Hostname, OS, kernel, architecture
CPU Details: Model, cores, speed
Memory: Total and available RAM
Storage: Disk space and inode usage
Container Runtime: Version and capabilities
System Limits: All ulimit values
File System: Mount points and permissions

Build Time Estimation

The script provides intelligent build time estimation based on:

CPU Cores: Parallel processing capability
RAM: Memory pressure and swapping risk
Storage: I/O performance and available space
Container Runtime: Docker vs Podman performance characteristics

Troubleshooting System Limits

Common Issues

# "Too many open files" error
ulimit -n 65536

# "File too large" error
ulimit -f unlimited

# "Out of memory" during build
# Check available RAM and consider increasing swap
free -h
swapon --show

Verification Commands

# Check all current limits
ulimit -a

# Check system-wide limits
cat /proc/sys/fs/file-max
cat /proc/sys/kernel/shmmax

# Check available resources
free -h
df -h

Disk Space Requirements

Build Process Space Usage

The Docker build process requires significant disk space due to multiple stages:

Vivado Installer: ~120GB (original tar file)
Ubuntu Base Image: ~2-3GB (downloaded during build)
Package Installation: ~5-10GB (apt packages and dependencies)
Vivado Installation: ~120GB (extracted and installed)
Final Image: ~120-150GB (compressed Docker image)

Total Space Requirements

Minimum Free Space: 300GB (build only)
Recommended Free Space: 500GB (build + runtime)
Peak Usage During Build: ~250GB
Runtime Requirements: Additional 50-100GB for container operations

Space Recovery After Build

Vivado Installer: Can be deleted after successful build
Docker Build Cache: Can be cleaned with docker system prune
Final Image Size: ~184GB (verified with successful build)

Space Optimization Tips

Use --no-cache flag for clean builds
Clean Docker system regularly: docker system prune -a
Consider building on a dedicated drive with sufficient space
Monitor disk usage during build: df -h

Base Image Caching and Optimization

Pre-download Base Image

# Download Ubuntu 24.04 base image before building (AMD supports Ubuntu 24.04 LTS)
docker pull ubuntu:24.04

# Verify the image is cached locally
docker images ubuntu:24.04

Build Cache Optimization

# Build with explicit cache usage
docker build --cache-from ubuntu:24.04 -t vyges-vivado .

# Use buildx for advanced caching and parallel builds
docker buildx build --cache-from type=local,src=/tmp/.buildx-cache -t vyges-vivado .

# Buildx with parallel layer building (Docker 28.3.3 feature)
docker buildx build --cache-from type=local,src=/tmp/.buildx-cache \
  --build-arg BUILDKIT_INLINE_CACHE=1 \
  --platform linux/amd64 \
  -t vyges-vivado .

Layer Caching Strategy

The Dockerfile is optimized for layer caching:

Base Image: ubuntu:24.04 (cached separately; aligns with AMD installer support for Ubuntu 24.04 LTS; Docker Hub does not tag sub-minor versions like 24.04.2)
Package Installation: Single RUN command for all packages
Vivado/Vitis Installation: Runs installer ConfigGen, then scripts/filter_install_config_7series_zynq.sh to restrict to 7 Series and Zynq-7000 SoCs, then batch Install; separate layers for installer, installation, and cleanup
Patches: Applied in separate layers

Quick Start

1. Download Installer

For Enterprise/Internal Networks: Use the provided script to download from your internal Xilinx installer repository:

# Download from internal network
./download-installer.sh -i "https://internal.example.com/xilinx"

# Download specific version
./download-installer.sh -v 2024.2 -i "https://internal.example.com/xilinx"

# Download with update
./download-installer.sh -u "FPGAs_AdaptiveSoCs_Unified_SDI_2025.1_0530_0145_update.tar" -i "https://internal.example.com/xilinx"

For Public/Individual Use: Download the Xilinx Vivado installer manually from the Xilinx website and place it in the vivado-installer/ directory.

Required files (tar only): You need only the .tar archive (e.g. FPGAs_AdaptiveSoCs_Unified_SDI_2025.2_1114_2157.tar). Optionally add the .tar.digests file (same name with .digests suffix) to verify integrity. The build does not use the .bin self-extractor or other download variants—only the .tar is extracted and used for the batch install.

Install configuration (Vivado + Vitis, 7 Series + SoCs)

The build follows AMD’s batch-mode installation flow: the installer is run with ConfigGen to generate a valid config for the installed version, then a filter script restricts that config to the desired modules, then Install runs. See Batch-Mode Installation Flow.

