Molecular Graphics Users, In case you haven't heard, I am now full-time on the PyMOL project and am working to build DeLano Scientific into a self-sustaining Open-Source software company. To learn more about our goals, plans, or philosophy, please read http://www.delanoscientific.com/about.html . Sponsorship is welcome via purchase of PyMOL licenses and maintenance/support agreements.
The past several weeks have been very hectic in dealing with the transition and in getting caught up on paperwork. But we now have an effective workspace (in my garage, for at least a few months) with a reasonable cross-section of popular PC hardware and operating systems. The PyMOL web site http://pymol.sf.net now has a list of some of the OpenGL graphics cards we are supporting, and thus recommending. This list may be of interest to non-PyMOL users as well. Mac, Linux, and Windows will remain the primary PyMOL platforms, but I welcome your feedback on the following question: How important is it that PyMOL run well (be tested and released for use) under traditional Unix operating systems? Such as: 1) IRIX (6.5.x) 2) Solaris (7, 8, or 9) 3) Tru64 Unix (for the Alpha) 4) and any other Unix platforms (AIX?) While PyMOL sponsorship will likely provide enough funding to cover inexpensive Mac and PC hardware, Unix workstations are simply not affordable for us, given our limited means. It is not just the cost of the hardware (which can sometimes be found cheap), but those darn compiler licenses and hardware support expenses which really get us! If you wish to see PyMOL tested and released under one or more of the above OSes, do have have any leads on how we could obtain (or borrow/access) complete and functioning systems (with compilers) without breaking the bank? DeLano Scientific isn't yet big enough to get semi-permanent loans from vendors, and our one SGI recently died. Please email me directly war...@delanoscientific.com with your thoughts. If I don't hear from you, then I will assume Unix support is no longer important, so please do respond if you care! Thanks, Warren PS. Although I welcome volunteers willing to support PyMOL releases on their own Unix hardware, this hasn't worked out too well in the past because PyMOL bugs can be hard to fix. When problems are discovered, it is usually necessary for me to have direct access to the system in order to troubleshoot and resolve things quickly, and that is why we have adopted the approach of having supported hardware on-site whenever possible. -- mailto:war...@delanoscientific.com Warren L. DeLano, Ph.D. Principal DeLano Scientific LLC San Carlos, CA, USA
