Coot for MacOS

Last updated 17 Dec. 2024.

I am currently getting a run-time error with Homebrew's package. YMMV.

Install COOT via CCP4 or Homebrew

The two best options for installing COOT on MacOS (formerly OSX) are the following:

Install Coot with CCP4. Currently, this is the most reliable option if you want a version of COOT that simply works. It, like all CCP4 programs, is maintained by paid professionals.

Install Coot with Homebrew. The COOT homebrew package is maintained by Prof. Yoshitaka Moriwaki. The most up-to-date information about how to do this, and how to deal with run-time problems, can be found on this github page. I do not maintain COOT or any Homebrew packages. I am merely a fellow user, so I am unable to offer anything beyond informal experiences, listed below, which may be out of date or simply incorrect.

You should also have a look at Moorhen.

Installing Coot with Homebrew

Install Homebrew according to these instructions on the Homebrew website.

Briefly, open a Terminal window and issue this command:
```
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)" 
```
Allow it to install in the default location (which differs according to processor type). This will enable installing binaries by default. At some point early in the process, you will be prompted to allow installation of the command-line tools. (You do not have to install the huge Developer app.)

Add Homebrew to your $PATH. For zsh and bash, you will want this in a dot file:
For Apple Silicon:
```
   export PATH=/opt/homebrew/bin:$PATH
```
OR, for Intel, instead use:
```
   export PATH=/usr/local/bin:$PATH
```
Optional: Install PyMOL as a positive control. (This will confirm that Homebrew is working properly, and will give you a fully-functioning version of the OpenSource PyMOL.)
```
 brew upgrade
 brew install pymol
```
Install Coot by issuing the following commands:
```
 brew upgrade
```
```
 brew tap brewsci/bio  
```
```
 brew install coot
```
(This should simply download and install a pre-compiled binary, along with the needed dependencies.)

What about the Fink package?

I have been unable to get any recent versions of coot working within Fink, which is where the package I mainain(ed) resides. (The stand-alone coot package was also a Fink installation.) Fink, unfortunately, is not very up-to-date anymore, and thanks to a punitive teaching load, I haven't had any time to invest in trying to get this to work. Frankly, I think Homebrew is our best hope.