ECE 483 - Using UNIX based verilog & simvision from home

[Matthew Thomas]

This semester we started to use UNIX based verilog, simvision, and ambit. To the best of my understanding, these are x11 based programs, and as such, one *should* be able to connect remotely from home to use these programs, just like they were on campus using the sun machines.

Doing some research, I have found that MS Windows and X11 are not the best of friends, and that it is much eaiser to run x11 off of a UNIX based machine (such as linux, or a macintosh, where it is apparently built in to the system.)

So, down to the mac store I went, and bought an iMac G5. After setting up my  new pretty computer, I found that x11 support is not installed by default; but it was not a problem to download and install it from apple's website.

Now connecting to quad.ee.siue.edu via ssh using the x11 terminal still works the same, however, I would expect that if I tried to run some x11 app, like simvision, it would launch and work right?

here is what I got:

matttho@quadrophenia:>simvision&
[1] 8571
matttho@quadrophenia:> simvision: 04.10-s019: (c) Copyright 1995-2003 Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
Application initialization failed: no display name and no $DISPLAY environment variable

[1]    Exit 1                        simvision
matttho@quadrophenia:>


I know that I'm doing something wrong, and I have a feeling that it is something very simple to fix. I did remember to start the cadence environment prior to attempting to invoke simvision.

My questing is, what is going on? Can someone please provide an explanation, or even better, a solution?

I have seen someone with an apple laptop using simvision, and they praised at how easy it was to connect and set up. I know it's possible...but how?

[William Grim]

Assuming you are using OpenSSH on your Mac, which I suspect you are, try "ssh -X matttho@quad.ee.siue.edu".  This will enable X forwarding and setup the DISPLAY variable for you.

[Matthew Thomas]

Thanks. It works like a charm now. Again, I thought it was something simple.