Running DSim from command line

Hi.

The issue is that you have not sourced the shell_activate.bash file in the directory where you have installed dsim. If that doesn't work, can you send us your env? Do a env > env.txt and send us the env.txt file. Thanks.

It didn't work.

We are looking for the LD_LIBRARY_PATH being set properly, which it isn't. Also DSIM_HOME should be set. Here is what you need to do:
source /home/user/AltairDSim/2025/shell_activate.bash

env | grep DSIM_HOME

dsim -version-verbose

If those three commands work, then you should be fine. If you have other terminals, you need to do the source command in them as well, if you want DSim to work there.

source /home/user/AltairDSim/2025/shell_activate.bash output: Activating DSim version: 2025

env | grep DSIM_HOME output: DSIM_HOME=/home/user/AltairDSim/2025

dsim -version-verbose output: 2025.0.0000 (b:S #c:32 h:e6a01125e5 os:centos_8)
Copyright (C) 2017-2025 Altair Engineering Inc. All rights reserved.

but still when I run Makefile I get this error:
make SIMULATOR=dsim
make sim_dsim TEST=default
make[1]: Entering directory '/home/user/tvip-axi/sample/work'
[ -f dsim_work/image.so ] || (make compile_dsim)
make[2]: Entering directory '/home/user/tvip-axi/sample/work'
dsim -genimage image -uvm 1.2 -l dsim_comp.log -timescale 1ns/1ps +define+UVM_NO_DEPRECATED +define+UVM_OBJECT_MUST_HAVE_CONSTRUCTO -top top -f /home/user/tvip-axi/tue/compile.f -f /home/user/tvip-axi/tvip-common/compile.f -f /home/user/tvip-axi/compile.f -f /home/user/tvip-axi/sample/env/compile.f /home/user/tvip-axi/sample/env/tvip_axi_sample_delay.sv /home/user/tvip-axi/sample/env/top.sv
Copyright (C) 2017-2025 Altair Engineering Inc. All rights reserved.
=N:[UVMSource] Using sources from '/home/user/AltairDSim/2025/uvm/1.2'

License error:
Altair License Manager: License error

Feature(s): GlobalZoneEU, HyperWorks, HWDSim
Error Code: 15
Error Description:
[NETWORK] 6200@localhost - (Err: 15) Unable to connect to license server

193
=E:[UsageMeter (2025-05-07 17:55:38 +0300)] Altair License Manager: License error

Feature(s): GlobalZoneEU, HyperWorks, HWDSim
Error Code: 15
Error Description:
[NETWORK] 6200@localhost - (Err: 15) Unable to connect to license server

=F:[UsageMeter (2025-05-07 17:55:38 +0300)] Could not acquire Altair license; exiting.

Could you please run this command:
env | grep ALTAIR

You should get "ALTAIR_LICENSE_PATH=…"

It should be set to a valid license file if this is a standalone setup. But if you are running a license server locally (which is suggested by "6200@localhost", then you need Altair License Utility to be configured locally and you need to have imported the license file into the license utility. Additionally, the service (named Altair License Server on Windows — the daemon is probably named similarly in linux) needs to be running.

Note: edited for clarity and to remove incorrect information about almutil.

env | grep ALTAIR


ALTAIR_LICENSE_PATH=/home/user/AltairDSim/2025/dsim-license.json
I set my dsim-license.json file as an environment variable for ALTAIR_LICENSE_PATH. Now I get this error, I did not change anything in my license file:

make SIMULATOR=dsim
make sim_dsim TEST=default
make[1]: Entering directory '/home/user/tvip-axi/sample/work'
[ -f dsim_work/image.so ] || (make compile_dsim)
make[2]: Entering directory '/home/user/tvip-axi/sample/work'
dsim -genimage image -uvm 1.2 -l dsim_comp.log -timescale 1ns/1ps +define+UVM_NO_DEPRECATED +define+UVM_OBJECT_MUST_HAVE_CONSTRUCTO -top top -f /home/user/tvip-axi/tue/compile.f -f /home/user/tvip-axi/tvip-common/compile.f -f /home/user/tvip-axi/compile.f -f /home/user/tvip-axi/sample/env/compile.f /home/user/tvip-axi/sample/env/tvip_axi_sample_delay.sv /home/user/tvip-axi/sample/env/top.sv
Copyright (C) 2017-2025 Altair Engineering Inc. All rights reserved.
=N:[UVMSource] Using sources from '/home/user/AltairDSim/2025/uvm/1.2'

License error:
Altair License Manager: License error

Feature(s): GlobalZoneEU, HyperWorks, HWDSim
Error Code: 9
Error Description:
Feature not found

Feature: DSim
Error Code: 4
Error Description:
[LOCAL] /home/user/AltairDSim/2025/dsim-license.json - (Err: 4) License file is using unknown/invalid syntax

License Path: /home/user/AltairDSim/2025/dsim-license.json

347
=E:[UsageMeter (2025-05-08 15:57:19 +0300)] Altair License Manager: License error

Feature(s): GlobalZoneEU, HyperWorks, HWDSim
Error Code: 9
Error Description:
Feature not found

Feature: DSim
Error Code: 4
Error Description:
[LOCAL] /home/user/AltairDSim/2025/dsim-license.json - (Err: 4) License file is using unknown/invalid syntax

License Path: /home/user/AltairDSim/2025/dsim-license.json
=F:[UsageMeter (2025-05-08 15:57:19 +0300)] Could not acquire Altair license; exiting.

The fact that the license file is a JSON file suggests that you are using the legacy Metrics license. To use the legacy license, you need to export DSIM_LICENSE:

export DSIM_LICENSE=/home/user/AltairDSim/2025/dsim-license.json

The presense of this environment variable lets dsim know that you wish to use the legacy licensing model.

That worked. Thank you all very much.

The "legacy Metrics license" that pdhakal refers to is what is currently known as the "Free Individual License":

https://help.metrics.ca/support/solutions/articles/154000146984-licensing

The setup required for using DSim outside of DSim Studio is documented in the DSim Quick Start Guide:

https://altairone.com/Marketplace?queryText=dsim&tab=Documents&app=DSim