Installing powerful software for molecular modeling often comes with a common challenge: administrator rights. For many students, researchers, or professionals working on institutional computers, the inability to install software without admin privileges can be a blocker. But if you’re looking to get started with SAMSON, the integrative platform for molecular design, there’s good news: you don’t need administrator rights to install and run SAMSON.
This is particularly helpful in academic or corporate environments where IT restrictions make it difficult to install new tools. Whether you want to explore protein-ligand interactions, run molecular dynamics, or create custom extensions, SAMSON’s installation has been designed to be as accessible as possible.
Why No Admin Rights Matter
Many molecular modeling tools require admin permissions due to their deep integration with system-level components. These requirements can delay work by days or even weeks while waiting for IT approval. SAMSON takes a different approach by installing entirely within your user home directory, removing this friction.
In fact, SAMSON goes one step further: it actively checks at startup that it is not being run with admin rights. This encourages users to limit the rights granted to SAMSON, aligning with good security practices.
Here’s What You Can Expect
- Fast installation – Just download SAMSON from your user account and install it without asking anyone for elevated permissions.
- Portable experience – Because SAMSON doesn’t tie into system-level processes, it remains easy to move or reinstall as needed.
- Secure by default – The avoidance of admin rights prevents unintentional changes to your system.
Bonus: Installation on Virtual Machines
If you’re considering using SAMSON on a virtual machine (VM), it’s also supported. Just make sure that your VM has access to hardware GPU acceleration. SAMSON relies on OpenGL, and software rendering in virtualized environments is often insufficient.
Check the documentation for your VM platform on how to enable GPU support. Ensuring this setting is turned on early will save you troubleshooting steps later.
Simplify Your Workflow
The no-admin-rights approach means that you can install SAMSON in a shared lab, on your personal laptop, or even at a public workstation without delay. This can be particularly valuable for classroom environments, workshops, or cross-disciplinary collaborations where time and flexibility are key.
Whether you’re a biochemist, material scientist, or educator, removing technical barriers to installation allows you to focus on what matters: your science.
To learn more about SAMSON’s installation process and other frequently asked questions, visit the official FAQ page.
Note: SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can get SAMSON by visiting https://www.samson-connect.net.