Arty Vivado SDK problem starting project

[Harm]

Hi All,
After successfully running the Arty GPIO example, I'm trying to do the "Getting started with Microblaze" example from the Digilent website.
Everything runs fine, until I get to the point where the HelloWorld project is created in the SDK. I consistently get the error message: "Project cannot be created" "Reason: Internal Error:" "Failed to closesw "/home/<user>/Arty/Arty_GSMB/Arty_GSMB.sdk/helloworld_bsp/system.mss"" "Reason: Cannot close sw design '/home/<user>/Arty/<ProjectDir>/Arty_GSMB.sdk/helloworld_bsp/system.mss'. Design is not opened in the current session."
I'm using Vivado 2016.2 on Ubuntu 14 LTS, but I get the same response on Ubuntu 16 LTS.
I've searched the Internet for this problem, but came up blank, until now.
Can anyone shed some light on this problem?

 

[JColvin]

Hi Harm,

I have asked some of our applications engineers about this; they will get back to you here on the Forum.

Thanks,
JColvin

[jpeyron]

Hello Harm,

here is a link to a similar issue and how they seemed to fix issue.

thank you,

Jon

[BlowingSmoke]

I ran into similar issues with my Arty this weekend. I was "getting started with the MicroBlaze."  I started with Ubuntu 15.something and ended up installing CentOS 7. I received very similar errors regardless of which OS I ran. What ended up fixing the issue was installing the 32-bit compatibility tools for CentOS. I am pretty sure it would fix the same issue in Ubuntu. And I can let you know this weekend, since I am moving my dev environment to a new workstation running Ubuntu. (WIth CentOS and W10 as guests). Note that I was successful with the build, but I haven't regained the strength or motivation to push it on the Arty yet. (It will probably work, and I had to go to work.)

Here are two pages that might be relevant:

https://forums.xilinx.com/t5/Installation-and-Licensing/SDK-2014-2-bsd-generation-fails/td-p/479134

https://forums.xilinx.com/t5/Embedded-Development-Tools/SDK-Error-When-Creating-BSP-Sources-quot-mb-ar-quot-no-such-file/td-p/572050

If you want to verify that this is the culprit before tinkering, instead of creating the application in the SDK, create a BSP instead. The log messages seemed to be a little more detailed. Be on the lookout for messages regarding libz.so.1 and "mb-ar."

My crude understanding is that 32-bit libs (or compatibility with) are necessary when cross-compiling for the MicroBlaze.

 

[ttrostel]

I'm having a similar issue.  Im running a new install under Ubuntu 14.04 LTS which is listed as supported.  I've installed the i386 support packages as suggested.  When trying to create the hello_world project I get exactly the same issue.

Is there anyone who has successfully set up Ubuntu 14.04 LTS with Vivado 2016.02 running the Arty board?  The tutorials are for windows only.  If I get this figured out I will be happy to rework a full tutorial but make it for Ubuntu 14.04 so we all can have one working answer.  

If it helps I have attached my error log file for reference.

SDK.log

 

It is a problem not having the i386 libraries installed by default on Ubuntu.  That step is completely missing from any install documentation (fail).  I'll fix that with a walk through later.  Now the issue is that the ARTY board doesn't show up .... when I go to program the FPGA it says it could not find FPGA device.  Is there some device driver or configuration required for Ubuntu?  I didn't see any mention of that in the documentation either.

 

OK here's the scoop.  In order to run the SDK we need the i386 libraries.  Use apt-get install to pull the following:

libc6:i386 libstdc++6:i386 ... I'll double check the list but those two for certain.

Then you need to install the diligent and xilinx platform drivers (tricky bit)

go to opt/Xilinx/Vivado/[your-version]/data/xicom/cable_drivers/lin64/install_script/install_drivers

now do

    sudo ./install_digilent.sh

and

   sudo ./install_drivers.sh

Check the drivers by using 'ls /etc/udev/rules.d

You should see xx-xilinx-digilent-usb.rules and another one. with xilinx in it.

 

THAT should get you going.  I'll try to clean this answer up later but it *REALLY REALLY* should be in the install documentation ... hint .... Diligent .... please update :-)  ... lots of linux users here ... we count ... I think!!

 

Anyhow mine is working now!  ... If you're still stuck I'll work through it with you.  Let me know how its going!!

 

[JColvin]

Hi ttrostel,

Thank you for sharing what you've found! I've let our applications engineers know that there is a need out there to update the appropriate documentation. I know it's been on the list to update so hopefully this will get it pushed higher up in priority.

Thanks,
JColvin

[ttrostel]

I found an awesome work up on how to install the toolchain at github

Take a look at https://github.com/Architech-Silica/Installing-Vivado-2015.1-Ubuntu-14.04.2-64b  It needs a tad of rework for 2016 but its almost perfect.

If you're going back to the app engineers .... I'd suggest that as a starting point for source materials.  The instructions are almost flawless.