Flow: ConfigGen → scripts/filter_install_config_7series_zynq.sh → Install (with --location /tools/Xilinx).
Install path: /tools/Xilinx (set via xsetup --location; no config-file editing).
Edition: Vivado ML Standard by default (no Enterprise license required). Override with --build-arg VIVADO_EDITION="Vivado ML Enterprise" if you have an Enterprise license.
Products: Vivado, Vitis Embedded Development
Device families enabled: Artix-7, Kintex-7, Spartan-7, Virtex-7 (7 Series), Zynq-7000 All Programmable SoC
Other families: Disabled (UltraScale+, etc.)
Post-install: The build runs installLibs.sh (under /tools/Xilinx/<version>/Vitis/scripts) as root to install OS packages (e.g. libtinfo5, libncurses5) required by the tools.
Debugging: The exact config used for the install is (1) logged during the image build (printed in the build output), (2) stored in the image at /opt/vyges/install_config_used.txt, and (3) after a successful build, saved to the directory where you ran the build as install_config_used.txt (so you can inspect it without running a container).

This avoids hand-maintained config files that can break when the installer’s module names change (e.g. 2025.2). To change device support, edit scripts/filter_install_config_7series_zynq.sh and add or remove module names in the ENABLE list. For reference: the installer .tar extracts with a top-level directory; with --strip-components=1 the xsetup binary is at ./xsetup in the extract dir. Module names (7 Series, Zynq-7000, etc.) are those produced by ConfigGen; you can inspect a generated config or use vivado-installer/file_listing.txt (from tar -tvf <installer>.tar) to confirm layout.

Reference: xsetup batch options — From the extracted installer dir, run ./xsetup --help. Key options: -b ConfigGen (generate config; then edit and use -b Install -c <file>), -p product (e.g. Vivado), -e edition (e.g. Vivado ML Standard), -c config file. Example: ./xsetup -b ConfigGen then choose product/edition; config is written to ~/.Xilinx/install_config.txt. Install: ./xsetup -a 3rdPartyEULA,XilinxEULA -b Install -c install_config.txt.

⚠️ Download Time Considerations:

File Size: ~120GB
Download Time: 2-6+ hours depending on network speed
Server Requirement: Use a machine that does not sleep or suspend
Network Stability: Ensure stable connection for large file downloads

2. Build Docker Image

⚠️ Critical Requirements:

Ensure you have at least 300GB free disk space before building
Use a server machine that does not sleep or suspend
Build time: 3.5+ hours for complete process

Build Time Breakdown:

Copying 120GB installer: 30-60 minutes
Running Vivado installer: 2-3 hours
Applying patches and finalizing: 15-30 minutes
Total estimated time: 3.5-4.5 hours

Why Server Machine is Required:

No sleep/suspend: Prevents build interruption during long operations
Stable power: Ensures continuous operation for 3.5+ hours
Network stability: Maintains connection for large file operations
Resource availability: Consistent CPU/memory allocation

Option A: Automated Build Script (Recommended)

# Make script executable (first time only)
chmod +x build.sh

# Standard build with caching (includes automatic system optimization)
./build.sh

# Clean build (no cache)
./build.sh -c

# Force pull base image
./build.sh -p

# Custom image name
./build.sh -i my-vivado-image

# Show all options
./build.sh -h

Build Script Features:

Automatic System Optimization: Sets ulimit -n to 65,536, checks file size limits
Real-time Monitoring: Monitors CPU, memory, disk usage during build
Build Time Estimation: Intelligent estimation based on your system specs
Progress Tracking: Detailed logging and progress monitoring
Error Handling: Comprehensive error detection and recovery
Resource Monitoring: Background monitoring with ./build.sh --monitor

Option B: Manual Build Commands

# Build with default settings
docker build -t vyges-vivado .

# Build with custom Vivado version
docker build --build-arg VIVADO_VERSION=2025.2 -t vyges-vivado .

# Build with custom Ubuntu mirror
docker build --build-arg UBUNTU_MIRROR=mirror.example.com/ubuntu -t vyges-vivado .

# Clean build (recommended for first-time builds)
docker build --no-cache -t vyges-vivado .

# Build with logs saved to file (recommended for long builds)
docker build --no-cache -t vyges-vivado . 2>&1 | tee build.log

# Build with logs saved to file (no terminal output)
docker build --no-cache -t vyges-vivado . > build.log 2>&1

# Build with timestamped log file
docker build --no-cache -t vyges-vivado . 2>&1 | tee "build-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S).log"

Build Time: Expect 3.5-6 hours for complete builds depending on your system and network speed. Verified: 5h49m for successful build on Ubuntu 24.04 with Podman 4.9.3.

