QUARTUS PRIME HWLAB SETUP

2025-08-01T20:49:45Z

Suryaaa: Added tutorial for fedora setup

The course Hardware Lab (CS2092E) requires students to use Intel's Quartus Prime Lite — a proprietary software to run Verilog programs. This page aims to give basic documentation on how to install the program in different Linux distributions.

== '''NixOS''' ==
Edit your <code>configuration.nix</code> file to include the package [https://search.nixos.org/packages?channel=unstable&from=0&size=50&sort=relevance&type=packages&query=quartus quartus-prime-lite].

Add the following Nix code to your NixOS configuration, usually located in <code>/etc/nixos/configuration.nix</code>:
environment.systemPackages = [
pkgs.quartus-prime-lite
];
Save the file, and rebuilding your system configuration will install Quartus Prime Lite on your NixOS system. Run <code>quartus</code> in your terminal to launch the application. You can create and open projects, compile your Verilog files, but to view/run RTL simulations you need a valid Questa license from the [https://licensing.intel.com/psg/s/?language=en_US Intel® FPGA Self-Service Licensing Center] and set the <code>LM_LICENSE_FILE</code> environment variable with the path to the <code>.dat</code> license file:
export LM_LICENSE_FILE=/path/to/your/license.dat
After that run <code>quartus</code> in the environment with the variable set up. You should now be able to run RTL simulations.

== '''Fedora''' ==
To install <code>Intel Quartus Prime Lite Edition</code> on Fedora, follow the steps below:

'''1.''' '''Download the Installer'''

Download the installer from the official Intel website:

[https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/software-kit/849769/intel-quartus-prime-lite-edition-design-software-version-24-1-for-linux.html Intel Quartus Prime Lite Edition (Linux) – Version 24.1]

'''2.''' '''Make the Installer Executable'''

After downloading, make the <code>.run</code> file executable:
chmod +x <''File Name''>.run

'''3.''' '''Run the Installer'''

Run the installer to start the installation process:
./<''File Name''>.run
An installation window will open. Follow the prompts, choose the required components, and begin the installation. This process typically takes around 10–15 minutes.

'''4.''' '''Locate the Installed Files'''

After installation, a new directory called <code>intelFPGA_lite</code> will be created in your home folder (''<code>~/</code>''). Inside it, you’ll find a versioned folder (e.g., <code>24.1std</code>), which contains the <code>quartus</code> folder.

The Quartus executable is located at:
~/intelFPGA_lite/24.1std/quartus/bin/quartus
You can run Quartus by executing:
./intelFPGA_lite/24.1std/quartus/bin/quartus

'''5.''' '''Fixing libcrypt.so.1 Error'''

When running Quartus for the first time, you may encounter a missing library error related to <code>libcrypt.so.1</code>. To resolve this, install the compatibility package:
sudo dnf install libxcrypt-compat
If the issue persists, try explicitly installing the 64-bit version:
sudo dnf install libxcrypt-compat.x86_64
After this, Quartus should launch normally.

For running Questa simulations (QuestaSim), you need a license.

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QUARTUS PRIME HWLAB SETUP