VMD-L Mailing List

From: Peter Hains (phains_at_eye.usyd.edu.au)
Date: Sun Apr 06 2008 - 19:19:15 CDT

Hi all,

I am trying to install VMD 1.8.6 on a Linux system. I'm still a Linux
newbie, so I may be missing something quite obvious. First off I
downloaded the Linux OpenGL and followed the instructions to install it.

I didn't need to alter anything in the configure file, I just ran
"./configure", "cd src", then "make install". I did this all from root.

So far so good. I exit root and go to use VMD from my account and I get
the following;

bash: /usr/local/bin/vmd: /bin/csh: bad interpreter: No such file or
directory

I did add /usr/local/bin/vmd to my Path as directed. Provided I
correctly determined how and where this should be done. ie. I modified
my .bash_profile file so it now reads;
PATH=$PATH:$HOME/bin:/usr/local/bin/vmd

Am I missing something obvious? Is the Path really located in another file?

--Possible rant warning---
As an aside, one of the problems I've always had with Linux (and the
reason it's taken me this long to get around to trying to use it
seriously) is that all the software seems to assume you are some sort of
Linux guru and are intimate with editing obscure scripts and recompiling
programs with various optional switches.

The newer Linux distributions certainly make it friendlier, but then VMD
isn't included in their list of programs I want to install via Synaptic
(for example). So my suggestion is please spell it out for new users
like me!! As much as I'd like to see the end of M$, at least you can
just double click the exe and follow the prompts. I sometimes feel Linux
is deliberately esoteric.

I'm an advanced Windows user, I know how to install quirky programs and
fiddle with the registry, but I'm still fumbling my way through Linux. I
have often been frustrated trying to find out where all the files are
that I need to modify and install. I know it's part of a learning curve,
but help is appreciated.
---End rant---

thanks,

Peter