⚠️ Logging Recommendation: For long builds, always use log redirection to preserve build output in case of connection issues.

Build Time Optimization

# 1. Pre-download base image (saves 2-3 minutes)
docker pull ubuntu:24.04

# 2. Build with caching enabled (default)
docker build -t vyges-vivado .

# 3. Build with explicit cache usage
docker build --cache-from ubuntu:24.04 -t vyges-vivado .

# 4. For clean builds (no cache)
docker build --no-cache -t vyges-vivado .

Expected Time Savings:

First Build: 3.5-6 hours (full build) - Verified: 5h49m
Subsequent Builds: 2-4 hours (cached layers)
Base Image Cached: 2-3 minutes saved
Package Layer Cached: 5-10 minutes saved
Installer Layer Cached: 30-60 minutes saved (120GB file copy)

Podman 4.9.3 + BuildKit Benefits:

Parallel Layer Building: Multiple layers build simultaneously
Advanced Caching: Better cache hit rates and management
Resource Optimization: Improved memory and disk usage
Docker Compatibility: Seamless Docker command compatibility
Modern BuildKit: Latest build engine with optimizations

Build Logging and Monitoring

Enhanced Build Commands for Podman 4.9.3

With Podman, you can use these advanced build commands (Docker commands work identically):

Standard Build (Recommended for most users)

docker build -t vyges-vivado .

Buildx with Advanced Caching

# Create a buildx builder instance
docker buildx create --name vyges-builder --use

# Build with advanced caching
docker buildx build --cache-from type=local,src=/tmp/.buildx-cache \
  --cache-to type=local,dest=/tmp/.buildx-cache \
  -t vyges-vivado .

Parallel Build with Resource Limits

# Build with parallel layers and resource constraints
docker buildx build \
  --build-arg BUILDKIT_INLINE_CACHE=1 \
  --platform linux/amd64 \
  --memory=8g \
  --memory-swap=8g \
  -t vyges-vivado .

Quick Reconnection Checklist

After reconnecting to your remote machine, run these commands in order:

# 1. Check if build image exists
docker images | grep vyges-vivado

# 2. Check build logs
ls -lh build*.log

# 3. Verify image functionality
docker run --rm vyges-vivado echo "Build verification test"

# 4. Check Vivado installation
docker run --rm vyges-vivado /tools/Xilinx/2025.1/Vivado/bin/vivado -version

Image tags: A successful build tags the image as both vyges-vivado:latest and vyges-vivado:<VIVADO_VERSION>-<YYYYMMDD> (e.g. vyges-vivado:2025.2-20260214). Use the version-date tag when you need an explicit build identifier.

✅ Success Indicators:

Image appears in docker images list (with both latest and version-date tags)
Log file is large (>100MB) and contains completion message
Container runs without errors
Vivado binary responds with version information

❌ Failure Indicators:

No image found
Small or missing log file
Container fails to start
Vivado binary not found or fails

Logging Options

1. Tee to File (Recommended)

# Shows output on terminal AND saves to file
docker build --no-cache -t vyges-vivado . 2>&1 | tee build.log

Pros: See progress in real-time + save logs
Cons: Slightly slower due to tee overhead
Use Case: Most builds, especially long ones

2. Redirect to File Only

# Saves logs to file, no terminal output
docker build --no-cache -t vyges-vvado . > build.log 2>&1

Pros: Fastest, clean logs
Cons: No real-time progress visibility
Use Case: Background builds, CI/CD

3. Timestamped Logs

# Creates unique log file for each build
docker build --no-cache -t vyges-vivado . 2>&1 | tee "build-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S).log"

Pros: Multiple builds don't overwrite logs
Cons: More log files to manage
Use Case: Multiple builds, debugging

Monitoring Long Builds

Real-time Monitoring

# Watch log file in real-time
tail -f build.log

# Monitor disk space during build
watch -n 30 'df -h'

# Check Docker build progress
docker system df

Build Recovery

# Resume interrupted build (if using --cache-from)
docker build --cache-from vyges-vivado -t vyges-vivado .

# Check Docker system disk usage
docker system df

# Check image build history
docker history vyges-vivado

Remote Build Verification

After reconnecting to your remote machine, check build status:

