Last General Update: January 25, 2011

BLUE STAR STING
Requirements

 

The user must ensure the installation of the software required to run BLUE STAR STING in the following order (the order is important, so please note that Java must be installed before Chime):

The essential required items are:

The non-essential but required items for a full functionality of the Java Protein Dossier are:

Other issues to be considered are:

The most recommended configuration is:

Firefox browser
Java plugin
Chime plugin
version 3.6.x
version 1.3.1 until 1.6.0_23
version 2.6 (SP4) or higher
The order of installation is important, so please note that Java must be installed before Chime!

 

Please click here to check if your installation is correct!

 


Operating System

The BLUE STAR STING client is designed and tested for the PC platform! We have tested this client on Windows and Linux operating systems. TAR STING is also operational on Mac-OS and Unix in general, but due to limited resources we have, we were not able to make extensive tests on those platforms!

Windows
Linux
Mac-OS
Unix


Web browser

We highly recommend running the BLUE STAR STING client with Firefox 3.6.x on Microsoft Windows. Internet Explorer 6.0 is only operational for BLUE STAR STING in its SP1 release, which is not normally available any more from Microsoft (new computers usually come with Internet Explorer SP3 or higher). The compatibility with Sting changes with each Windows and Internet Explorer release, due to Microsoft's failure in maintaining compatibility for its products.

The BLUE STAR STING client is now compatible with LINUX Ubuntu 10.10 operating system, using Firefox 3.6.x web browser. See the details.


Java plugin

SMS 2.2, SMS 2.3, GOLD STING and BLUE STAR STING require installation of the Java Plugin 1.3.1 (until 1.6.0_23) for full functionality of following components:

 

  • Graphical Contacts
  • Graphical IFR Contacts
  • Java Ca-Ca Distance
  • Java Cb-Cb Distance
  • Protein Dossier
  • Java Protein Dossier
  • Java Table of Contacts
  • Diamond Sting Report
  • ConSSeq
 

 

Behavior of BLUE STAR STING with a few versions the Java plugin:

  • Java 1.1* - When a BLUE STAR Sting component not supported by this Java version is called, the Web browser shows a page with information about the Java plugin versions and an error message appears in the Java console.

  • Other versions of the Java plugin (1.2*, 1.4*, 1.5*) - When a BLUE STAR Sting component not supported by this Java version is called, the system tries to run the module and a message appears in the Java console, warning that some modules may not work correctly.

For specific information about the installation of the Java Plugin 1.3.1 for using BLUE STAR STING in different platforms you can see:




Chime plugin (Discontinued)

Chime is a graphic program in the form of a Web browser plugin that provides 3-dimensional rendering of protein molecular structures. The Chime plugin is available at MDL and can be downloaded for free at Chime©. We recommend Chime version 2.6 or higher for BLUE STAR STING.

Please note that MDL now requires that the user fills in the CHIME registration pages (currently there are TWO pages to be filled in with the user's data). Once registration is completed, MDL will provide instructions for you to download and install Chime.

 

For more details about the use of the Chime plugin with BLUE STAR STING you can refer to:

By installing the browser with Java and Chime, you have completed the installation of the ESSENTIAL required items, necessary to obtain most of the BLUE STAR STING components fully functional.


Please click here to check if your installation has been successful!


In order to make full advantage of Java Protein Dossier (JPD) features, we recommend that the SeaView and TreeView are installed. Note that by making an option not to install those two programs, will not influence the operation of any other BLUE STAR STING component (even JPD will function correctly except it will not be able to display the Multiple Sequence Alignment and the Phylogenetic Tree).

SeaView plugin

SeaView is a graphical editor for multiple sequence alignment.

For more information about SeaView characteristics, downloading and installing it for use with BLUE STAR STING see:


In order to make full advantage of Java Protein Dossier (JPD) features, we recommend that the SeaView and TreeView are installed. Note that by making an option not to install those two programs, will not influence the operation of any other BLUE STAR STING component (even JPD will function correctly except it will not be able to display the Multiple Sequence Alignment and the Phylogenetic Tree).

TreeView plugin

TreeView is a program for displaying phylogenies.

For more information about TreeView characteristics, downloading and installing it for use with BLUE STAR STING see:

TreeView configuration on Windows

TreeView is not operational with STING on Linux yet.


Firewall caution

If your PC is behind a firewall and you get a situation in which a Java applet (in Graphical Contacts, for example), halts and apparently nothing else is happening for a long time, you should check two things:

A) If you have properly installed Java Plugin 1.3.1 until 1.6.0_23, and

B) If for any security reasons the Sting server is not included in the list of trusted servers.



Compatibility issues among versions of the required software

The following table summarizes the compatibility of the different versions of the required software to run the main modules of BLUE STAR STING.

MS Windows
98
NT

2000
XP
Vista
7
( some restrictions apply)

Firefox
3.6.x

SUN's Java plugin
version 1.3.1 until 1.6.0_23

MDL Chime
version 2.6
or higher
( some restrictions apply)

Sting server must be included in the list of trusted servers!

Chrome
9.0

MS Internet Explorer
6.0 / SP1 only
( some restrictions apply)

Ubuntu Linux
10
Firefox
3.6.x

For more information about the compatibility of different kinds and versions of operating systems, Web browsers and the Chime plugin see the detailed compatibility table.