Install from Packages

This guide covers installing the SLASH stack from pre-built Debian or RPM packages. This is the recommended installation method for most users.

For building everything from source (e.g. for development or unsupported distributions), see Build from Source.

Package Groups 

SLASH is split into focused packages so you install only what you need.

Runtime packages (required on every host with a V80 board):

Package	Purpose
`slash-dkms`	DKMS source for the `slash` kernel module. Compiles and installs `slash.ko` for the running kernel automatically.
`libslash`	Shared library for interacting with the kernel module over the driver’s character device.
`vrtd`	Daemon that multiplexes device access, enforces permissions, and manages board state. Includes systemd units, udev rules, and default `/etc/vrt/vrtd.conf`.
`libvrtd`	Client libraries (`libvrtd` C wire-protocol, `libvrtdpp` C++ RAII wrapper) for applications that communicate with the daemon.
`libvrt`	VRT C++ runtime library — the high-level API for kernels, buffers, and device control.
`v80-smi`	Board management CLI: `list`, `inspect`, `program`, `query`, `reset`, `validate`.

Development packages (required when building applications or HLS kernels):

Package	Purpose
`libslash-dev`	Headers and CMake targets for `libslash`.
`libvrtd-dev`	Headers and CMake targets for `libvrtd` / `libvrtdpp`.
`libvrt-dev`	Headers and CMake targets for `libvrt`.
`slashkit`	Python-based kernel linker that packages compiled HLS IP into `.vbin` archives. Provides the `build_hls_dir()` and `add_vbin()` CMake functions via the `SlashTools` module.

Convenience metapackages:

Package	Pulls in
`slash`	All runtime packages above except `v80-smi` (install separately).
`slash-dev`	All development packages above.
`slash-sim-emu`	Runtime subset for simulation/emulation hosts (no board required).
`slash-sim-emu-dev`	Development subset for simulation/emulation.

Build the Packages 

All packages — including the AMI driver package — are produced by a single script run from the repository root:

Debian / Ubuntu

scripts/package-deb.sh

Packages are written to ./deb/.

RHEL / Rocky / Fedora

scripts/package-rpm.sh

Packages are written to ./rpm/.

Both scripts call scripts/package-ami.sh internally, so the AMI package is built and placed in the same output directory as the SLASH packages.

Install System Prerequisites 

Every target machine needs kernel headers so that DKMS can compile the kernel module:

Debian / Ubuntu

sudo apt install linux-headers-$(uname -r)

RHEL / Rocky / Fedora

sudo dnf install kernel-devel-$(uname -r)

Other install-time dependencies (dkms, gcc, libraries, etc.) are declared by the packages themselves and will be pulled from the system repositories automatically.

The V80 board’s PF0 function (device ID 0x50B4) is managed by the AMI (AVED Management Interface) kernel module. Install it before the rest of the SLASH stack — vrtd requires AMI to be bound to PF0 to manage the board.

Debian / Ubuntu

sudo apt install ./deb/ami_<version>_amd64.deb

RHEL / Rocky / Fedora

sudo dnf install ./rpm/ami-<version>-1.<dist>.x86_64.rpm

Warning

If AMI is already installed on this system — for example, built from source or installed from a separate vendor package — the generated AMI package may conflict with the existing installation. Either remove the existing AMI installation before proceeding, or skip this step and ensure your installed AMI version is compatible with this SLASH release.

After installation, verify that ami is bound to PF0:

lspci -d 10ee:50b4 -k

You should see Kernel driver in use: ami.

Install Runtime Packages 

When installing from local package files, list all packages explicitly so that the package manager can satisfy the inter-package dependencies in a single transaction:

Debian / Ubuntu

sudo apt install \
  ./deb/slash-dkms_<version>_all.deb \
  ./deb/libslash_<version>_amd64.deb \
  ./deb/vrtd_<version>_amd64.deb \
  ./deb/libvrtd_<version>_amd64.deb \
  ./deb/libvrt_<version>_amd64.deb \
  ./deb/v80-smi_<version>_amd64.deb \
  ./deb/slashkit_<version>_amd64.deb

