Introduction

What is IVPM?

IVPM (IP and Verification Package Manager) is a lightweight, project-local package manager. It fetches dependencies into a packages/ directory inside your project, processes them through a handler pipeline, and optionally manages a Python virtual environment. Each project is fully self-contained – there is no global state shared between projects.

_images/ivpm_system.png

Key Capabilities

  • Project-local dependency management – all dependencies live inside the project. No system-wide installation, no version conflicts between projects.

  • Recursive sub-dependency resolution – when a dependency has its own ivpm.yaml, IVPM resolves its dependencies automatically. Dependency sets let you control which sub-dependencies are loaded (e.g., dev vs release).

  • Python virtual environment management – the built-in Python handler creates a project-local venv and installs packages via pip or uv. Source packages are installed in editable mode for co-development.

  • Git integration – ivpm status and ivpm sync let you track changes, update from upstream, and work with editable Git dependencies.

  • Caching and reproducibility – cached packages are shared across projects via symlinks. A lock file records exact resolved versions for deterministic reproduction.

  • Extensible handler pipeline – handlers process and aggregate information from fetched packages. IVPM ships handlers for Python, direnv, and AI agent skills. Third-party handlers can be added via Python entry points.

Where IVPM Fits

Unlike pip or conda, IVPM is not a Python-only tool. It manages heterogeneous dependency trees that mix Python packages with non-Python assets such as HDL source, data files, pre-built binaries, and configuration. Unlike Nix or Bazel, IVPM is lightweight – a single YAML file and one command (ivpm update) are all you need.

IVPM excels in the co-development scenario: when your project’s dependencies are repositories you also contribute to. Source dependencies are checked out with full Git history, installed in editable mode, and manageable via ivpm status and ivpm sync.

Example Domains

IVPM originated in hardware verification – managing SoC designs composed of Verilog IPs, Bus Functional Models, and Python test frameworks – but it is domain-neutral. Any project that needs a self-contained, reproducible set of mixed dependencies benefits from IVPM.

Hardware verification project:

package:
  name: soc-verification
  default-dep-set: default-dev

  dep-sets:
    - name: default
      deps:
        - name: cpu-core
          url: https://github.com/org/cpu.git
          tag: v1.0

    - name: default-dev
      uses: default
      deps:
        - name: cocotb
          src: pypi
        - name: bus-models
          url: https://github.com/org/bus-models.git

Pure Python project:

package:
  name: data-pipeline
  default-dep-set: default-dev

  dep-sets:
    - name: default
      deps:
        - name: pandas
          src: pypi
        - name: numpy
          src: pypi

    - name: default-dev
      uses: default
      deps:
        - name: pytest
          src: pypi

Both projects share the same structure: an ivpm.yaml file, a packages/ directory, and the same ivpm update / ivpm activate workflow.

Next Steps