I can't launch modelsim-altera software

[Altera_Forum]

Hi everyone. 

 I am using Quartus II 9.0 Web Edition and Modelsim-Altera 6.4a Starter Edition under win7 and win8.I'm getting the same error in both OS.  After compiling,when I start the simulation,I got three errors:  Error: Can't launch ModelSim-Altera Simulation software -- make sure the software is properly installed and the environment variable LM_LICENSE_FILE or MGLS_LICENSE_FILE points to the correct license file.  Error: NativeLink simulation flow was NOT successful  Error: Quartus II Full Compilation was unsuccessful. 3 errors, 5 warnings  I uninstall QuartusII and Modelsim-Altera and install again many times , but it wasn't work.   Please help me

[Altera_Forum]

Read this: http://www.altera.com.cn/literature/an/an340.pdf

[Altera_Forum]

I have the same problem here. My configuration: 

  

• OS CentOS 6.4 64 bit, 8 GByte physical RAM  
• 12.1sp1_243_modelsim_ase_linux  
• 12.1sp1_243_quartus_free_linux  
• Cyclone V: 5CGXBC4C6F23C7  

  I started with a very simple design (8 bit counter) just to learn the tool flow. I can compile this design with almost now warnings, but I cannot simulate it with ModelSim Altera Starter Edition.  When reading the Altera documentation my understanding was that I do not need any license file with modelSim Altera Starter Edition. Nevertheless I am asked for it when trying to start a RTL simulation. I tried to start the simulation by choosing tools->run simulation tool->rtl simulation.  From the Altera documentation I learned that I need 64bit SW to compile a Cyclone V device; This seems to be true because I tried it with Windows 7 32bit and failed when the fitter tried to get more than 2 GByte of RAM. On the other hand I learned from Altera documentation that ModelSim is 32 bit only. May this be the cause for my problem?  Does anybody managed to simulate a Cyclone V device with these SW versions?

[Altera_Forum]

--- Quote Start ---  Hi everyone.  I am using Quartus II 9.0 Web Edition and Modelsim-Altera 6.4a Starter Edition under win7 and win8.I'm getting the same error in both OS.  After compiling,when I start the simulation,I got three errors:  Error: Can't launch ModelSim-Altera Simulation software -- make sure the software is properly installed and the environment variable LM_LICENSE_FILE or MGLS_LICENSE_FILE points to the correct license file.  Error: NativeLink simulation flow was NOT successful  Error: Quartus II Full Compilation was unsuccessful. 3 errors, 5 warnings  I uninstall QuartusII and Modelsim-Altera and install again many times , but it wasn't work.   Please help me  --- Quote End ---   Are you able to perform Analysis and Elaboration successfully? If yes, try to do RTL Simulation again using NativeLink.      --- Quote Start ---  I have the same problem here. My configuration:  

• OS CentOS 6.4 64 bit, 8 GByte physical RAM  
• 12.1sp1_243_modelsim_ase_linux  
• 12.1sp1_243_quartus_free_linux  
• Cyclone V: 5CGXBC4C6F23C7  

  I started with a very simple design (8 bit counter) just to learn the tool flow. I can compile this design with almost now warnings, but I cannot simulate it with ModelSim Altera Starter Edition.  When reading the Altera documentation my understanding was that I do not need any license file with modelSim Altera Starter Edition. Nevertheless I am asked for it when trying to start a RTL simulation. I tried to start the simulation by choosing tools->run simulation tool->rtl simulation.  From the Altera documentation I learned that I need 64bit SW to compile a Cyclone V device; This seems to be true because I tried it with Windows 7 32bit and failed when the fitter tried to get more than 2 GByte of RAM. On the other hand I learned from Altera documentation that ModelSim is 32 bit only. May this be the cause for my problem?  Does anybody managed to simulate a Cyclone V device with these SW versions?  --- Quote End ---   Try using other older devices such as Cyclone II and see if that works

[Altera_Forum]

It works under Win 7 Pro 64 bit and software you mentioned. But I don't use NativeLink. I open the ModelSim, compile manually the project files and start simulating testbench file.

