If your goal is industry-standard verification on Linux, QuestaSim is worth the effort. Siemens support is responsive, but the free Starter Edition license usually arrives within 1 hour.
QuestaSim Starter Version 202x.x ... To compile and simulate a tiny design: download questasim for linux
mkdir -p ~/intelFPGA/questa_sim chmod +x questasim-linux_x86_64-202x.x.run ./questasim-linux_x86_64-202x.x.run --mode text --prefix ~/intelFPGA/questa_sim For GUI installer (if you have X11 forwarding): If your goal is industry-standard verification on Linux,
If you’re working with SystemVerilog, UVM, or complex FPGA designs on a Linux workstation, Siemens QuestaSim is one of the most powerful simulators you can use. But getting the software legally and installing it on Linux can be confusing. To compile and simulate a tiny design: mkdir
This guide walks you through downloading the official Siemens package, preparing your Linux environment, and performing a silent installation. QuestaSim is commercial software. This post covers the official free “QuestaSim Starter Edition” (for students/hobbyists) and the standard paid edition (for professionals). Step 1: Choose Your Edition | Edition | Best for | License needed | |--------|----------|----------------| | QuestaSim Starter (Free) | Learning, small designs, ≤10K lines of code | Free web license | | QuestaSim Standard (Paid) | Professional ASIC/FPGA, UVM, large teams | Node-locked or floating |
./questasim-linux_x86_64-202x.x.run Follow the prompts. When asked for license type, choose if using Starter Edition. Step 5: Set Up Environment Variables Add to your ~/.bashrc or ~/.profile :
Happy simulating on Linux!