Getting Started Guide

There has been some confusion about which package you might need and where to install it, so, here is our new Getting Started Guide. In the future, an updated version will be available in the product documentation:

Getting Started

Finding the Right Package

Nsight Systems is available for multiple targets and multiple host OSs. To choose the right package, first consider the target system to be analyzed.

  • For Tegra target systems, select Nsight Systems for Tegra available as part of NVIDIA JetPack SDK and NVIDIA CodeWorks SDK.
  • For x86_64 target systems, select Nsight Systems for Workstations, available from https://developer.nvidia.com/nsight-systems

Tegra packages do not contain support for profiling x86_64 targets and x86_64 packages do not contain support for profiling Tegra targets.

After choosing an appropriate target version, select the package corresponding to the host OS, the OS on the system where results will be viewed. These packages are in the form of common installer types: .msi for Windows, .run for Linux, and .dmg for the MacOS installer.

Tegra packages:

  • Windows Host - Install .msi on Windows machine. Enables remote access to Tegra device for profiling.
  • Linux host - Install .run on Linux system. Enables remote access to Tegra device for profiling.
  • MacOS host - Install .dmg on MacOS machine. Enables remote access to Tegra device for profiling.

x86_64 packages:

  • Windows Host - Install .msi on Windows machine. Enables remote access to Linux x86_64 device for profiling.
  • Linux host - Install .run on Linux system. Enables remote access to Linux x86_64 device for profiling or running collection on localhost.
  • MacOS host - Install .dmg on MacOS machine. Enables remote access to Linux x86_64 device for profiling.

Installing on the Host System

Copy the appropriate file to your host system in a directory where you have write and execute permissions. Run the install file, accept the EULA, and Nsight Systems will install on your system.

The installation will create a Host directory for this host and a Target directory for each target this Nsight Systems package supports.

All binaries needed to collect data on a target device will be installed on the target by the host on first connection to the device. There is no need to install the package on the target device.

Optional: Setting up the CLI (Linux x86_64 Target only)

Linux x86_64 targets can be profiled using the CLI. This is especially helpful when scripts are used to run unattended collections or when access to the target system via ssh is not possible. In particular, this can be used to enable collection in a Docker container.

The CLI is distributed in the Target directory of the standard Nsight Systems download package. To install the CLI for use on localhost, simply run the setup_nsys_env script.

Users who want to install the CLI as a standalone tool can do so by copying the files within the Target directory to the location of their choice and running the setup_nsys_env script.

If you wish to run the CLI without root (recommended mode) you will want to install in a directory where you have full access.

To get started using the CLI, run nsys --help for a list of options or see see Profiling Applications on Linux Devices from the CLI in the product documentation.

Launching Nsight Systems

Depending on your OS, Nsight Systems will have installed an icon on your host desktop that you can use to launch the GUI. To launch the GUI directly, run the nsight-sys executable in the Host subdirectory of your installation.

For more information on next steps in the GUI see the section on profiling applications for your target in the Nsight Systems documentation.