[Altera_Forum]

--- Quote Start ---  Try using other older devices such as Cyclone II and see if that works  --- Quote End ---    Same problem with Cyclone II and Cyclone IV devices:(  It would be very interesting and helpful for me if anybody can tell that he has managed to use the starter edition of ModelSim-Altera with version 12.1sp1 under Linux.   Anybody?

[Altera_Forum]

That's weird. AFAIK, both Quartus Web Edition and Modelsim-Altera Starter Edition don't require any license file to run. Have you tried uninstalling ModelSim-Altera and reinstalling it?

[Altera_Forum]

--- Quote Start ---  That's weird. AFAIK, both Quartus Web Edition and Modelsim-Altera Starter Edition don't require any license file to run. Have you tried uninstalling ModelSim-Altera and reinstalling it?  --- Quote End ---    I installed it several times; I tried to install Quartus first, ModelSim 2nd, and vice versa. The result is the same always.  I suspected my test project and I looked also in some hidden files, which might be corrupt for any reason. I found an invisible directory in my home folder with the general Altera settings. I erased it, re-installed the SW and created a new project. No luck!  Tomorrow I will try to install it at a different workstation with RedHat 5 (instead of CentOS 6.4).

[Altera_Forum]

I solved my problem:) 

 With RedHat 5 it works fine. I cannot say which difference between CentOS and RedHat made the difference, but there seems to be a difference.

[Altera_Forum]

It's good to hear that. I'm not sure what could be the problem since I myself is running my ModelSim on CentOS too.

[Altera_Forum]

--- Quote Start ---  Same problem with Cyclone II and Cyclone IV devices:(  It would be very interesting and helpful for me if anybody can tell that he has managed to use the starter edition of ModelSim-Altera with version 12.1sp1 under Linux.   Anybody?  --- Quote End ---    I've been trying to get this working under Ubuntu 12.04, and appear to have succeeded.  It works or not depending on which Linux kernel version you're using.  If you follow the regular guidance and configure Quartus to point at the install of modelsim-altera starter edition, you will point it at something like [...]/12.1sp1/modelsim_ase/bin  That bin directory doesn't contain executable files but has placeholder soft links to a script called ../vco (in the parent directory). That script is supposed to work out the best version of the proper executables to run. For Linux kernel versions 2.4.7 to 2.9 it uses the files in modelsim_ase/linux otherwise it defaults to the non-existent modelsim_ase/linux_rh60 directory.  On my system I have created a soft link of the linux directory to linux_rh60 (in the modelsim_ase directory, do "ln -s linux linux_rh60")  You could also edit the vco file to change the one reference to linux_rh60 to use linux instead.  I guess you could also point Quartus at [...]/modelsim_ase/linux instead of the bin directory, but the vco script seems to do some command translation which may or may not be relevant to the current versions of the development environment.

[Altera_Forum]

TomRadfahrer ... this is rather odd! I have been trying to run the ModelSim with Quartus II version 12.0, 12.0sp2 and now 12.1 ... same issue with my inability to run ModelSim. Now ... why would it work on Red Hat as they should be practically the same? Interesting ... not sure if it has to do with a 64bit vs. 32bit issue ... ????  

 Thanks for the insight! :)

[Altera_Forum]

I just worked thorough a very similar issue. turns outin my case, I had to install libxft2:i386. 

 Sadly the Quartus generated log mentioned nothign about it. I found out by trying to run modelsim_ase/linux_aloem/vsim directly.

[JFrye7]

I fail to see how this RHEL vs CentOS or rhel_60 vs linuxaloem would affect whether or not the tool needs a license. I am having this problem on Ubuntu 18.04 right now.

[PPedr5]

Have you checked the software prerequisites? Check them here https://www.intel.com/content/dam/www/programmable/us/en/pdfs/literature/manual/quartus_install.pdf