1. Check Docker Images

# List all Docker images
docker images

# Look for your image
docker images | grep vyges-vivado

# Check image details
docker inspect vyges-vivado

2. Check Build Logs

# View the log file if it exists
ls -la build*.log

# Check log file size (should be substantial if build completed)
ls -lh build*.log

# View end of log file for completion message
tail -50 build.log

# Search for completion indicators
grep -i "successfully built\|build completed\|finished" build.log

3. Check Docker Build History

# Check if build process is still running
docker ps -a

# Check Docker system disk usage
docker system df

# Look for any running containers
docker ps

# Check Docker build cache and layers
docker history vyges-vivado

4. Verify Vivado Installation

# Test if the image can run
docker run --rm vyges-vivado echo "Image works!"

# Check Vivado installation
docker run --rm vyges-vivado ls -la /tools/Xilinx/

# Test Vivado binary
docker run --rm vyges-vivado /tools/Xilinx/2025.1/Vivado/bin/vivado -version

Log File Management

Log Rotation: Use timestamped logs for multiple builds
Storage: Ensure sufficient space for logs (logs can be several GB)
Cleanup: Archive old logs: gzip build-*.log

Proactive Build Monitoring

1. Background Build with Notifications

# Start build in background with completion notification
nohup docker build --no-cache -t vyges-vivado . > build.log 2>&1 && \
  echo "Build completed successfully!" && \
  notify-send "Docker Build Complete" "Vyges Vivado image built successfully!" &

# Get the background process ID
echo $! > build.pid

# Monitor background process
tail -f build.log

2. Build Completion Detection Script

# Create a monitoring script
cat > monitor_build.sh << 'EOF'
#!/bin/bash
BUILD_LOG="build.log"
IMAGE_NAME="vyges-vivado"

echo "Monitoring build: $BUILD_LOG"
echo "Target image: $IMAGE_NAME"

while true; do
    # Check if build process is still running
    if ! pgrep -f "docker build.*$IMAGE_NAME" > /dev/null; then
        # Check if image was created
        if docker images | grep -q "$IMAGE_NAME"; then
            echo "✅ Build completed successfully!"
            echo "Image details:"
            docker images | grep "$IMAGE_NAME"
            break
        else
            echo "❌ Build failed or was interrupted"
            echo "Last 20 lines of log:"
            tail -20 "$BUILD_LOG"
            break
        fi
    fi
    
    echo "Build still running... $(date)"
    sleep 30
done
EOF

chmod +x monitor_build.sh
./monitor_build.sh

3. Email Notifications (if available)

# Send email notification when build completes
docker build --no-cache -t vyges-vivado . > build.log 2>&1 && \
  echo "Build completed at $(date)" | mail -s "Docker Build Success" [email protected] || \
  echo "Build failed at $(date)" | mail -s "Docker Build Failed" [email protected]

3. Run Container

⚠️ Resource Requirements for Running Container:

RAM: 64GB+ minimum, 128GB+ recommended (184GB image requires massive memory)
CPU: 8+ cores recommended (container loading is extremely CPU-intensive)
Storage: NVMe SSD required, additional 100-200GB for container runtime
Startup Time: 15-30+ minutes to load the 184GB image (verified with 384GB RAM)

# Interactive shell (be patient during startup)
docker run -it vyges-vivado

# Mount current directory
docker run -it -v $(pwd):/workspace vyges-vivado

# Run specific command
docker run -it vyges-vivado vivado -version

# Run with resource limits (recommended for large images)
docker run -it --memory=32g --cpus=8 vyges-vivado

# Run in background with resource monitoring
docker run -d --name vivado-container --memory=32g --cpus=8 vyges-vivado tail -f /dev/null

Quick check: Vivado version (verified)

Run the container and print Vivado’s version (no GUI, no project). May take a few minutes.

podman run --rm vyges-vivado /tools/Xilinx/2025.1/Vivado/bin/vivado -version
podman run --rm vyges-vivado /tools/Xilinx/2025.2/Vivado/bin/vivado -version

Expected output (Vivado 2025.1):

vivado v2025.1 (64-bit)
Tool Version Limit: 2025.05
SW Build 6140274 on Wed May 21 22:58:25 MDT 2025
...
Copyright 1986-2022 Xilinx, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 2022-2025 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Batch-mode sanity check

