A molecular modeling session can be interrupted before it begins by a problem that has nothing to do with the model: an unsupported operating system, a missing Linux library, or graphics that cannot provide the OpenGL features the application needs. A short check before installation can help you identify these issues early—especially on a shared workstation or a virtual machine.
Use this checklist to decide whether a computer is ready for SAMSON and what to investigate if it is not.
1. Check the operating system
The current support matrix lists Windows 10 and 11; Ubuntu 22.04 and newer; Fedora 42 and newer; CentOS and similar Linux systems; and macOS Tahoe (26), Sequoia (15), Sonoma (14), Ventura (13), and Monterey (12). The listed macOS releases support both Intel and Apple Silicon.
Start by checking the exact operating-system name and version in the computer’s system settings. “Linux” alone is not enough to confirm that a machine matches the tested list: the distribution and release matter. If you use an older platform, it may still work, but it is outside the currently tested support matrix. That distinction is useful when planning a lab rollout: a successful installation on one older computer does not necessarily mean the configuration is tested or supported.
2. Treat graphics as a requirement, not a bonus
SAMSON requires a 64-bit operating system and a graphics card that supports OpenGL 4.1. For NVIDIA or AMD GPUs, the documentation recommends using the latest drivers. A computer that can display a desktop is not automatically ready for molecular visualization; the relevant question is whether its graphics setup provides the required OpenGL support.
Before installing, identify which graphics hardware the computer is using and check its driver status. If the machine has more than one graphics option, confirm that the application will use the GPU you intend to rely on. If you cannot verify OpenGL 4.1 support, treat that as an unresolved readiness check rather than assuming the requirement is met.
Running in a virtual machine?
Enable hardware GPU acceleration. Without it, the OpenGL features SAMSON requires may not be available. Check the virtual machine’s graphics configuration before troubleshooting the application itself.
3. On Linux, check dependencies if startup fails
Some Linux installations may need additional libraries before SAMSON runs correctly. On Ubuntu-like systems, the documented packages are:
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sudo apt install libxcb-cursor0 libatomic1 |
On CentOS-like systems, the documented command is:
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sudo dnf install xcb-util* |
These packages are listed as possible dependencies, not as a guarantee that every Linux computer needs them. If OpenGL libraries are missing or incorrectly configured, follow the Linux OpenGL driver troubleshooting guidance.
4. Keep installation permissions simple
Admin rights are not necessary: SAMSON installs in the user’s home directory and checks that it is not running in admin mode. For an individual workstation, this means you can plan around a user-level installation rather than assuming the application must be installed with elevated privileges. For shared machines, test the graphics path and installation flow with the intended user account before deploying broadly.
A quick pre-install checklist
- Is the operating system 64-bit, and does its release appear in the supported list?
- Does the graphics card support OpenGL 4.1?
- Are the applicable NVIDIA or AMD drivers up to date?
- If this is a virtual machine, is hardware GPU acceleration enabled?
- If this is Linux, are any required packages or OpenGL libraries missing?
Checking these points first helps separate platform and graphics problems from issues with a particular molecular structure or modeling workflow. For the complete requirements and platform details, see the SAMSON requirements and platforms page.
Note: SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. Get SAMSON.