Free Molecular Visualization Programs for Unix and/or Linux: AMMP, B, BRAGI, Chimera, Cn3D, Deep View Swiss-PDBViever, DINO, Flex, garlic, gdpc, Ghemical, gOpenMol, Grasp, ICMlite, Jmol, Kinemage, mdxvu, Mercury, MOIL-View, MOLDEN, MOLEKEL, MOLMOL, MolScript, Moviemol, NAMOT, QMOL, PREPI, PyMOL, RasMol, Raster3D, spock, VEGA, Viewmol, WinMGM, VMD, XMakemol, XmMol, XMol, Ymol,

# Free Molecular Visualization Programs
for Unix and/or Linux

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This page contains the list of free molecular visualization programs, complete with links. Only freely available programs which run on Unix or Unix compatible platform are listed. Some of these programs are available only as binary code for some specific platform(s).
Most programs were found using AltaVista, Lycos and Google, while some others were suggested by readers of this list. Thanks to all of them!
Some of the programs listed below have a very limited license. Be sure to read the license before using such program!
The time-limited trial versions of commercial programs were omitted from the list.
The programs listed here were not evaluated and no comparison was made.
If you have your own free molecular visualization program for Unix or Linux, or if you know for such program which is not included in the list below, please send an e-mail message to Damir Zucic (zucic@mefos.hr) . Please send corrections and changes to the same address.

Last updated: June 10, 2003.
The information contained here was valid before that day. As developing is going on, it is likely that some additional libraries may become necessary for some of the programs listed here. However, it is almost certain that libraries listed here will be required in future versions too.