Confirm Vivado runs in batch mode (exits 0). Allow a few minutes for container and Vivado to start:

podman run --rm vyges-vivado /tools/Xilinx/2025.1/Vivado/bin/vivado -mode batch -source /dev/stdin <<< "exit 0"

Success: exit code 0 and log lines ending with Exiting Vivado at .... Example:

****** Vivado v2025.1 (64-bit)
  **** SW Build 6140274 on Wed May 21 22:58:25 MDT 2025
  ...
Sourcing tcl script '/tools/Xilinx/2025.1/Vivado/scripts/Vivado_init.tcl'
2 Beta devices matching pattern found, 0 enabled.
source /dev/stdin
INFO: [Common 17-206] Exiting Vivado at Fri Feb 13 18:46:37 2026...

Failure: non-zero exit or license/error messages.

Interactive shell (debugging)

To inspect the image and run Vivado manually:

podman run -it --rm vyges-vivado bash
# inside container:
/tools/Xilinx/2025.1/Vivado/bin/vivado -version
# or add to PATH and use vivado -mode batch -source ...
exit

Container Runtime Performance

Large Image Considerations

The 184GB container image presents unique challenges for runtime performance:

Memory Usage

Image Loading: Container runtime loads 184GB image layers into memory
Vivado Runtime: Vivado itself requires 8-16GB RAM for typical operations
Total RAM Usage: 64GB+ RAM required for smooth operation (verified with 384GB system)
Memory Pressure: Monitor with free -h and docker stats - expect high usage during startup

CPU Usage

Startup Time: 15-30+ minutes to initialize the 184GB container (even with high-end hardware)
Vivado Operations: CPU-intensive synthesis and simulation
Recommended: 8+ CPU cores for responsive performance
Monitoring: Use htop or docker stats to monitor CPU usage - expect sustained high CPU during startup

Storage I/O

Container Layers: 184GB of data requires massive I/O operations
Temporary Files: Vivado creates large temporary files during operation
NVMe SSD Required: HDD will cause severe performance degradation (hours to load)
Available Space: Ensure 100-200GB free space for container operations

Performance Optimization

Resource Limits

# Set memory and CPU limits (realistic for 184GB image)
docker run -it --memory=32g --cpus=8 --name vivado-dev vyges-vivado

# Monitor resource usage
docker stats vivado-dev

# Check container resource limits
docker inspect vivado-dev | grep -A 10 "Resources"

Storage Optimization

# Use tmpfs for temporary files (faster I/O)
docker run -it --tmpfs /tmp --tmpfs /var/tmp vyges-vivado

# Mount SSD storage for better performance
docker run -it -v /fast-storage:/workspace vyges-vivado

# Use overlay2 storage driver (default, but verify)
docker info | grep "Storage Driver"

Memory Management

# Pre-allocate memory for better performance (realistic for 184GB image)
docker run -it --memory=32g --memory-swap=32g vyges-vivado

# Monitor memory usage
docker exec vivado-container free -h
docker exec vivado-container cat /proc/meminfo

Container Lifecycle Management

Long-running Containers

# Start container in background (realistic resource allocation)
docker run -d --name vivado-dev --memory=32g --cpus=8 vyges-vivado tail -f /dev/null

# Attach to running container
docker exec -it vivado-dev bash

# Stop and remove when done
docker stop vivado-dev
docker rm vivado-dev

Container Persistence

# Create persistent workspace
docker run -it --name vivado-dev -v $(pwd):/workspace vyges-vivado

# Commit changes to new image
docker commit vivado-dev my-vivado-custom

# Save custom image
docker save my-vivado-custom -o my-vivado-custom.tar

Realistic Performance Expectations

Based on Real-World Testing (384GB RAM, High-End Hardware):

Container Startup: 15-30+ minutes (even with 384GB RAM)
Memory Usage: 3-4GB+ during loading process (podman process)
CPU Usage: Sustained 30-40% CPU during startup
Storage I/O: Massive I/O operations during image loading
Patience Required: This is normal for a 184GB container image

Successful Container Verification

When the container is working correctly, you should see:

# Check environment variables
podman run --rm localhost/vyges-vivado env | grep -i vivado

# Expected output:
XILINX_VIVADO=/tools/Xilinx/2025.1/Vivado
PATH=/tools/Xilinx/2025.1/Vitis/bin:/tools/Xilinx/2025.1/Vivado/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin
VIVADO_BASE_VERSION=2025.1
VIVADO_VERSION=2025.1

Additional verification commands:

