CCP4 on Microsoft Windows.

Contents

• Which windows version is CCP4 compatible with?
• What are the system requirements?
• Where to download CCP4 win from?
• What other software is needed?
• What to do if you have installed a previous version.
• How to install on Windows
• How do I check my installation?
• What about non Intel systems like Alphas?
• How do I uninstall?
• What about the Xwindows programs?
• Thanks and contact details.

Which version of windows is CCP4 compatible with?

CCP4 is a compiled as 32 bit executables. It is then packaged up in an installer. The executables and installer are compatible with any of the windows versions:
windows 98, windows NT, windows Millenium, windows 2000, windows XP, windows XP x64, windows Vista (32 and 64 bits).
However CCP4 will not run on 16 bits version of windows such as windows 3.1.

What are the system requirements?

The package that has been compiled to make the current version of CCP4win is the same code as that used to make the unix version. So in other words don't expect to be able to run CCP4win on a windows based system that does not have a comparable amount of power as a good unix station. The two most important factors are disk space and RAM.

The CCP4win packages are distributed either as an offline installer, everything bundled together downloaded at once or online installer that will download files from our server according to specific choice you would make during the installation. The installer always shows the amount of disk space required and will not let you proceed if you do not have the space required by your specific choice. A full installation would take near to 1GB. Remember that you want also some space for your data! You should really aim for a machine with at least 500Mb free disk space.

As far as RAM goes most windows machines now have at least 256Mb RAM but usually 512Mb. With a machine having 256Mb RAM you will find that some of the CCP4 programs will not be able to run if you run different programs at the same time (especially cpu consuming programs) one example of one such program is REFMAC5. Sometimes some of these programs will not run along with other consuming programs if your system has 256Mb RAM - so if you can get it - get more!

If you intend to crystallography and use a graphics program such as O, ccp4MG or coot then you need to have a good graphics card (at least 32MB VRAM). See the relevant vendor's website for this information. You do not however, need any special graphics to run CCP4.

Where to download CCP4win from?

You can either download it using the automated download pages following this link.
You can also pick up the installer from our ftp site.

What other software is needed?

None of these is really needed but they will enable you to get more from your ccp4 installation.

• A postscript viewing package such as GSview (see e.g. http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~ghost).
  The location of this should be entered in ccp4i -> Configure Interface, but note that the path name must not include any spaces!
• SHELX will run on most windows platforms
• CNS has been ported

What to do if you have installed a previous version.

Firstly you should uninstall the old version before installing a new version. Go to "Control Panel" -> "Add or Remove Programs" to uninstall an old version. Alternatively you can use the uninstall link that is created in the CCP4-Packages programs group.

CCP4i in CCP4 4.1 has also been altered so that it can work with the better, higher versions of Tcl/Tk. You should upgrade to at least 8.3 or 8.4. Version 8.0 will no longer work.

How do I check my installation?

You might need to check the environment variables to trace any problems. On Windows XP at least, this is how you do it.

"Control Panel" -> "System" -> "Advanced" tab -> "Environment Variables" button (at the bottom).

Here you can check that TEMP points somewhere sensible. You should also see various CCP4 variables, e.g. "CCP4" and "CCP4_BIN" which should point to the current version of CCP4. Also check "CCP4I_TCLTK" that it points to a correct installation of Tcl/Tk. "CCP4I_TCLTK" should point to a bin directory, such as C:\Tcl\bin, which contains executables such as tclsh84.exe.

What about non Intel bases systems like Alphas?

I didn't think it would work! However, I have now received reports (thanks to John Jenkins) that all is well at least with a COMPAQ AP400 running NT4. So just follow the instructions and let me know! Alun also tried it a while ago on an SGI running Windows NT4 and from what he remembered all was ok there as well.

Uninstalling an Installation installed from the self extracting executable?

Leaving us already? If you were able to install using the installer file then the uninstall is just as easy. Go to the [control panel][Add/Remove Programs] and Uninstall/follow the instructions from there.

What about the Xwindows Programs?

Progress is being made! See the following page by Alain Dautant.

Thanks and contact details.

any comments and feedback (welcome!) to ccp4@ccp4.ac.uk.
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Thanks to :

Peter Briggs (CCP4)
Alain Dautant (Université Bordeaux)
Liz Potterton (CCP4/York)
Martyn Winn (CCP4)
Kevin Cowtan (York)
Phil Evans (LMB-Cam)
Roman Laskowski (UCL - London)
Bernhard Rupp (LLNL, USA)
Joe Krahn (NIH, USA)
CCP4, ccp4@dl.ac.uk
and lots LOTS more!
Alun Ashton.