Abaqus 2020/2022 on Ubuntu 20.04

Intro

Ubuntu seems to not be officially supported by the Abaqus installation procedure. This guide shows how to install the necessary libraries and how to tweak the installation files in order to install Abaqus on Ubuntu 20.04. To successfully follow this guide you need writing privileges ('sudo').

Note:
This guide should also work for Abaqus 2021 (changing accordingly file names and paths) and Ubuntu 20.10 till 22.04, although I haven't tested it.

Install prerequisites

The standard Ubuntu release might not have one or more of the following libraries needed by Abaqus:

• libjpeg
• libstdc++ 4.7
• openmotif 2.3
• libgomp
• libXm4
• ksh
• redhat-lsb-core-4.x
• lsb-release-2.0
• libpng12-0

To install them open a terminal and execute the following command:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install csh tcsh ksh gcc g++ gfortran libstdc++5 build-essential make libjpeg62 libmotif-dev

Check the output of the installations and if there are errors try to install the ones that failed using the synaptic package manager. To install it, run:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install synaptic

Once installed, open it and look for the aforementioned libraries and install them.

Modify the Linux.sh file

Since Ubuntu is not officially supported, trying to install Abaqus will result in an error. In order to fix it, prior launching the installation, locate all the Linux.sh files in the Abaqus installation folders, delete their content and past the following in each of them:

  DSY_LIBPATH_VARNAME=LD_LIBRARY_PATH

  which lsb_release
  if [[ $? -ne 0 ]] ; then
    echo "lsb_release is not found: check in the PDIR the list of installed packages for servers validation."
    exit 12
  fi

  DSY_OS_Release="CentOS" #Override release setting, old: DSY_OS_Release=`lsb_release --short --id |sed 's/ //g'`
  echo "DSY_OS_Release=\""${DSY_OS_Release}"\""
  export DSY_OS_Release=${DSY_OS_Release}
  export DSY_Skip_CheckPrereq=1 #Added to avoid prerequisite check

  if [[ -n ${DSY_Force_OS} ]]; then
    DSY_OS=${DSY_Force_OS}
    echo "DSY_Force_OS=\""${DSY_Force_OS}"\", use it for DSY_OS"
    return
  fi

  case ${DSY_OS_Release} in
      "RedHatEnterpriseServer"|"RedHatEnterpriseClient"|"RedHatEnterpriseWorkstation"|"CentOS")
          DSY_OS=linux_a64;;
      "SUSELINUX"|"SUSE")
          DSY_OS=linux_a64;;
      *)
          echo "Unknown linux release \""${DSY_OS_Release}"\""
          echo "exit 8"
          exit 8;;
  esac

Note the changes: 1) the release version was forced to be "CentOS", and 2) checking for prerequisites was disabled.

Run setup

The setup of Abaqus requires a bash instead of a dash shell, whereas the latter is the default in Ubuntu. To temporary change that we symlink the shell command to bash by:

sudo ln -sf bash /bin/sh

which we'll undo after the installation.

Once all the prerequisites are installed and the installation files modified, it is possible to proceed with the installation:

cd path_to_abaqus_installation_folder/1
sudo ./StartGUI.sh

this will start the installation for all the Abaqus related products. Use standard locations for everything.

/usr/SIMULIA/EstProducts/2022

When it asks for the license skip it "Skip licensing configuration" (otherwise it will cause an error) and proceed with the installation using the default locations for the software:

/var/DassaultSystemes/SIMULIA/Commands
/var/DassaultSystemes/SIMULIA/CAE/plugins/2022

Now that the installation is complete we revert the standard shell back to dash:

sudo ln -sf dash /bin/sh

License Activation.

The exact way to setup a license depends on the type of license that you have. FlexNET or DSLS.

FlexNET

To specify a FlexNET server, execute:

sudo gedit /usr/SIMULIA/EstProducts/2022/linux_a64/SMA/site/custom_v6.env

and then change the license server type to FLEXNET and the abaquslm_license_file to the one of your license

# Installation of Established Products 2022

# Day Month date hh:mm:ss yyyy
  plugin_central_dir="/var/DassaultSystemes/SIMULIA/CAE/plugins/2022"
  license_server_type=FLEXNET
  abaquslm_license_file="<port>@<your_domain>"

where <port> is the port used on the license server, and <your_domain> the domain of the license server.

DSLS

To specify a DSLS server, execute:

sudo gedit /var/DassaultSystemes/Licenses/DSLicSrv.txt

and add to this file the line:

  <your_domain>:<port>

where <port> is the port used on the license server, and <your_domain> the domain of the license server.

Make abaqus command available from any directory

In order to run Abaqus from any location, execute the following command:

sudo ln /var/DassaultSystemes/SIMULIA/Commands/abq2022 /usr/bin/abaqus

OpenGL Errors

If there is any warning regarding OpenGL in the terminal during start, simply run Abaqus with -mesa parameter:

abaqus cae -mesa
abaqus view -mesa

Shortcuts

Create shortcut for CAE:

gedit ~/.local/share/applications/abaquscae.desktop

  [Desktop Entry]
  Type=Application
  Version=1.0
  Name=Abaqus Viewer
  Icon=/usr/SIMULIA/EstProducts/2022/linux_a64/CAEresources/graphic/icons/icoR_application.png
  Exec=sh -c "export FILE=%u && cd $(dirname $FILE) && abaqus viewer database=$FILE -mesa"
  Terminal=true
  Categories=Science;

Create shortcut for Viewer:

gedit ~/.local/share/applications/abaqusviewer.desktop

  [Desktop Entry]
  Type=Application
  Version=1.0
  Name=Abaqus Viewer
  Icon=/usr/SIMULIA/EstProducts/2022/linux_a64/CAEresources/graphic/icons/icoR_application.png
  Exec=sh -c "export FILE=%u && cd $(dirname $FILE) && abaqus viewer database=$FILE -mesa"
  Terminal=true
  Categories=Science;

Then make *.desktop executable:
Properties-->Permissions-->Allow executing file as program.