# Check Vivado installation
podman run --rm localhost/vyges-vivado ls -la /tools/Xilinx/2025.1/Vivado/bin/

# Test Vivado version
podman run --rm localhost/vyges-vivado /tools/Xilinx/2025.1/Vivado/bin/vivado -version

# Check Vitis installation
podman run --rm localhost/vyges-vivado ls -la /tools/Xilinx/2025.1/Vitis/bin/

Quick Testing Commands

Basic functionality tests:

# Test container startup
podman run --rm localhost/vyges-vivado echo "✅ Container works"

# Check environment variables (should show Vivado paths)
podman run --rm localhost/vyges-vivado env | grep -i vivado

# Test Vivado version
podman run --rm localhost/vyges-vivado /tools/Xilinx/2025.1/Vivado/bin/vivado -version | head -5

# Count Vivado binaries
podman run --rm localhost/vyges-vivado ls -la /tools/Xilinx/2025.1/Vivado/bin/ | wc -l

Expected results when working correctly:

Environment variables show proper Vivado paths
Vivado version command returns version information
Multiple Vivado binaries are available in the bin directory

Performance Monitoring

Real-time Monitoring

# Monitor container resources
docker stats --no-stream

# Monitor specific container
docker stats vivado-dev

# Monitor system resources
htop
iotop

# Monitor podman process specifically
ps aux | grep podman
top -p $(pgrep podman)

Performance Metrics

# Check container startup time
time docker run --rm vyges-vivado echo "startup test"

# Check Vivado startup time
time docker run --rm vyges-vivado /tools/Xilinx/2025.1/Vivado/bin/vivado -version

# Monitor disk I/O during operations
iostat -x 1

Troubleshooting Performance Issues

Slow Container Startup

# Check if image is fully loaded
docker images | grep vyges-vivado

# Verify container runtime performance
docker system df
docker system events

# Check for resource constraints
ulimit -a
free -h

High Memory Usage

# Monitor memory usage
docker stats --no-stream
free -h

# Check for memory leaks
docker exec vivado-container ps aux --sort=-%mem

# Restart container if needed
docker restart vivado-dev

High CPU Usage

# Monitor CPU usage
htop
docker stats --no-stream

# Check for CPU-intensive processes
docker exec vivado-container top -o %CPU

# Limit CPU usage if needed
docker update --cpus=2 vivado-dev

Health Monitoring

The Docker image includes a built-in health check that monitors the Vivado installation:

# Check container health status
docker ps

# View detailed health check information
docker inspect --format='{{json .State.Health}}' <container_name>

# Run health check manually
docker exec <container_name> /tools/Xilinx/2025.1/Vivado/bin/vivado -version

Health Check Details:

Interval: Every 30 seconds
Timeout: 10 seconds per check
Start Period: 60 seconds after container starts
Retries: 3 consecutive failures before marking unhealthy
Check: Verifies Vivado binary is accessible and executable

Health Status:

🟢 healthy: Vivado is working correctly
🔴 unhealthy: Vivado is not accessible or failing
🟡 starting: Container is in initial startup phase

Configuration

Environment Variables

VIVADO_VERSION: Vivado version to install (default: 2025.1)
VIVADO_UPDATE: Optional update file to install
INTERNAL_DOWNLOAD_URL: Internal download URL for organizational use

Build Arguments

UBUNTU_MIRROR: Custom Ubuntu package mirror URL
VIVADO_VERSION: Vivado version to install
VIVADO_UPDATE: Update file to install

Organizational Use

For organizations with internal Xilinx installers:

Set internal download URL:

export INTERNAL_DOWNLOAD_URL="https://internal.example.com/xilinx"

Download installer:

./download-installer.sh -i "$INTERNAL_DOWNLOAD_URL"

Build image:
```
docker build -t vyges-vivado .
```

File Structure

xilinx-tools/
├── Dockerfile                 # Docker image definition
├── build.sh                   # Automated build script with caching
├── download-installer.sh      # Installer download script (enterprise use)
├── vivado-installer/         # Directory for installer files (.tar and optional .tar.digests)
│                             # Optional: file_listing.txt from tar -tvf <installer>.tar for xsetup path and layout
├── patches/                  # Post-install patches
│   ├── vivado-2025.1-postinstall.patch  # Vivado 2025.1 fixes
│   ├── vivado-2025.2-postinstall.patch  # Vivado 2025.2 fixes
│   └── ubuntu-24.04-vivado-2025.1-postinstall.patch  # Ubuntu-specific fixes (optional)
├── scripts/
│   └── filter_install_config_7series_zynq.sh  # Restricts ConfigGen output to 7 Series + Zynq (batch-mode)
├── entrypoint.sh            # Container entrypoint
├── logs/                     # Build log files (created automatically)
├── exports/                  # Exported Docker images (created after build)
└── README.md               # This file