PROGRAM | LIBRARIES REQUIRED | PROGRAM TYPE / LICENSE
AMMP | libc, libm, libX11, libXt, libXext, libXmu, libXm, libSM, libICE, libNoVersion | Stand alone program, modified GNU GPL license.
B (where is it now?) | Java based package. | Your browser should support Java Virtual Machine.
Bodil | libc, libm, libstdc++, libgcc_s, libqt, libX11, libXext + some other libraries which are shipped with the program. | Stand alone program, free for academic use.
BRAGI | It seems that this program is still under development. | The license has to be negotiated.
Chimera | Needs Python, Tcl/Tk, Tix, Togl, PIL, Numeric, Grail, Pmw, msms, VRML, JPEG, Info-ZIP, TR, ScientificPython; still under development. | Stand alone program, online registration required. Requires many libraries.
Cn3D | libc, libm, libX11, libXt, libXext, libXmu, libXp | Both browser plug-in and stand alone program.
Deep View Swiss-PdbViewer | libc, libm, libX11, libXt, libXext, libXmu, libXi, libXp, libMesaGL, libMesaGLU, libpthread, libz | Stand alone program, IRIX or Linux required.
DINO | libc, libm, libX11, libXt, libXext, libXmu, libXi, libgdbm, libGL, libGLU | Stand alone program.
Flex | libc, libm, libX11, libxview, libolgx, xlibflexdraw | Stand alone, binaries for DEC/alpha, DEC/MIPS, IBM RS, SGI, Sun.
garlic | libc, libm, libX11 | Stand alone program, GNU GPL license.
Ghemical | requires g++ compiler, f2c compiler, glut, GNOME, gtkglarea, mpich, MPQC ... | Stand alone program, GNU GPL license.
gdpc | libc, libm, libX11, libXext, libXi, libgtk, libgdk, libgmodule, libglib, libdl, libpthread | Stand alone program.
gOpenMol | libc, libm, libX11, libXt, libXext, libXmu, libXi, libdl, libXaw, Tcl/Tk, + Mesa or Open GL libraries | Graphics interface to the OpenMol set of programs; GNU GPL license.
Grasp | This program has been written for Silicon Graphics computers. | Under special circumstances, the $500 fee will be waived.
ICMlite | Binaries: SGI, DEC Alpha, SUN, Linux; libc, libm, libX11, libXt, libXext, libXmu, libSM, libICE, libpthread | Stand alone program, free for academic use.
Jmol | Java-based application. | Stand alone program (Java-based application).
Kinemage | libc, libm, libX11, libXt, libXm | Stand alone program.
mdxvu | libc, libm, libX11, precompiled for some systems | Stand alone program.
Mercury | libc, libm, libX11, libXt, libXext, libXmu, libXi, libXft, libXRender, libMesaGLU, libMesaGL, libSM, libICE, libjpeg, libpng, libmng, libdialogs, libwidgets, libqt, libqtspecific, libguiindep, libtoolkit, libcsd, libCif, libKCC-eh, libz, libfreetype, liblcms | Stand alone program, read conditions of use carefully.
MOIL-View | FORTRAN program, binaries available for Silicon Graphics workstations. | Stand alone program, registration expected.
MOLDEN | FORTRAN 77, libc, libm, libX11 | Stand alone, free for academic use.
MOLEKEL | libc, libm, libX11, libXext, libXmu, libXi, libMesaGL, libMesaGLU, libtiff, libjpeg | Precompiled for SGI IRIX, Linux PC and SunOS, registration required.
MOLMOL | libc, libm, libX11, libXt, libXext, libXm, libGL, libGLU, libGLcore, libC, libgen, libgen, libpng, libz | Stand alone, binaries for DEC/MIPS, DEC/alpha, SGI, SPARC and RS/6000.
MolScript | libc, libm, libX11, libXt, libXext, libXmu, libGL, libGLU, libGLcore, libmedia, libC, libgen, libvice, libjpeg, libpng, libz | Stand alone, online registration required.
Moviemol | libc, libm, libX11, libXext, libYgl or OpenGL | Stand alone program.
NAMOT | libc, libm, libX11, libxview, libolgx | Stand alone program.
QMOL | libc, libm, libX11, libXt, libXext, libXm, libGLw, libMesaGL, libMesaGLU, libstdc++, libSM, libICE | Stand alone program.
PREPI | Precompiled binary for Silicon Graphics IRIX. | Stand alone, registration required (written agreement).
PyMOL | libc, X libs, libpng, zlib, python, Mesa | Requires Python, an intepreted programming language.
RasMol | libc, libm, libX11 libXext, libXi | Stand alone program.
Raster3D | Mixed FORTRAN 77 and C code, requires both compilers. | Stand alone program.
spock | libc, libm, libX11, libXt, libXext, libXmu, libXm, libXi, libXpm, libMesaGL, libMesaGLU, libSM, libICE, libjpeg, libtiff, libcrypt, libz, libNoVersion | Stand alone program, free for some users, registration required.
VEGA | libc, libm, libz, liblocale | No OpenGL support for Linux version.
Viewmol | libc, libm, libX11, libXt, libXext, libXm, libXi, libXp, libGL, libGLU, libtiff, libtiff, libpthread, libdb, libdl, libutil | Graphical front end for comp. chemistry programs, GNU GPL license.
WinMGM | libc, libm, libMesaGL, libsubplex, libchelpers, libmgmcalctools, libmolecules, libmolenergy | Stand alone, some custom libraries required.
VMD | Statically linked binaries for AIX, HPUX, IRIX, Linux, Solaris and TRU64. | Stand alone, online registration required.
XMakemol | libc, libm, libX11, libXt, libXm, libXpm, libGL, libGLU | Stand alone program, GNU GPL license.
XmMol | libc, libm, libX11, libXt, libXext, libXm, libXp, libSM, libICE; Motif or openMotif required. | Free for academic use, registration required (written agreement).
XMol | Precompiled binaries for SGI, Sun-3, Sun-4 and RS/6000. | Some other binaries may be found in some other archives; development seems to be halted.
Ymol | libc, libm, libX11, libXext | Stand alone program.