Install the Voyager SDK
There are two installation paths. Python pip is recommended for new installations.
Platform note These instructions are for Linux (Ubuntu 22.04+). For Windows, see the Windows Setup Guide — you will need WSL2 configured first.
| Path | Best for | What it installs |
|---|---|---|
| Python pip (recommended) | New installations, SDK 1.6+ | axelera-rt, axelera-devkit via pip |
| SDK Installer | Existing workflows, older SDK versions | Full environment via install.sh |
Prerequisites
- Ubuntu 22.04 or later
- Python 3.10, 3.11, 3.12, or 3.13
- Git installed
- Internet connection
- sudo privileges
- Metis hardware installed and powered on (see Hardware Installation)
Python pip installation
Step 1: Clone the repository and install dependencies
git clone https://github.com/axelera-ai-hub/voyager-sdk.git
cd voyager-sdk
Install system dependencies using the provided script:
./install-dependencies.sh
Step 2: Create a virtual environment and install
python3 -m venv axelera-env
source axelera-env/bin/activate
pip install --extra-index-url https://software.axelera.ai/artifactory/api/pypi/axelera-pypi/simple axelera-rt==1.7.0 axelera-devkit[all]==1.7.0
make operators
Use a dedicated virtual environment for each SDK version or project to avoid dependency conflicts.
Step 3: Install the Metis kernel driver
There are two ways of installing the device driver, Option a) is the easiest.
If installation fails, ensure your kernel headers are present: sudo apt-get install -y linux-headers-$(uname -r)
Option a) Use axdevice
axdevice driver --install 1.5.5
Option b) Use apt
This option updates apt sources to locate the debian package for the installer.
# Add the Axelera apt repository
sudo sh -c "curl -fsSL https://software.axelera.ai/artifactory/api/security/keypair/axelera/public | gpg --dearmor -o /etc/apt/keyrings/axelera.gpg"
# Ubuntu 22.04
sudo sh -c "echo 'deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/axelera.gpg] https://software.axelera.ai/artifactory/axelera-apt-source ubuntu22 main' > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/axelera.list"
# Ubuntu 24.04
sudo sh -c "echo 'deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/axelera.gpg] https://software.axelera.ai/artifactory/axelera-apt-source ubuntu24 main' > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/axelera.list"
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y metis-dkms=1.5.5
After installation
Verify the driver is loaded:
lsmod | grep metis
# If it is not loaded, run
sudo modprobe metis
# or reboot your PC
Step 4: Verify installation
axdevice
Expected output lists detected Metis devices with their firmware versions. If no devices are listed, run axdevice --refresh and check that the driver is loaded.
Slimmed-down environments
For deployment-only or compile-only machines:
| Environment | Install command |
|---|---|
| Runtime only | pip install --extra-index-url https://software.axelera.ai/artifactory/api/pypi/axelera-pypi/simple axelera-rt |
| Compiler only | pip install --extra-index-url https://software.axelera.ai/artifactory/api/pypi/axelera-pypi/simple axelera-devkit |
Proceed to Verify Your Setup.
SDK Installer
The SDK Installer is the previous installation method. For new installations, the pip path above is recommended.
Quickstart
For returning users — the full install sequence:
git clone https://github.com/axelera-ai-hub/voyager-sdk.git
cd voyager-sdk
./install.sh --all --media
source venv/bin/activate
Details for each step below.
Step 1: Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/axelera-ai-hub/voyager-sdk.git
This downloads the latest release branch. The repository contains:
| Directory/File | Purpose |
|---|---|
install.sh | Installer |
inference.py | Pipeline evaluation and benchmarking tool |
deploy.py | Pipeline deployment tool |
ax_models/ | Models and pipelines |
examples/ | Example applications |
docs/ | Documentation |
Step 2: Run the installer
cd voyager-sdk
./install.sh --all --media
The installer sets up:
- Metis PCIe driver (installed to
/lib/modules) - Runtime libraries (installed to
/opt/axelera/<version>) - Python virtual environment (installed to
~/.cache/axelera/venvs, symlinked to./venv) - Sample media files for evaluation (the
--mediaflag)
You must re-run the installer each time you checkout a different SDK release branch.
Installer options
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
--all --media | Full install with sample videos (recommended for first setup) |
--all | Full install without sample videos |
--runtime --no-development | Runtime only (for deployment machines) |
--help | Show all available options |
Multiple PCIe cards
If running multiple PCIe cards on the same host, increase the open file descriptor limit:
ulimit -n 10240
Step 3: Activate the development environment
Every terminal session You must activate the environment in every new terminal session before using the SDK. This is the most common setup issue.
source venv/bin/activate
The activation script sets the following environment variables:
| Variable | Description |
|---|---|
AXELERA_FRAMEWORK | Location of the Voyager repository |
AXELERA_RUNTIME_DIR | Host runtime libraries for Metis |
AXELERA_DEVICE_DIR | Metis firmware and low-level binaries |
LD_LIBRARY_PATH | Adds Voyager runtime libraries to the system path |
PYTHONPATH | Adds Voyager SDK to the Python path |
To leave the environment:
deactivate
After switching SDK versions
If you use git checkout to switch to a different release branch, you must deactivate and reactivate the environment. The environment variables are tied to the branch you installed on.
deactivate
source venv/bin/activate
Switching SDK versions
To return to the latest release at any time:
git fetch --tags
git checkout latest
./install.sh --all
source venv/bin/activate
The latest tag always points to the current stable release. To switch to a specific older version instead:
git checkout tags/v1.5.0
./install.sh --all
source venv/bin/activate
Next steps
Your SDK is installed and activated. Proceed to Verify Your Setup.