diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index f81d81ac6..31702f82b 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -1,17 +1,18 @@
 before_script:
-  - export CXX=g++-4.8.3 CC=gcc-4.8.3
-  # paths to local or network installation (the riscv toolchain and 
-  # verilator are not built in a ci job in this case)
-  - export QUESTASIM_HOME=/scratch/$USER/questasim
+  - export CXX=g++-7 CC=gcc-7
+  # paths to local or network installations (the riscv toolchain and 
+  # verilator are not built in the ci job as in travis)
+  - export QUESTASIM_HOME=
   - export QUESTASIM_VERSION=
-  - export RISCV=/scratch/$USER/riscv_install
-  - export VERILATOR_ROOT=/scratch/$USER/verilator-3.924
+  - export QUESTASIM_FLAGS=
+  - export RISCV=/scratch/$USER/projects/riscv_install
+  - export VERILATOR_ROOT=/scratch/$USER/projects/verilator-3.924
   # setup dependent paths
   - export PATH=${RISCV}/bin:$VERILATOR_ROOT/bin:${PATH}
-  - export LIBRARY_PATH=$CI_PROJECT_DIR/tmp/lib
-  - export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$CI_PROJECT_DIR/tmp/lib
-  - export C_INCLUDE_PATH=$CI_PROJECT_DIR/tmp/include:$VERILATOR_ROOT/include
-  - export CPLUS_INCLUDE_PATH=$CI_PROJECT_DIR/tmp/include:$VERILATOR_ROOT/include
+  - export LIBRARY_PATH=$RISCV/lib
+  - export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$RISCV/lib
+  - export C_INCLUDE_PATH=$RISCV/include:$VERILATOR_ROOT/include
+  - export CPLUS_INCLUDE_PATH=$RISCV/include:$VERILATOR_ROOT/include
   # number of parallel jobs to use for make commands and simulation
   - export NUM_JOBS=4
   - ci/make-tmp.sh
@@ -27,7 +28,6 @@ stages:
 build:
   stage: build
   script:
-    - ci/install-fesvr.sh
     - ci/build-riscv-tests.sh
     - make clean
     - make build questa_version=$QUESTASIM_VERSION
diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 2ed114006..557dd2697 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@ addons:
     sources:
       - ubuntu-toolchain-r-test
     packages:
-      - gcc-4.8
-      - g++-4.8
+      - gcc-7
+      - g++-7
       - gperf
       - autoconf
       - automake
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@ addons:
       - texinfo
       - python-pexpect
       - libusb-1.0-0-dev
-      - device-tree-compiler
 env:
   global:
     - RISCV="/home/travis/riscv_install"
@@ -41,13 +40,13 @@ branches:
   - ariane_next
 
 before_install:
-  - export CXX=g++-4.8 CC=gcc-4.8
+  - export CXX=g++-7 CC=gcc-7
   # setup dependent paths
   - export PATH=$RISCV/bin:$VERILATOR_ROOT/bin:$PATH
-  - export LIBRARY_PATH=$TRAVIS_BUILD_DIR/tmp/lib
-  - export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$TRAVIS_BUILD_DIR/tmp/lib
-  - export C_INCLUDE_PATH=$TRAVIS_BUILD_DIR/tmp/include:$VERILATOR_ROOT/include
-  - export CPLUS_INCLUDE_PATH=$TRAVIS_BUILD_DIR/tmp/include:$VERILATOR_ROOT/include
+  - export LIBRARY_PATH=$RISCV/lib
+  - export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$RISCV/lib
+  - export C_INCLUDE_PATH=$RISCV/include:$VERILATOR_ROOT/include
+  - export CPLUS_INCLUDE_PATH=$RISCV/include:$VERILATOR_ROOT/include
   # number of parallel jobs to use for make commands and simulation
   - export NUM_JOBS=4
   - ci/make-tmp.sh
@@ -64,24 +63,23 @@ jobs:
       script:
         - ci/build-riscv-gcc.sh
         - ci/install-verilator.sh
+        - ci/install-fesvr.sh
+        - ci/install-dtc.sh
     - stage: test
       name: run riscv benchmarks
       script:
-        - ci/install-fesvr.sh
         - ci/build-riscv-tests.sh
         - make -j${NUM_JOBS} run-benchmarks-verilator verilator=$VERILATOR_ROOT/bin/verilator
     # rv64ui-p-* tests
     - stage: test
-      name: run rv64ui-p-* asm tests
+      name: run asm tests1
       script:
-        - ci/install-fesvr.sh
         - ci/build-riscv-tests.sh
         - make -j${NUM_JOBS} run-asm-tests1-verilator verilator=$VERILATOR_ROOT/bin/verilator
     # rv64ui-v-* tests
     - stage: test
-      name: run rv64ui-v-* asm tests
+      name: run asm tests2
       script:
-        - ci/install-fesvr.sh
         - ci/build-riscv-tests.sh
         - make -j${NUM_JOBS} run-asm-tests2-verilator verilator=$VERILATOR_ROOT/bin/verilator
     
