Installation and Setup

This tutorial will guide you through installing VSL and setting up your development environment.

What You'll Learn

• How to install VSL
• Setting up optional dependencies
• Verifying your installation
• Choosing the right backend for your needs

Prerequisites

• V compiler installed (download here)
• Basic familiarity with command line
• (Optional) System package manager for installing dependencies

Installation Methods

Method 1: V Package Manager (Recommended)

The simplest way to install VSL:

v install vsl

This installs VSL to your V modules directory (~/.vmodules/vsl by default).

Method 2: Git Clone

For development or to use the latest version:

git clone https://github.com/vlang/vsl.git
cd vsl

Method 3: Docker (Recommended for Development)

For a complete development environment with all dependencies:

git clone https://github.com/ulises-jeremias/hello-vsl
cd hello-vsl
# Follow setup instructions in README

Verifying Installation

Create a simple test file test_vsl.v:

import vsl.plot
import vsl.util

fn main() {
	x := util.arange(10).map(f64(it))
	y := x.map(it * it)

	mut plt := plot.Plot.new()
	plt.scatter(x: x, y: y, mode: 'lines+markers')
	plt.layout(title: 'VSL Test')
	plt.show()!

	println('VSL is working correctly!')
}

Run it:

v run test_vsl.v

If a plot opens in your browser, VSL is installed correctly!

Optional Dependencies

OpenBLAS/LAPACK (For Maximum Performance)

Linux:

sudo apt-get install libopenblas-dev liblapack-dev  # Debian/Ubuntu
sudo yum install openblas-devel lapack-devel        # RHEL/CentOS

macOS:

brew install openblas lapack

Usage:

v -d vsl_blas_cblas -d vsl_lapack_lapacke run your_program.v

OpenMPI (For Parallel Computing)

Linux:

sudo apt-get install libopenmpi-dev  # Debian/Ubuntu

macOS:

brew install openmpi

OpenCL (For GPU Acceleration)

Install platform-specific OpenCL drivers:

• NVIDIA: Install CUDA toolkit
• AMD: Install AMDGPU drivers
• Intel: Install Intel OpenCL runtime

HDF5 (For Scientific Data I/O)

Linux:

sudo apt-get install libhdf5-dev  # Debian/Ubuntu

macOS:

brew install hdf5

Backend Options

VSL supports multiple backends:

Backend	Flag	Best For
Pure V (Default)	None	Zero dependencies, cross-platform
OpenBLAS	-d vsl_blas_cblas	Maximum BLAS performance
LAPACKE	-d vsl_lapack_lapacke	Maximum LAPACK performance

Recommendation: Start with Pure V backend. It requires no dependencies and works everywhere.

Troubleshooting

Module Not Found

If you see module 'vsl' not found:

1. Check VSL is installed: v list | grep vsl
2. Verify V modules path: v env
3. Reinstall if needed: v install vsl

Compilation Errors

• Ensure V compiler is up to date: v up
• Check VSL version compatibility
• Verify system dependencies if using C backends

Plot Not Opening

• Ensure a web browser is installed
• Check file permissions
• Try running with v -showcc run your_program.v for debugging

Next Steps

• Your First Plot - Create your first visualization
• Basic Linear Algebra - Learn matrix operations
• Examples Directory - Explore working examples

Related Examples

• examples/plot_scatter - Basic plotting example
• examples/blas_basic_operations - BLAS operations
• examples/lapack_linear_systems - LAPACK solvers