OpenROAD One-Command Setup Script

A comprehensive setup script to install OpenROAD, OpenRAM, and OpenROAD-flow-scripts with a single command on Linux systems.

🚀 Quick Start

git clone https://github.com/csbohan/openroad-setup.git
cd openroad-setup
chmod +x setup_openroad.sh
./setup_openroad.sh

📋 What This Script Installs

• OpenROAD - Open-source RTL-to-GDSII flow
• OpenRAM - Open-source memory compiler
• OpenROAD-flow-scripts - Complete design flows and examples
• All dependencies - System packages, Python packages, and build tools

🖥️ Supported Systems

• Ubuntu 20.04 LTS and newer
• Debian 11 and newer
• Other Debian-based distributions

📦 Prerequisites

• Linux system with sudo privileges
• Internet connection
• At least 8GB free disk space
• 4GB+ RAM recommended

🛠️ Installation

Method 1: Clone Repository

git clone https://github.com/csbohan/openroad-setup.gitt
cd openroad-setup
chmod +x setup_openroad.sh
./setup_openroad.sh

⚙️ Script Options

The script supports several environment variables for customization:

# Install to custom directory (default: $HOME/openroad-tools)
INSTALL_DIR=/path/to/install ./setup_openroad.sh

# Skip specific components
SKIP_OPENROAD=1 ./setup_openroad.sh
SKIP_OPENRAM=1 ./setup_openroad.sh
SKIP_FLOW_SCRIPTS=1 ./setup_openroad.sh

# Use specific number of build threads (default: all available cores)
BUILD_THREADS=4 ./setup_openroad.sh

📁 Installation Structure

After installation, tools are organized as follows:

~/openroad-setup/
├── OpenROAD/ # OpenROAD installation
├── OpenRAM/ # OpenRAM installation
├── openroad-flow-scripts/ # Flow scripts and examples
├── run_openram.sh # Run a openRAM test 
├── setup_enviroment.sh # Enviroment setup script for OpenROAD + OpenRAM
└── README.md 

🔧 Environment Setup

The script automatically adds tools to your PATH. After installation, restart your terminal or run:

source ~/.bashrc

Verify installation:

openroad -version
python3 -c "import openram; print('OpenRAM installed successfully')"

🚀 Quick Test

Test OpenROAD

cd ~/openroad-setup/OpenROAD-flow-scripts
make DESIGN_CONFIG=./designs/sky130hd/gcd/config.mk <-- Many designs given in flow scripts 

Test OpenRAM

FIRST TEST MAY BE 25+ min

cd ~/openroad-setup/OpenRAM
python3 openram.py SRAM_32x128_1rw.py <-- Your Design (Example given below) 

SRAM_32x128_1rw.py – Add this file to your OpenRAM/ directory to run the following example:

cat > SRAM_32x128_1rw.py << EOF
num_rw_ports    = 1
num_r_ports     = 0
num_w_ports     = 0

word_size       = 32
num_words       = 128
num_banks       = 1
words_per_row   = 4

tech_name       = "freepdk45"
process_corners = ["TT"]
supply_voltages = [1.1]
temperatures    = [25]

route_supplies  = True
check_lvsdrc    = True

output_path     = "SRAM_32x128_1rw"
output_name     = "SRAM_32x128_1rw"
instance_name   = "SRAM_32x128_1rw"
EOF

📊 Performance Tips

For Large SRAM Generation

• RAM: 8GB+ recommended for large SRAMs (>1MB)
• CPU: Single-thread performance matters more than core count
• Storage: SSD recommended for faster builds

Speeding Up OpenRAM

# Disable DRC/LVS checks for faster generation (testing only)
python3 openram.py -n config.py

# Use smaller test configurations first
python3 openram.py examples/configs/config_20nm_small.py

🔍 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Permission Denied Errors:

sudo chown -R $USER:$USER ~/openroad-tools

Python Package Conflicts:

# Use virtual environment
python3 -m venv openram_env
source openram_env/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements.txt

Build Failures:

# Check logs
tail -f ~/openroad-tools/logs/setup.log

# Clean and retry
rm -rf ~/openroad-tools
./setup_openroad.sh

Long SSH Sessions:

# Use tmux to prevent disconnection
tmux new-session -d -s openroad_setup './setup_openroad.sh'
tmux attach -t openroad_setup

Getting Help

1. Check the installation logs: ~/openroad-tools/logs/
2. Verify system requirements
3. Try running individual components manually
4. Open an issue with log files attached

🧪 Development and Testing

Testing the Script

# Test in Docker container
docker run -it ubuntu:22.04
apt update && apt install -y wget
wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/yourusername/openroad-setup/main/setup_openroad.sh
chmod +x setup_openroad.sh
./setup_openroad.sh

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Test on clean Ubuntu/Debian systems
4. Submit a pull request

📚 Useful Resources

• OpenROAD Documentation
• OpenRAM Documentation
• OpenROAD Flow Scripts
• FreePDK45 Technology

🏗️ Example Workflows

SRAM Generation with OpenRAM

cd ~/openroad-tools/OpenRAM
# Create config file
cat > my_sram_config.py << EOF
word_size = 32
num_words = 128
technology = "freepdk45"
num_rw_ports = 1
num_r_ports = 0
num_w_ports = 0
EOF

# Generate SRAM
python3 openram.py my_sram_config.py

RTL-to-GDS with OpenROAD

cd ~/openroad-tools/OpenROAD-flow-scripts
# Use provided examples
make DESIGN_CONFIG=./designs/sky130hd/aes/config.mk

⚡ Performance Benchmarks

Typical installation times on different systems:

System	CPU	RAM	Time
Ubuntu 22.04	8-core i7	16GB	~45 min
Ubuntu 20.04	4-core i5	8GB	~75 min
Debian 11	2-core VM	4GB	~120 min

📄 License

This setup script is provided under the MIT License. Individual tools have their own licenses:

• OpenROAD: BSD 3-Clause License
• OpenRAM: BSD 3-Clause License
• OpenROAD-flow-scripts: BSD 3-Clause License

🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please:

1. Test on multiple Linux distributions
2. Update documentation for new features
3. Follow shell scripting best practices
4. Include error handling and logging

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Note: This is an unofficial setup script. For official installation instructions, refer to the individual project documentation.