Patch System

The Docker image applies patches to fix known issues:

Vivado Version Patches (Required)

File: vivado-${VIVADO_VERSION}-postinstall.patch
Purpose: Fixes specific to Vivado version (e.g., X11 workarounds, device enablement)
Status: Required - build will fail if missing

Ubuntu Version Patches (Optional)

File: ubuntu-${UBUNTU_VERSION}-vivado-${VIVADO_VERSION}-postinstall.patch
Purpose: OS-specific fixes for particular Ubuntu releases
Status: Optional - build continues if missing

Current Patches

X11 Workaround: Disables problematic X11 locale support code
U280 Device: Enables beta device support for Alveo U280
Ubuntu 24.04.3: No specific patches needed (newer release)

Troubleshooting

Installer Not Found

Ensure you've run download-installer.sh first (for enterprise use)
Check that installer files are in vivado-installer/ directory
Use the .tar file only—not the .bin. The build extracts the .tar; the .bin and other variants are not used.
Verify file names match expected patterns (e.g. FPGAs_AdaptiveSoCs_Unified_SDI_2025.2_1114_2157.tar)
For public use, download manually from Xilinx website

Inspecting the install config used

The config that was actually passed to the installer is (1) printed in the build log during the Docker/Podman build, (2) saved in the directory where you ran ./build.sh as install_config_used.txt after a successful build, and (3) stored in the image at /opt/vyges/install_config_used.txt. To view from an existing image: podman run --rm vyges-vivado cat /opt/vyges/install_config_used.txt. Use this when debugging device selection or install failures.

Download Failures

Check network connectivity
Verify internal URLs are accessible
Ensure proper authentication for internal networks

Build Failures

Check Docker has sufficient disk space
- Ensure at least 300GB free space available
- Monitor with df -h during build
- Clean Docker cache: docker system prune -a
Verify all required files are present
Check Docker logs for specific error messages
System Limits Issues: Use the automated build script for automatic optimization
- Run ./build.sh instead of manual docker build commands
- The script automatically sets ulimit -n 65536 and other optimizations
- Check system limits: ulimit -a
Disk Space Errors: Common causes include:
- Insufficient space for Vivado installer extraction
- Docker build cache consuming too much space
- System running out of inodes or disk space

Build Interruptions

Connection Issues: SSH disconnections, network timeouts
- Always use log redirection: docker build ... 2>&1 | tee build.log
- Check log file for last completed step
- Resume build from last successful layer if possible
System Crashes/Reboots
- Docker build cache may be preserved
- Check docker images for partial builds
- Consider using --cache-from for resuming builds
Manual Interruption (Ctrl+C)
- Build cache is preserved
- Resume with: docker build --cache-from vyges-vivado -t vyges-vivado .

Health Check Issues

Container shows as "unhealthy"
- Verify Vivado installation completed successfully
- Check that /tools/Xilinx/${VIVADO_VERSION}/Vivado/bin/vivado exists
- Ensure proper file permissions on Vivado binary
- Review health check logs: docker inspect <container_name>
Health check timing out
- Vivado may be taking longer to start on slower systems
- Consider increasing timeout values in Dockerfile if needed

Security Notes

The image runs as root (required for Vivado installation)
Consider security implications for production use
Internal download URLs should use HTTPS when possible
Review and validate all downloaded files

📚 Additional Resources

Documentation and licensing

Inspiration: This project was inspired by the work of ESnet SmartNIC team and their xilinx-tools-docker repository
ESnet License: ESnet SmartNIC License - Copyright (c) 2022, The Regents of the University of California, through Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Xilinx Vivado Documentation
Docker Best Practices
Vivado Installation Guide
Xilinx Vivado Installation, Licensing

Vivado / FPGA tutorials and boards

Vivado / FPGA tutorial (YouTube)
Real Digital Urbana board — Spartan-7 FPGA educational platform (DDR3, SD, Bluetooth, USB, HDMI, Pmods, etc.)
Real Digital Boolean board — Spartan-7 FPGA educational platform; works with free Vivado
Digilent vivado-boards — Board definition files for Digilent FPGA boards (board interfaces, presets, constraints). Copy the new/board_files content into the container at /tools/Xilinx/Vivado/<version>/data/boards (e.g. /tools/Xilinx/Vivado/2025.2/data/boards); once in that directory, boards show up automatically in Vivado IP Integrator and board selection. See Digilent’s Installing Vivado, Vitis, and Digilent Board Files for details.

