A molecular modeling session can be interrupted by problems that look similar but have different causes: SAMSON may open with tiny icons on a high-resolution screen, or it may fail to launch or display a 3D scene because Linux cannot find the graphics libraries it needs. The useful first step is to identify which symptom you have. Display scaling is a Windows setting; missing OpenGL support is a graphics-driver or system-dependency issue.
When the interface looks too small on Windows
If SAMSON launches normally but its icons are difficult to see on a high-DPI monitor, try Windows’ compatibility scaling override. Find the SAMSON executable, right-click it, and open Properties. On the Compatibility tab, choose Change high DPI settings. Enable Override high DPI scaling behavior, then select System under Scaling performed by. Restart SAMSON if it was already open so the change can take effect.
This setting addresses the size of the interface; it does not install graphics drivers or fix missing OpenGL libraries. Keeping that distinction in mind can save time: if the application opens and the main issue is tiny controls, investigate scaling before changing GPU software.
When SAMSON will not launch on Linux
On Ubuntu-like distributions, a launch problem mentioning xcb may indicate missing system packages. The documentation lists libxcb-xinerama0 and libxcb-cursor0. Install them with:
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sudo apt install libxcb-xinerama0 libxcb-cursor0 |
On CentOS-like systems, the suggested starting point is the xcb-util* package family:
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sudo dnf install 'xcb-util*' |
Package names and availability can vary by distribution and version, so use the package manager appropriate to your system. If the error is different, avoid assuming that an xcb dependency is the cause; check the message you actually see.
When Linux has trouble with the 3D view
SAMSON needs a graphics card that supports OpenGL 3.2. Begin by identifying the graphics hardware:
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lspci | grep VGA |
For more detail, Linux users can also try sudo lshw -c video or lspci -nn | grep VGA. A machine with a dedicated NVIDIA or AMD card may need the appropriate driver. If the system reports integrated Intel graphics, the Mesa OpenGL implementation may be relevant.
On Debian-based systems, check whether OpenGL information and library files are available:
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glxinfo | grep OpenGL locate libOpenGL.so locate libGL.so |
If glxinfo is not installed, or locate returns no result, that alone may not establish the underlying cause. These commands are checks, not repairs. On Debian-based systems, the troubleshooting guide suggests installing Mesa utilities and development libraries with:
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sudo apt-get install libgl1-mesa-dev mesa-utils |
SAMSON depends on system-provided OpenGL libraries, including libOpenGL.so.0 and libGLX.so.0. If one is missing, the remedy can depend on the Linux distribution, GPU driver, and SAMSON installation. The documentation describes symbolic-link workarounds for some setups, but those paths are specific to particular systems and SAMSON versions. Before creating links with sudo, confirm the actual library locations and follow the instructions for your platform; a guessed path can make troubleshooting harder.
A quick way to narrow it down
- SAMSON opens, but icons are tiny: try the Windows high-DPI compatibility setting.
- Linux reports an xcb error: check the relevant xcb packages for your distribution.
- The application or 3D display reports OpenGL problems: identify the GPU, check the driver and required libraries, then consider Mesa where appropriate.
For the full procedures and additional cases, see the SAMSON troubleshooting guide.
Note: SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. Get SAMSON.