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eda-in-container

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Docker image and scripts to run EDA (including Synopsys/Cadence/Siemens/...) tools in a containerized environment.

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# Run EDA in Containers

This repository provides a Docker image and several scripts to run EDA (including Synopsys/Cadence/Siemens/...) tools in a containerized environment.

The goal is to simplify the setup and execution of EDA tools by providing a consistent and reproducible environment.

It features:
- **Full Command Compatibility**: Simply prefix your original commands with `edarun` (e.g., `edarun vcs ...`) to execute VCS and other EDA tools within the container.
- **GUI Support**: For GUI-based tools, `edarun virtuoso` directly launches the graphical interface.
- **Filesystem Mapping**: User directories remain visible to containerized software with consistent permissions, enabling seamless file read/write operations.
- **User Container Isolation**: Each user operates within a dedicated EDA container, ensuring mutual isolation. Users can quickly restart their own EDA container when issues arise.

## 💡 Why This Repository?

There are already some practices on Github that run EDA software in containers, such as [Dockerize-EDA](https://github.com/limerainne/Dockerize-EDA). They have some limitations:
- Packaging a specific tool into a container image cannot be applied to a wide range of EDA software;
- Not handling the deployment and acquisition of the license manager;
- Lack of maintenance and no updates for a long time.

For design philosophy and code details, please refer to [my blog post](https://zhutmost.com/post/eda-in-container) (in Chinese).

## ⚙️ Setup and Usage

First, please make sure you have [Podman](https://podman.io) installed on your system. Podman is a open-sourced daemonless container engine that is pre-installed on AlmaLinux 8/9 and most RHEL-based Linux distributions.

1. Clone this repository.
2. Add the `bin` directory to your `PATH`:
   ```bash
   export PATH=$PATH:/path/to/eda-in-container/bin
   ```

Next, the administrator needs to start the license servers (which also run in containers). After that, general users can run the EDA tools.

### Start License Servers in Containers (for Administrator Only)

Please make sure you have the sudo privilege first.

1. Initialize the Podman network for the license servers:
   ```bash
   sudo podman network create lic_network
   ```
2. Create a `lic/licrun.conf` file to set the correct license server configurations. We provide a sample configuration file `lic/licrun.example.conf` that you can copy and modify.

The IP addresses should in the same subnet as the `lic_network` you created in the previous step.
3. Start the license servers using the provided script:
   ```bash
   licrun [vendor]
   licrun synopsys # For example, to start Synopsys license server
   ```
4. Change the hosts part in the `bin/edarun` script to point to the license server container.

By default, the logs will be stored in the `lic/logs` directory. You can view them to check the status of the license servers.

### Run EDA Tools in Containers (for Genral Users)

We provide three commands: `edarun`, `edakill`, and `edaupdate`.

#### Command: `edarun`

Run EDA tools using `edarun`:
```sh
edarun some_eda_tool [args...]
# Example: Launch Cadence Virtuoso GUI
edarun virtuoso
# Example: Run VCS with version info
edarun vcs -ID
```

Alternatively, launch an interactive zsh shell for EDA operations without specifying a tool:
```sh
edarun
```
You'll enter a new zsh shell where you can directly execute EDA commands (no `edarun` prefix needed). Example workflow:
```txt
# admin @ apple in ~ [17:07:06]
$ edarun
Apple EDA environment is being loaded...

# admin @ eda-runner-user in ~ [9:07:13]
$ xrun
xrun(64): 24.09-s007: (c) Copyright 1995-2025 Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
Usage:
	xrun [options] files
	  ...
```

> [!CAUTION]
> EDA tools **cannot** and **should not** be executed directly on the host machine (license acquisition will fail).

#### Command: `edakill`

Use `edakill` to terminate all running EDA tools (stops and removes the EDA container):
```sh
edakill
```
A 10-second confirmation period will begin (press Ctrl+C to cancel).

After confirmation, `edakill` terminates and removes the EDA container. **All processes within the container will be forcibly killed** – ensure you've saved all work before proceeding.

Running `edakill` followed by `edarun` creates a fresh EDA container, which can resolve issues like unresponsive EDA tools.

#### Command: `edaupdate`

When administrators update `edarunner.dockerfile` (rare occurrence), rebuild the `edarunner` container image to update your EDA environment:
```sh
edaupdate
```
If your `eda-runner-USERNAME` container is running, `edaupdate` automatically invokes `edakill` first.

> The initial `edarun` execution automatically builds `edarunner`. Subsequent updates require manual `edaupdate` execution.

#### Specifying EDA Tool Versions

By default, `edarun` loads `/ssd/eda/env/eda.sh` to set:
- Default EDA tool versions
- Preconfigured environment variables

To override defaults, create `~/.eda.sh` in your home directory. `edarun` prioritizes this script if present.

Check which script loads during `edarun` startup via command-line output. Use `edarun env` to inspect environment variables in the EDA container.

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