Support

For issues or questions:

Check the troubleshooting section above
Review Docker build logs
Verify file permissions and availability
Check network connectivity for downloads

Maintained by: Vyges Team
Last Updated: August 2025
Vivado Version: 2025.1
Build Status: ✅ Successfully Verified (August 31, 2025)
Tested With: Podman 4.9.3 on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS
Build Time: 5h49m (184GB final image)

🐳 Docker Management Help

Docker Cache Management

# Check current Docker disk usage
docker system df

# Clean up build cache (most aggressive)
docker builder prune -a

# Clean up everything (images, containers, networks, build cache)
docker system prune -a

# Clean up only build cache
docker builder prune

# Clean up only dangling images
docker image prune

# Clean up only stopped containers
docker container prune

⚠️ Warning: docker system prune -a will remove ALL unused images, containers, networks, and build cache. Use with caution!

Handling Large Build Caches

If you see a large Build Cache (like your 236.8GB), here's how to handle it:

# 1. First, check what's in the build cache
docker system df

# 2. Clean ONLY the build cache (safest option)
docker builder prune

# 3. If you want to be more aggressive with build cache
docker builder prune -a

# 4. For complete cleanup (removes everything unused)
docker system prune -a

Build Cache vs Images:

Build Cache: Temporary layers from failed or interrupted builds
Images: Successfully built Docker images
Dangling Images: Images with <none> tags (can be safely removed)

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 13 Commits
exports		exports
logs		logs
patches		patches
scripts		scripts
vivado-installer		vivado-installer
.dockerignore		.dockerignore
.gitignore		.gitignore
Dockerfile		Dockerfile
LICENSE		LICENSE
NOTICE		NOTICE
README.md		README.md
build.sh		build.sh
download-installer.sh		download-installer.sh
entrypoint.sh		entrypoint.sh
running_builds.md		running_builds.md

License

vyges/xilinx-tools

Folders and files

Latest commit

History

Repository files navigation

Vyges Xilinx Tools Docker Template

🎯 Template Usage

Quick Start (Recommended)

Manual Fork Process

🔧 Customization Guide

Custom Patches

📋 Template Features

🎯 Overview

🚀 Getting Started

Prerequisites

Runtime System Requirements

Container Runtime Requirements

Installing Container Runtime on Ubuntu 24.04

Option 1: Install Podman (Recommended)

Option 2: Install Latest Docker

Option 2: Use Ubuntu Package Manager

Option 3: Use Snap (if preferred)

Podman vs Docker Commands

System Limits and Optimization

Critical System Limits

Open Files Limit (Critical)

File Size Limit

Memory Limits

System Optimization

Automatic Optimizations

Manual System Tuning (Optional)

Build Script System Monitoring

Real-time Monitoring

System Information Logged

Build Time Estimation

Troubleshooting System Limits

Common Issues

Verification Commands

Disk Space Requirements

Build Process Space Usage

Total Space Requirements

Space Recovery After Build

Space Optimization Tips

Base Image Caching and Optimization

Pre-download Base Image

Build Cache Optimization

Layer Caching Strategy

Quick Start

1. Download Installer

Install configuration (Vivado + Vitis, 7 Series + SoCs)

2. Build Docker Image

Option A: Automated Build Script (Recommended)

Option B: Manual Build Commands

Build Time Optimization

Build Logging and Monitoring

Enhanced Build Commands for Podman 4.9.3

Standard Build (Recommended for most users)

Buildx with Advanced Caching

Parallel Build with Resource Limits

Quick Reconnection Checklist

Logging Options

1. Tee to File (Recommended)

2. Redirect to File Only

3. Timestamped Logs

Monitoring Long Builds

Real-time Monitoring

Build Recovery

Remote Build Verification

1. Check Docker Images

2. Check Build Logs

3. Check Docker Build History

4. Verify Vivado Installation

Log File Management

Proactive Build Monitoring

1. Background Build with Notifications

2. Build Completion Detection Script

3. Email Notifications (if available)

3. Run Container

Quick check: Vivado version (verified)

Packages