If you’re a researcher or student working in molecular modeling, you’ve likely experienced the delay—waiting for your IT department to install new scientific software for you because it requires administrator rights. This can slow down your workflow by hours or even days. The good news? SAMSON, the integrative molecular design platform, was designed with this in mind.
SAMSON does not require administrator rights to install or run. This removes a major roadblock, especially in institutional environments like universities or corporate labs, where admin privileges are often restricted.
How It Works
SAMSON installs entirely in your user directory, making the process simple and safe. When you launch the installer, it verifies that you’re not running it as an administrator—a precaution to ensure minimal access rights are given. This is not just a convenience, but also a security-oriented choice.
System Requirements at a Glance
- 64-bit operating system
- Graphics card that supports OpenGL 4.1 or higher
For users with NVIDIA or AMD graphics cards, you’ll need drivers that support OpenGL 4.1. That’s pretty standard in most computers used for scientific modeling.
Heads-Up for Virtual Machine Users
If you’re trying to run SAMSON inside a virtual machine, make sure to enable hardware GPU acceleration. Without it, the software might not run as intended due to limited graphical support in emulated environments.
Linux-Specific Setup
Linux users, particularly those on Ubuntu or CentOS-like distributions, might need to install a couple additional libraries. On Ubuntu systems, install:
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sudo apt install libxcb-cursor0 libatomic1 |
For CentOS or Fedora users, install:
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sudo dnf install xcb-util* |
If you hit issues related to OpenGL, there’s a dedicated section in the documentation to troubleshoot OpenGL setup on Linux: Installing OpenGL drivers on Linux.
Why It Matters
By eliminating the need for administrator privileges, SAMSON supports agile environments where scientists can install the tools they need when they need them. This small design decision translates into major productivity gains over time—no IT tickets, no remote access sessions, just install and go.
Ready to give it a try or want to know more setup details? You can explore the official documentation for getting started here: SAMSON Getting Started Documentation.
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can get SAMSON on SAMSON Connect.