Software
Oxford University IT Services manages a wide range of software university-wide site licenses. Please check the full list of site-licensed-software for details about the product you are interested in. Each software licensing agreement has its own specific details restricting use and availability.
Some software is available for purchase from the OUCS on-line shop.
Some software is available for download.
Some software is available from departments who manage site-licenses for their own specialist requirements. See software list on ITSS wiki.
Department of Materials IT staff already have software media for many products and can perform installations upon request. Please send requests to ITstaff by email to itsupport@materials.ox.ac.uk to check if we have the media before buying/ordering the licence from the OUCS shop either by buying it personally or by submitting a department requisition form following the Department guidelines for purchasing. Software to be installed on Department owned machines should generally be purchased with a requisition form whereupon the finance office automatically add the SoftwareCardID to the purchase order before sending it to OUCS.
General software
- Operating systems - the IT support policy for Windows operating systems is still to use Windows XP Professional unless requirements of memory or hardware need 64bit operating system in which case we use 64bit Window7 Enterprise (to ensure full language support). For personal machines staff are entitled to one copy of Microsoft operating system from OUCS shop under the Microsoft Campus agreement. Students are entitled to Microsoft education discounts for personal machines. Staff and students can also purchase discounted Microsoft products online - see download details.
- Word processing- Microsoft Office is available from IT staff free on department-owned machines. For personal machines staff are entitled to one copy of Microsoft Office from OUCS shop under the Microsoft Campus agreement. Students are entitled to Microsoft education discounts for personal machines. Staff and students can also purchase discounted Microsoft products online - see download details.
- Reference management - ask IT staff to installEndnote free on department-owned machines. Endnote for home use cost ~£80 from OUCS shop. Alternatively use EndnoteWeb online or Refworks online for free. Some students also download freeware Mendelay or Zotero.
- Web browsers - Internet explorer comes with Windows however many people use alternative free web-browsers like Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Maxthon. Comparison of web browsers.
- PDF software - for PDF creation and annotation, ask IT staff to install Nuance PDF Converter Pro (free on department-owned machines) or Acrobat Professional (costs money on department-owned machines). Alternatively download freeware pdf995 or cutepdf. Free PDF readers include Adobe Reader or Foxit Reader or Expert PDF Reader.
- Images - ask IT staff to install Corel Suite (free on department-owned machines) alternatively spend money at OUCS shop on various Adobe softwares such as Photoshop (£120 on department-owned machines) or Photoshop Elements (£20 on department-owned machines). Corel is also available for home use for £125 from OUCS shop but Adobe software is not available for home use. Many users download freeware such as GIMP or Inkscape and IrfanView. Programs for scanning probe microscope image manipulations include Gwyddion, ImageJ, WSxM. For Electron Microscopy there is widespread use of Digital Micrograph (costs money)
- Graphing - Excel is widely available as part of Microsoft Office but Excel not ideal for graphs and data analysis. Ask IT staff to install more powerful site-licensed software like Origin, Sigmaplot or Matlab (more details about these packages are below). Alternatively download freeware like QTI plot, Gnuplot
- Computer Aided Design (CAD) - The department does not provide any licensed CAD software. Students can freely download AutoCAD from http://students.autodesk.com/ (try Inventor Professional). For 3D try Google Sketchup. For 2D try Solid Edge Free2d. See Gizmo review of free CAD software or http://www.freecad.com/ for other suggestions.
- Mathematical - ask IT staff to install site-licensed software (see details below) like Mathematica or Matlab . Note that Maple is available free from OUCS for home use but Materials has not bought into site-licence for department owned machines.
- Anti-virus - all department-owned equipment has Sophos Antivirus installed by IT staff. Personally owned equipment must run antivirus software in order to be registered for the department network and usually this is also Sophos as per the OUCS antivirus instructions.