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 9f6ab6342..157e960b2 100755
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ work/%.o: tb/dpi/%.cc $(dpi_hdr)
 
 $(library)/ariane_dpi.so: $(dpi)
 	# Compile C-code and generate .so file
-	g++ -shared -m64 -o $(library)/ariane_dpi.so $? -lfesvr
+	$(CXX) -shared -m64 -o $(library)/ariane_dpi.so $? -lfesvr
 
 $(library):
 	# Create the library
diff --git a/ci/build-riscv-gcc.sh b/ci/build-riscv-gcc.sh
index 233364e0b..4548bc370 100755
--- a/ci/build-riscv-gcc.sh
+++ b/ci/build-riscv-gcc.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 set -e
 ROOT=$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/.." && pwd)
+VERSION="691e4e826251c7ec59f883cab18440c87baf45e7"
 cd $ROOT/tmp
 
 if [ -z ${NUM_JOBS} ]; then
@@ -10,7 +11,7 @@ fi
 if ! [ -e $RISCV/bin ]; then
     [ -d $ROOT/tmp/riscv-gnu-toolchain ] || git clone https://github.com/riscv/riscv-gnu-toolchain.git
     cd riscv-gnu-toolchain
-    git checkout 691e4e826251c7ec59f883cab18440c87baf45e7
+    git checkout $VERSION
     git submodule update --init --recursive
 
     mkdir -p $RISCV
diff --git a/ci/build-riscv-tests.sh b/ci/build-riscv-tests.sh
index d21f747fd..2c335cbcc 100755
--- a/ci/build-riscv-tests.sh
+++ b/ci/build-riscv-tests.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 set -e
 ROOT=$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/.." && pwd)
+VERSION="294bfce8a1ca2fc501b8939292146e44f813a2b8"
+
 cd $ROOT/tmp
 
 if [ -z ${NUM_JOBS} ]; then
@@ -9,7 +11,7 @@ fi
 
 [ -d $ROOT/tmp/riscv-tests ] || git clone https://github.com/riscv/riscv-tests.git
 cd riscv-tests
-git checkout 294bfce8a1ca2fc501b8939292146e44f813a2b8
+git checkout $VERSION
 git submodule update --init --recursive
 autoconf
 mkdir -p build
diff --git a/ci/gitlab-ci-emul.sh b/ci/gitlab-ci-emul.sh
index 287d21dbc..9435a1452 100755
--- a/ci/gitlab-ci-emul.sh
+++ b/ci/gitlab-ci-emul.sh
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@
 # source this with a bash shell in the project root
 # comment out next command if you don't want to use sudo
 sudo apt install \
-    gcc-4.8 \
-    g++-4.8 \
+    gcc-7 \
+    g++-7 \
     gperf \
     autoconf \
     automake \
@@ -18,8 +18,7 @@ sudo apt install \
     flex \
     texinfo \
     python-pexpect \
-    libusb-1.0-0-dev \
-    device-tree-compiler
+    libusb-1.0-0-dev 
 
 # customize your paths here
 source ci/path-setup.sh
@@ -30,6 +29,8 @@ ci/build-riscv-gcc.sh
 ci/install-fesvr.sh
 ci/install-verilator.sh
 ci/build-riscv-tests.sh
+ci/install-dtc.sh
+ci/install-spike.sh
 make clean
 