RHEL / Rocky / Fedora

sudo dnf install \
  ./rpm/slash-dkms-<version>-1.<dist>.noarch.rpm \
  ./rpm/libslash-<version>-1.<dist>.x86_64.rpm \
  ./rpm/vrtd-<version>-1.<dist>.x86_64.rpm \
  ./rpm/libvrtd-<version>-1.<dist>.x86_64.rpm \
  ./rpm/libvrt-<version>-1.<dist>.x86_64.rpm \
  ./rpm/v80-smi-<version>-1.<dist>.x86_64.rpm \
  ./rpm/slashkit-<version>-1.<dist>.x86_64.rpm

Note

The slash metapackage and metapackage-based installs (sudo apt install slash) only work when the packages are served from a configured APT or DNF/YUM repository. Installing a bare metapackage .deb or .rpm from a local file will fail because the package manager cannot resolve its dependencies against local files.

After installation, DKMS automatically compiles and inserts the kernel module for the running kernel. Verify it loaded:

lsmod | grep slash

Start and Enable the Daemon 

The vrtd package installs a systemd service and socket. Enable it so that it starts on boot and is running now:

sudo systemctl enable --now vrtd

Check that the board is reachable through the daemon:

v80-smi list

You should see one entry per V80 board with all four readiness indicators passing (PF0, PF1, PF2, VRTD).

Program the Board 

Note

This step assumes the AMI driver is already bound to PF0 (10ee:50b4). If your V80 has never been programmed with AVED — for example, a brand-new board — first complete Bootstrapping with AVED to install AVED via JTAG.

After installing the packages, the board’s flash memory must be programmed with the static shell before the system can be used. This step is required:

on the first install of SLASH, and
when upgrading to a version that changes the static shell (noted in the release notes).

It is not required after crashes, daemon restarts, or other normal operations — SLASH reads from flash but never writes to it during regular use.

Program the primary flash partition (replace <BDF> with the bus address from v80-smi list, e.g. 03:00):

# For Ubuntu 22.04
sudo ami_tool cfgmem_program -d <BDF> -t primary -p 0 \
   -i /usr/lib/python3.10/dist-packages/slashkit/resources/static_shell/amd_v80_gen5x8_25.1.pdi

# For Rocky 9
sudo ami_tool cfgmem_program -d <BDF> -t primary -p 0 \
   -i /usr/lib/python3.9/site-packages/slashkit/resources/static_shell/amd_v80_gen5x8_25.1.pdi

After programming completes, reboot the system for the new flash contents to take effect:

sudo reboot

Install Development Packages 

If you are writing applications against the VRT API or compiling HLS kernels, install the development metapackage:

Debian / Ubuntu

sudo apt install \
  ./deb/libslash-dev_<version>_amd64.deb \
  ./deb/libvrtd-dev_<version>_amd64.deb \
  ./deb/libvrt-dev_<version>_amd64.deb \
  ./deb/slashkit_<version>_amd64.deb

RHEL / Rocky / Fedora

sudo dnf install \
  ./rpm/libslash-devel-<version>-1.<dist>.x86_64.rpm \
  ./rpm/libvrtd-devel-<version>-1.<dist>.x86_64.rpm \
  ./rpm/libvrt-devel-<version>-1.<dist>.x86_64.rpm \
  ./rpm/slashkit-<version>-1.<dist>.x86_64.rpm

This installs:

C++ headers under /usr/include/vrt/, /usr/include/vrtd/, and /usr/include/slash/
CMake package files under /usr/lib/cmake/
The slashkit linker and the SlashTools CMake module

CMake projects can then discover VRT with:

find_package(vrt REQUIRED CONFIG)
target_link_libraries(my_app PRIVATE vrt::vrt)

Before building HLS kernels or vrtbin files, source the Vivado and Vitis HLS environment in your shell:

source <path-to-vivado>/settings64.sh
source <path-to-vitis-hls>/settings64.sh

For csh/tcsh shells, use settings64.csh instead. SLASH has been built and tested against Vivado/Vitis 2025.1; using other versions may cause breakage.

See Use CMake Modules for details on using the CMake integration.

