Support
Installation notes
Sirius is distributed in a native installer. Once it's downloaded, you may run it by double-clicking the .exe file (Windows), .dmg file (MacOS X) or .sh file (on Linux).
Windows. Installation and file type association is done automatically, therefore no user intervention is needed. One exception is PDB files that can be treated by the operating system as types associated with Palm devices. To set PDB files to be open with Sirius, right click the file name and choose Open with.. from the context menu. Sirius is listed as one of the choices and can be set to be the default handler.
MacOS X. If you are installing into any directory under your home directory, no special action is required. The installer will configure the environment and place a shortcut on the desktop if requested.
If you are installing to a system location, such as /Applications directory, to make
Sirius available for all users, you need to copy three files from the Sirius installation
folder to its parent directory. For example, if Sirius is installed in /Applications, make sure that
you are logged in as a privileged user and issue the following three commands in a Terminal window:
cp /Applications/Sirius.app/Contents/Resources/app/libjogl.jnilib /Applications/libjogl.jnilib
cp /Applications/Sirius.app/Contents/Resources/app/libjogl_awt.jnilib /Applications/libjogl_awt.jnilib
cp /Applications/Sirius.app/Contents/Resources/app/libjogl_cg.jnilib /Applications/libjogl_cg.jnilib
This needs to be done only once, and only if the application is installed in a system location.
Linux. Once the installer is downloaded, make sure it is an executable file. If unsure, run command
chmod +x Sirius_linux_1_2.sh
Next, run the installer from the command line: ./Sirius_linux_1_2.sh, which will start an interactive installer window. Important note:Make sure that you select different directories for file installation and for symbolic links. If you choose the same directory, it will result in circular dependencies and the application will not start. Another option is to select "Do not create symbolic links" flag. At the very end of the install, the bundled POV-Ray distribution will be unpacked and installed under the Sirius directory tree. Even if you already have a copy of POV-Ray, this install will not interfere with your previous installation, but only create a private copy within the Sirius directory.
Once the installation process is completed, you may start Sirius by double clicking the Sirius icon in the installation directory or on the desktop (if you requested it to be created during the installation process.
Updates
Sirius is an ongoing project with several directions of development. These include expansion of graphics capabilities with surface-based representations, addition of energy minimization with molecular mechanics force fields, support for more file formats, etc.
Updates will be posted frequently, therefore please check the date of the current release listed on this site, and if you have downloaded a Sirius installer before that time, please make sure you get the cumulative update for your platform.
It is possible that under certain circumstances errors may be encountered while using the application. Should these occur, please submit a report using the form below, with sufficient information for us to reproduce the problem. This will help us quickly address the issue.
Detailed description of the application structure and features is given in the system help and can be accessed via Help menu of the desktop application.
System requirements
It is recommended that the amount of installed system memory be at least 512 MBytes. A graphics card with OpenGL support and at least 32 MBytes of dedicated memory is recommended. Integrated video will still work, but performance may be less than optimal.
With any support issues or to request new features, please use email address given on the About page.