 # run asm tests on verilator
diff --git a/ci/install-dtc.sh b/ci/install-dtc.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..60dd0d62e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ci/install-dtc.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+set -e
+ROOT=$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/.." && pwd)
+VERSION="b94c056b137e59deefc62fbfe0cd3a23edfcc07c"
+
+cd $ROOT/tmp
+
+if [ -z ${NUM_JOBS} ]; then
+    NUM_JOBS=1
+fi
+
+if [ ! -e "$RISCV/dtc/dtc" ]; then
+    echo "Installing DTC"
+    git clone https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/utils/dtc/dtc.git
+    cd dtc
+    git checkout $VERSION
+    make -j${NUM_JOBS} PREFIX=$RISCV/ NO_PYTHON=1
+    make -j${NUM_JOBS} check NO_PYTHON=1
+    make -j${NUM_JOBS} install PREFIX=$RISCV/ NO_PYTHON=1
+else
+    echo "Using DTC from cached directory."
+fi
diff --git a/ci/install-fesvr.sh b/ci/install-fesvr.sh
index 899083126..2b9c0d7aa 100755
--- a/ci/install-fesvr.sh
+++ b/ci/install-fesvr.sh
@@ -1,19 +1,27 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 set -e
 ROOT=$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/.." && pwd)
+VERSION=30e85ce253788b29bd4ac0b5e5c23a077d96dc24
+
 cd $ROOT/tmp
-RELEASE=0.1.0
 
 if [ -z ${NUM_JOBS} ]; then
     NUM_JOBS=1
 fi
 
-if ! [ -e $ROOT/tmp/riscv-fesvr ]; then
+if [ ! -e "${RISCV}/lib/libfesvr.so"  ]; then
+    echo "Installing RISCV FESVR"
     git clone https://github.com/riscv/riscv-fesvr.git
+    cd riscv-fesvr
+    git checkout $VERSION
+    mkdir -p build
+    cd build
+    ../configure --prefix="$RISCV/"
+    make -j${NUM_JOBS}
+    make install
+else
+    echo "Using RISCV FESVR from cached directory."
 fi
-cd $ROOT/tmp/riscv-fesvr
-mkdir -p build
-cd build
-../configure --prefix="$ROOT/tmp"
-make -j${NUM_JOBS}
-make install
+
+
+
diff --git a/ci/install-spike.sh b/ci/install-spike.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..77fd803b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ci/install-spike.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+set -e
+ROOT=$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/.." && pwd)
+VERSION="def4c5b104efd382e633d5fdca49508757bb5e23"
+
+cd $ROOT/tmp
+
+if [ -z ${NUM_JOBS} ]; then
+    NUM_JOBS=1
+fi
+
+if [ ! -e "${RISCV}/bin/spike"  ]; then
+    echo "Installing Spike"
+    git clone https://github.com/riscv/riscv-isa-sim.git 
+    cd riscv-isa-sim
+    git checkout $VERSION
+    mkdir -p build
+    cd build
+    ../configure --prefix="$RISCV/"
+    make -j${NUM_JOBS}
+    make install
+else
+    echo "Using Spike from cached directory."
+fi
+
+
+
diff --git a/ci/path-setup.sh b/ci/path-setup.sh
index d7d4b33f0..66394262a 100644
--- a/ci/path-setup.sh
+++ b/ci/path-setup.sh
@@ -5,17 +5,18 @@ export CI_BUILD_DIR=$TOP/ariane-repo
 #customize this to your setup
 export QUESTASIM_HOME=
 export QUESTASIM_VERSION=
-export CXX=g++-4.8 CC=gcc-4.8
+export QUESTASIM_FLAGS=
+export CXX=g++-7 CC=gcc-7
 
 # where to install the tools
 export RISCV=$TOP/riscv_install
 export VERILATOR_ROOT=$TOP/verilator-3.924/
 
 export PATH=$RISCV/bin:$VERILATOR_ROOT/bin:$PATH
-export LIBRARY_PATH=$CI_BUILD_DIR/tmp/lib
-export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$CI_BUILD_DIR/tmp/lib
-export C_INCLUDE_PATH=$CI_BUILD_DIR/tmp/include:$VERILATOR_ROOT/include
-export CPLUS_INCLUDE_PATH=$CI_BUILD_DIR/tmp/include:$VERILATOR_ROOT/include
+export LIBRARY_PATH=$RISCV/lib
+export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$RISCV/lib
+export C_INCLUDE_PATH=$RISCV/include:$VERILATOR_ROOT/include
+export CPLUS_INCLUDE_PATH=$RISCV/include:$VERILATOR_ROOT/include
 
 # number of parallel jobs to use for make commands and simulation
 export NUM_JOBS=8