If you’re working in molecular modeling, you know how important it is to have software that works seamlessly on your system. SAMSON, the integrative platform for molecular design and nanoscience, supports multiple operating systems—but what exactly is supported, and what do you need to watch out for?
In this post, we’ll guide you through the supported platforms and requirements for running SAMSON, highlight tips for specific operating systems, and mention caveats that might save you hours of troubleshooting. Whether you’re on Windows, Linux, or macOS, this information will help you get started smoothly.
🎯 Supported Operating Systems
- Windows: Windows 10 and Windows 11
- Linux: Ubuntu 22.04+, Fedora 42+, CentOS, and similar Linux distributions
- macOS: Monterey (macOS 12) up to Sequoia (macOS 15), running on both Intel and Apple Silicon (ARM)
SAMSON has not been tested on older OS versions. While it may still work in some cases, it’s recommended to stick to the versions above for smooth functionality.
🔧 System Requirements
- A 64-bit operating system is required.
- Your system must support OpenGL 4.1 — for NVIDIA or AMD cards, appropriate drivers must be installed.
One great feature here: no administrator rights are needed to install SAMSON 🙌. It installs in the user’s home directory and even checks on startup that it’s not being run with elevated permissions. This is particularly helpful in secure academic or institutional environments where admin access can be a hurdle.
💡 Specific Tips Per Platform
Linux
If you’re on a Debian-based system like Ubuntu, make sure to install some required libraries:
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sudo apt install libxcb-cursor0 libatomic1 |
On Red Hat-based distributions like Fedora or CentOS:
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sudo dnf install xcb-util* |
And if you use a virtual machine, don’t forget to enable hardware GPU acceleration. Without it, OpenGL-related functionalities may not work properly.
macOS
If you’re running SAMSON on macOS, keep in mind that you might need to enable full disk access. This is a common security-related step on recent macOS versions to allow applications to access files freely.
🚀 When You’re Ready to Install
You can download SAMSON directly from SAMSON Connect. Keep your SAMSON key handy—you’ll need it during installation. And if you’re planning to extend SAMSON with additional modules (called Extensions), those are updated automatically when you launch SAMSON.
For detailed platform support and step-by-step guidance, visit the official SAMSON Getting Started guide.
🧪 A Quick Visual Overview
Here’s what the installer looks like once it’s running. From this screen, you’re just a few clicks away from getting started.
To learn more, visit the full documentation here: https://documentation.samson-connect.net/users/latest/getting-started/
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can download SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.