Install Emulation / Simulation Packages 

To develop or run kernels in emulation or simulation without a physical V80 board, install the slash-sim-emu subset:

Debian / Ubuntu

sudo apt install \
  ./deb/libslash_<version>_amd64.deb \
  ./deb/libvrtd_<version>_amd64.deb \
  ./deb/libvrt_<version>_amd64.deb

For building emu/sim kernels, also install:

sudo apt install \
  ./deb/libslash-dev_<version>_amd64.deb \
  ./deb/libvrtd-dev_<version>_amd64.deb \
  ./deb/libvrt-dev_<version>_amd64.deb \
  ./deb/slashkit_<version>_amd64.deb

RHEL / Rocky / Fedora

sudo dnf install \
  ./rpm/libslash-<version>-1.<dist>.x86_64.rpm \
  ./rpm/libvrtd-<version>-1.<dist>.x86_64.rpm \
  ./rpm/libvrt-<version>-1.<dist>.x86_64.rpm

For building emu/sim kernels, also install:

sudo dnf install \
  ./rpm/libslash-devel-<version>-1.<dist>.x86_64.rpm \
  ./rpm/libvrtd-devel-<version>-1.<dist>.x86_64.rpm \
  ./rpm/libvrt-devel-<version>-1.<dist>.x86_64.rpm \
  ./rpm/slashkit-<version>-1.<dist>.x86_64.rpm

No board and no kernel module are required on emulation/simulation hosts. The daemon is still needed if any component connects to vrtd, but you can point applications at the emulation platform directly.

See Emulation and Simulation for a walkthrough.

Upgrade and Removal 

Note

If the new version changes the static shell, re-program the board flash after upgrading the packages. See Program the Board above.

Debian / Ubuntu

Re-run scripts/package-deb.sh to produce the new packages, then reinstall with apt install — apt handles upgrades transparently when given local .deb files:

sudo apt install \
  ./deb/ami_<new-version>_amd64.deb \
  ./deb/slash-dkms_<new-version>_all.deb \
  ./deb/libslash_<new-version>_amd64.deb \
  ./deb/vrtd_<new-version>_amd64.deb \
  ./deb/libvrtd_<new-version>_amd64.deb \
  ./deb/libvrt_<new-version>_amd64.deb \
  ./deb/v80-smi_<new-version>_amd64.deb \
  ./deb/slashkit_<new-version>_amd64.deb

To remove all SLASH and AMI packages:

sudo apt remove ami slash-dkms libslash libvrtd libvrt \
                v80-smi slashkit vrtd
sudo apt autoremove

RHEL / Rocky / Fedora

Re-run scripts/package-rpm.sh, then upgrade:

sudo dnf upgrade \
  ./rpm/ami-<new-version>-1.<dist>.x86_64.rpm \
  ./rpm/slash-dkms-<new-version>-1.<dist>.noarch.rpm \
  ./rpm/libslash-<new-version>-1.<dist>.x86_64.rpm \
  ./rpm/vrtd-<new-version>-1.<dist>.x86_64.rpm \
  ./rpm/libvrtd-<new-version>-1.<dist>.x86_64.rpm \
  ./rpm/libvrt-<new-version>-1.<dist>.x86_64.rpm \
  ./rpm/v80-smi-<new-version>-1.<dist>.x86_64.rpm \
  ./rpm/slashkit-<new-version>-1.<dist>.x86_64.rpm

To remove:

sudo dnf remove ami slash-dkms libslash libvrtd libvrt v80-smi slashkit vrtd

Note

Removing slash-dkms automatically removes the kernel module from DKMS management and unloads it if currently loaded.

Troubleshooting 

Kernel module did not load after install

DKMS compiles during package installation. If headers were missing at that point, install them and rebuild:
sudo apt install linux-headers-$(uname -r)   # Debian/Ubuntu
sudo dkms build slash/0.1
sudo dkms install slash/0.1

vrtd fails to start

Check the journal for errors:
sudo journalctl -u vrtd --no-pager
Common causes: kernel module not loaded, or board not detected by the OS (check lspci -d 10ee:).

v80-smi list shows no boards

Verify the module is loaded (lsmod | grep slash) and that the daemon is running (systemctl status vrtd).

Permission denied

The user must be in the vrtadmin group:
sudo usermod -aG vrtadmin <username>
Log out and back in for the change to take effect.