- Miscellaneous - SecureShell & Xming, WinSCP, Cisco AnyConnect VPN, TSM Backup, FilezillaFTP, MWsnap, Notepad++, 7-zip Skype
Specialist software
The following is a non-inclusive list of scientific software used in this Department. Contact itsupport@materials for more information.
| Software | Description | Licensing | OS | Availability | Media | Charging |
| ABAQUS | Finite element modelling software | Annual contribution to Abaqus license pool via Engineering. | Windows, Linux | Available on MML linux desktops and currently used by SGR and AJW group members under windows. | Contact IT support. | Annual contribution |
| CASTEP | density functional theory modelling software | Licensed to academia via UKCP consortium. Jonathan Yates is a co-author | Linux | Available in MML desktops. | Contact IT support | Free |
| ChemBioOffice | Full suite of tools for chemistry & biology | Site licensed via Chemistry for work and home until Sept 2010 | Windows, Mac | Some desktop/laptops | download from chemstry | Free (Paid by Chemistry) |
| COMSOL | Multiphysics simulation environment - finite element modelling | Two floating licenses owned by PSG group | Windows, Linux | Available in MML on linux desktops and in PSG group. | Contact IT support | Annual maintenance paid by PSG group |
| Crystalmaker, CrystalDiffract and SingleCrystal | Crystal structure and crystallography software | Site licensed via Chemistry for work and home until August 2010 | OS | Some desktop/laptops | download from chemstry | Free (Paid by Chemistry) |
| FLUENT | Finite element modelling | Single license | OS | oums-fluent in PSG group | Contact IT support | Costs lots of money |
| GAUSSIAN | Electronic structure modelling | Chemistry and OSC | OS | Chemistry and OSC. Gaussview available on MML desktops. | n/a | Costs lots of money |
| IDL | Graphical programming and data analysis environment | Physics have a departmental license. | OS | Used in AIK group. | n/a | Costs money |
| Labview | graphical programming for test, measurement and control | Annual contribution to site-license. Details at Physics and also License info | Windows,Mac,Linux | Various group laboratories. | Contact IT support | Annual contribution |
| MAPLE | mathematical software | Site-licensed through OUCS but Materials does not take part. | Windows,Mac,Linux | Not available. (use Mathematica or Matlab) | Contact IT support | Annual contribution |
| MATERIALS STUDIO | chemical modelling software | MML has some licenses. Jonathan Yates is co-author of Castep module. | Linux, Windows | Available on MML linux desktops and oums-accelrys windows for visualizer. | Contact IT support | Paid by MML |
| MATHEMATICA | mathematical modelling software | Annual contribution to site-licensed viaPhysics | Windows,Mac,Linux | Available on MML linux desktops and many user desktops/laptops. |  Instructions for Mathematica |
Free (Paid by MML) |
| MATLAB | Mathematical modelling and data analysis. Matlab training course at OUCS | Four different Matlab licensing routes | OS | Available in MML and on many group desktops. | Contact IT support for installation on department-owned machines. Download Student Edition for personally owned student machines. | Free (Paid by OSC) |
| ORIGIN | Graphing and data analysis | Site licensed via OSC. Network license and stand-alone roaming license. | Windows | Available on many desktops and laptops. | Instructions for Origin | Free (Paid by OSC) |
| SIGMAPLOT | Graphing and data analysis | Site licensed via OSC. Network license. | Windows | Available on some desktops. | Contact IT support | Free (Paid by Medical Sciences) |
| VASP | ab-initio quantum-mechanical molecular dynamics modeling | Five-user license bought by MML | Linux | Available in MML. | Contact IT support | Paid by MML |
| WIEN2K | density functional theory modeling | Licensed for use in MML | Linux | Available in MML. | Contact IT support | Paid by MML |
Compilers
IT support staff have experience of a range of different compilers for different computer architectures. Please discuss your requirements directly. Also see Polyhedron website.
- Intel compilers (Fortran, C++, windows, linux) - The OSC provides a central pool of Intel compiler licenses - the Linux compilers are up to date but the Windows is old (version 9) therefore Materials also operates an up to date 2-seat floating license for Intel Windows Fortran (FCompW,MKernW). Physics operate Intel compiler licenses for Linux and Mac.
- Portland Group Compilers (linux) - a central pool of freely-available licenses is operated by OSC and media is distributed via department IT staff.
- Compaq Visual Fortran - several researchers have CVF licensed for their own computers.
- NAG - libraries are site-licensed through OUCS but no-longer used in MML