MIME-TYPES & ICONS

Delete LibreOffice mime type for ODB:

sudo gedit /usr/share/mime/packages/libreoffice.xml

and comment tag:

  <mime-type type="application/vnd.sun.xml.base">

by adding <!-- at the start of that line and --> after the next that you find.

Add Abaqus mime types:

sudo gedit ~/.mime.types

Add lines:

  application/abaquscae				cae
  application/abaqusviewer			odb

Create file:

sudo gedit /usr/share/mime/packages/abaquscae.xml

  <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
  <mime-info xmlns="http://www.freedesktop.org/standards/shared-mime-info">
      <mime-type type="application/abaquscae">
          <comment>Abaqus CAE</comment>
          <glob pattern="*.cae"/>
      </mime-type>
  </mime-info>

Create file:

sudo gedit /usr/share/mime/packages/abaqusviewer.xml

  <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
  <mime-info xmlns="http://www.freedesktop.org/standards/shared-mime-info">
      <mime-type type="application/abaqusviewer">
          <comment>Abaqus Viewer</comment>
          <glob pattern="*.odb"/>
      </mime-type>
  </mime-info>

Then update MIME database:

sudo update-mime-database /usr/share/mime

Additionally install "MIME Type Editor" via software and edit file associations.

Create icons for Abaqus file types:

    sudo cp 3DS.svg /usr/share/icons/Humanity/mimes/256/application-abaquscae.svg
    sudo cp 3DS.svg /usr/share/icons/Humanity/mimes/256/application-abaqusviewer.svg
    sudo gtk-update-icon-cache /usr/share/icons/Humanity -f

FONTS

Open Abaqus CAE and check if it uses Courier-New and Verdana fonts:

lsof -c ABQcaeK | grep fonts

Increase font size: https://kb.dsxclient.3ds.com/mashup-ui/page/resultqa?id=QA00000008675e

Use xfontsel to check if chosen font is available on system.

Install MS core fonts and RESTART:

    sudo apt install ttf-mscorefonts-installer

I didn't get the following font size increase working, I only found the file EstProducts file and nothing such as /opt/SIMULIA or opt/DassaultSystems. I expected that the following file would do the trick, but it doesn't:

sudo gedit /usr/SIMULIA/EstProducts/2022/linux_a64/SMA/Configuration/Xresources/en_US/en_US_Dict.py

and increase font size:

    masterDict[r'-*-courier-<weight>-<slant>-normal--10-*'] = r'-*-courier-<weight>-<slant>-normal--20-*'
    masterDict[r'-*-courier-<weight>-<slant>-normal--12-*'] = r'-*-courier-<weight>-<slant>-normal--25-*'
    masterDict[r'-*-courier-<weight>-<slant>-normal--14-*'] = r'-*-courier-<weight>-<slant>-normal--34-*'
    masterDict[r'-*-helvetica-<weight>-<slant>-normal--10-*'] = r'-*-helvetica-<weight>-<slant>-normal--20-*'
    masterDict[r'-*-helvetica-<weight>-<slant>-normal--12-*'] = r'-*-helvetica-<weight>-<slant>-normal--25-*'
    masterDict[r'-*-helvetica-<weight>-<slant>-normal--14-*'] = r'-*-helvetica-<weight>-<slant>-normal--34-*'

For big displays font HELVETICA and sizes 17-20-25 are more appropriate:

  masterDict[r'-*-courier-<weight>-<slant>-normal--10-*'] = r'-*-helvetica-<weight>-<slant>-normal--17-*'
  masterDict[r'-*-courier-<weight>-<slant>-normal--12-*'] = r'-*-helvetica-<weight>-<slant>-normal--20-*'
  masterDict[r'-*-courier-<weight>-<slant>-normal--14-*'] = r'-*-helvetica-<weight>-<slant>-normal--25-*'
  masterDict[r'-*-helvetica-<weight>-<slant>-normal--10-*'] = r'-*-helvetica-<weight>-<slant>-normal--17-*'
  masterDict[r'-*-helvetica-<weight>-<slant>-normal--12-*'] = r'-*-helvetica-<weight>-<slant>-normal--20-*'
  masterDict[r'-*-helvetica-<weight>-<slant>-normal--14-*'] = r'-*-helvetica-<weight>-<slant>-normal--25-*'

FORTRAN

To use gfortran edit:

sudo gedit /usr/SIMULIA/EstProducts/2022/linux_a64/SMA/site/lnx86_64.env

as follows:

• Change ifort to gfortran on the fortCmd line and make sure that g++ is on the cppCmd line
• Remove gnu-incompatible compiler flags from the compile_fortran line (-V, -auto, -mP2OPT_hpo_vec_divbyzero=F, -extend_source, -fpp, -WB)
• link_sl: remove command line options -V, -cxxlib, -threads, -parallel, -shared-intel
• add -lgfortran to the link_sl and link_exe lines

KNOWN ISSUES AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS

License Validation

If you cannnot validate the license, probably your Ubuntu is not in English. You ran the program from the terminator with this code:

LANG=en_US.utf8 abaqus cae -mesa

Credits

This guide is based on:

• https://github.com/franaudo/abaqus-ubuntu
• https://gist.github.com/cmaurini/60fab556ba4a43bd44341a1af114dde7
• https://github.com/Kevin-Mattheus-Moerman/Abaqus-Installation-Instructions-for-Ubuntu
• https://github.com/imirzov/Install-Abaqus-2019-on-Ubuntu-18.04-LTS