Frequently Asked Questions
General
What is BioGrids?
BioGrids is a comprehensive software infrastructure for computational biology. It includes 800+ applications for bioinformatics, genomics, and proteomics, along with thousands of R and Python packages.
Installation
Which method should I choose?
- Personal: Best for individual laptops/workstations. Select only the tools you need.
- Site: Best for institutions and shared clusters. Provides the full collection to all users.
- Cloud: Pre-configured for AWS and containerized workflows.
Do I need admin rights?
Not for a personal installation in your home directory. However, institutional setups and the /programs symlink on macOS require administrative privileges.
Does it work on Windows?
BioGrids does not run natively on Windows. Many users have success via WSL2 (Windows Subsystem for Linux) but BioGrids does not provide support for this.
Usage
How do I start using the tools?
Once installed, you must activate the environment in your shell:
How do I use a specific version?
Use environment variables to override the default:
Troubleshooting
"Command not found"
Ensure you have initialized the environment. Run:
If this directory is empty or missing, your installation or symlink is not active.How do I reset my environment?
If your configuration becomes corrupted, run the reset tool:
Technical
What architectures are supported?
- Linux: x86_64 (64-bit).
- macOS: Intel and Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4).
Does BioGrids support GPUs?
Yes. Many applications (like TensorFlow and RELION) have dedicated GPU-enabled versions. Use the --gpu-only flag in the CLI to see them:
Still have questions? Our technical team is ready to help: