Livt Installation

Livt supports two installation paths. The Visual Studio Code extension is recommended for interactive development because it manages compatible tools and licenses together. Manual installation is intended for terminal-only environments, CI runners, and developers who need direct control over each tool.

Choose an installation

Install with Visual Studio Code

Install the Livt extension from publisher Eccelerators in the Extensions view, or use the Visual Studio Code command-line launcher:

code --install-extension eccelerators.vscode-livt

After installation, open Get Started with Livt or run Livt: Manage Livt Installation. The installation manager:

• checks the Java runtime used by Livt language services;
• installs or updates the Livt compiler and generator extensions;
• installs HxS when register-interface generation is needed;
• retrieves licenses available to the signed-in account;
• optionally installs a managed GHDL simulator; and
• can expose the managed livt and hxsc commands to the user terminal.

Managed products are stored below the current user's .livt directory. Managed Java and GHDL installations use versioned directories below .livt/tools. VS Code uses these paths directly, so a system-wide installation is not required.

Manual installation

For a manual installation, download the Livt package for the target platform from Account Downloads. Install the complete archive instead of copying individual JAR files so the compiler, launchers, and generator extensions remain compatible.

Prerequisites

• a supported 64-bit Linux or Windows environment;
• a Java runtime suitable for the downloaded Livt package; and
• a valid Livt license for licensed operations.

Confirm Java is available before installing Livt:

java -version

Manual installation on Linux

1. Download livt.tar.gz from Account Downloads.
2. Extract the complete archive into ~/.livt.
3. Add ~/.livt to the user PATH.
4. Open a new shell and verify the command.

mkdir -p "${HOME}/.livt"
tar -xzf "${HOME}/Downloads/livt.tar.gz" -C "${HOME}/.livt"
chmod +x "${HOME}/.livt/livt"
echo 'export PATH="${HOME}/.livt:${PATH}"' >> "${HOME}/.profile"
. "${HOME}/.profile"
livt --version

If Java is installed outside the system path, set JAVA_HOME and add its bin directory to PATH for the account that runs Livt.

Manual installation on Windows

1. Download livt.zip from Account Downloads.
2. Extract the complete archive to %USERPROFILE%\.livt.
3. Add %USERPROFILE%\.livt to the user Path environment variable.
4. Open a new PowerShell or Command Prompt and verify the command.

livt --version

Use the Windows environment-variable settings to define JAVA_HOME when Java is not discoverable automatically. Restart open terminals and development tools after changing the user Path.

Install and inspect licenses

The Visual Studio Code installation manager can retrieve licenses automatically. For a manual installation, download the license from the account and place the unchanged license-{guid}.lic file in the user license directory:

A single Eccelerators license may contain permissions for Livt, HxS, packages, and Livt Agent. Inspect the installed licenses without exposing their JWT contents:

livt -l

Install a simulator

GHDL provides the default local simulation workflow. The Visual Studio Code installation manager can install a managed GHDL build. For a manual installation, install GHDL for the operating system, make its executable available on PATH, and verify it independently:

ghdl --version

GHDL is optional for validation and HDL generation, but it is required for the default local livt test simulation workflow.

HxS integration

Projects that use HxS annotations require the HxS compiler and the matching generator extensions. The Visual Studio Code installation manager prepares HxS alongside Livt. Manual environments should follow the HxS Installation guide and verify hxsc --version.

Vendor tools

FPGA vendor software is installed separately. Vivado, GOWIN EDA, and Lattice Radiant remain vendor-managed applications. Add the required executable to PATH or configure its path when creating the corresponding vendor integration.

Verify the installation

In Visual Studio Code, run Livt: Show Extension Diagnostics. For a manual or CI installation, run:

java -version
livt --version
livt -l

Update Livt

For a managed installation, run Livt: Manage Livt Installation and apply the offered product or tool updates. Restart the language server and compiler worker when requested.

For a manual installation, download a current archive for the same platform and replace the installed compiler, launcher, and generator files together. Preserve the licenses directory and locally maintained configuration. Verify the installation again before using it in CI or production workflows.

Start developing

Continue with Your first Livt project for the recommended Visual Studio Code workflow, or use the CLI reference for automation.