Class Programs in Linux

Installing Class Programs in Linux

Matlab:#

If you are not going to need Simulink, you can use Octave for everything. You just need to add the appropriate libraries. If you are missing a function you need, by typing help command, Octave will tell you the package you need. Here are a handful:

%Note, they have to be compiled, it takes a while
pkg install -forge -verbose control;
pkg install -forge -verbose signal;

pkg load signal ; We load it to be able to use it
pkg load control ; We load it to be able to use it

The .m files they give us in the practicals do not need anything else. All the practicals that do not use Simulink can be done for: Algebra and Numerical Methods, Waves, Linear Systems, Communication Theory, Instrumentation, Calculus I, and Calculus II. (And probably all the others)

Blacklist of subjects not 100% compatible with Octave:

• Communication Theory (2 GIT/GIST)
• Transmission Techniques (3 GIST)

Xilinx ISE 14.7:#

Download the installer#

We can find the installer on the Xilinx website and although it requires registration, the tool is free. For some reason, Xilinx does not want this package to be in the repositories.

Install the package#

This step will depend on the Linux distribution you use:

In Arch: At the club, we have a custom package to install the software for the subject, ask in the club about the path to this file.

pacman -U /path/to/the/installer.tar.gz

If you have to use the laboratory board (Spartan3E), it will be necessary to install the xilinx-usb-drivers package from the AUR. With this package, we will have the necessary udev rules to be able to load the bitstream onto the board.

The Arch wiki entry, although it is about Vivado, resolves some other doubts. Arch wiki

In Debian/Ubuntu:

cd /path/to/the/file
tar xzf installer.tar.gz
cp -R installer /path/where/you/want/to/install
cd /path/where/you/want/to/install
./configure
make
sudo make install

Fix the mess#

For some reason, ISE uses its own Qt environment. It is an old version with many extra Ubuntu-style things that tries to choose the same Qt theme as the rest of the system. And it fails catastrophically if you have a dark theme.

So there is no other option but to remove our theme while we want to use it. In my case, remove a line from .bspwmrc. wal -R.

We can also delete the compressed package.

Eclipse a.k.a. IntelliJ from now on#

Although since we started our degree they have recommended using the Eclipse program to program in Java, without a doubt the most useful thing is to switch to another family of very useful IDEs, not only for Java, but for the rest of the programming languages. IntelliJ website For these programs, we have a student license thanks to the email provided by the university.