How to Install LunarG Vulkan™ SDK for Ubuntu

Follow the instructions below to install LunarG Vulkan SDK from the LunarG web site:

Download vulkansdk-linux-x86_64-1.0.37.0.run from https://vulkan.lunarg.com/

Installing the SDK

The LunarG Vulkan SDK For Linux is a self-extracting installer. It creates a local SDK install directory including Vulkan header files, libraries as well as several sample projects.

Create a work directory

$ mkdir vulkan

$ cd vulkan

Copy the self-extracting installer to your work directory. You may need to change the installer file permissions to include execute.

$ cp $HOME/Downloads/vulkansdk-linux-x86_64-version.run ./

$ chmod ugo+x vulkansdk-linux-x86_64-version.run

Run the self-extracting installer. The installer won't touch system directories.

Note: You may also be prompted for your sudo password for removal of a previously installed version of the vulkan-sdk-runtime.

$ ./vulkansdk-linux-x86_64-version.run

Creating directory VulkanSDK

Verifying archive integrity... All good.

Uncompressing LunarG Vulkan SDK  100% 

Removing previously installed LunarG Vulkan SDK runtime; requires root access

[sudo] password for bill:

Running applications above the SDK

Since SDK installation doesn't copy any libraries to system directory, some environment variables must be setup as below:

$export VULKAN_SDK=/your_path_to_vulkan_sdk/VulkanSDK/1.0.17.0/x86_64

$export PATH=$PATH:$VULKAN_SDK/x86_64/bin

$export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$VULKAN_SDK/x86_64/

$export VK_LAYER_PATH=$VULKAN_SDK/x86_64/etc/explicit_layer.d

FAQ

Q: Why does vulkaninfo report the error VK_ERROR_INITIALIZATION_FAILED? 

The following error has been observed when the user is not a member of the video group

ERROR: [loader] Code 0 : ICD ignored: failed to CreateInstance and find entrypoints with ICD

/home/bill/Development/LunarG/Vulkan/LinuxSDK/LoaderAndValidationLayers/demos/vulkaninfo.c:693: failed with VK_ERROR_INITIALIZATION_FAILED

A: To rectify please add the user to the video group with the following command

sudo usermod -a -G video $LOGNAME 

Q: Why am I unable to build the examples in the LunarG SDK?

The following error has been observed when the user installs the SDK as root

CMake Error: Could not open file for write in copy Operation /home/bill/vulkan/VulkanSDK/1.0.3.1/examples/build/CMakeFiles/2.8.12.2/CMakeSystem.cmake.tmp

A: Please remove the VulkanSDK directory and run the installation script again WITHOUT using sudo

./vulkansdk-linux-x86_64-version.run