---
title: "Software installation in a session"
url: "https://help.dectris.cloud/en/article/software-installation-in-a-session"
language: "en"
last_updated: "2025-04-02T14:41:50.621Z"
---

# Software installation in a session

Different examples of installing scientific software in an Ubuntu session

Within a session, you have full control over the Ubuntu environment, including sudo privileges with the password `dectris`. This allows you to install software packages just as you would on any other Ubuntu system.

## Example 1: Installing via command-line

You can install programs in a session using standard command-line tools such as `sudo apt install` or by extracting tarballs. In the following CloudPlay example, we install CCP4 following the official Linux installation instruction from the [CCP4 website](https://www.ccp4.ac.uk/download/doc/installation.html).

### CloudPlay

[Embedded content](https://www.youtube.com/embed/lVVweqm5xI0)

## Example 2: Installation via a package manager

Some scientific software packages, like CCP4, provide a package manager that allows installation through a graphical user interface (GUI)

### Step-by-step tutorial

1.  Download the [CCP4 package manager for linux](https://www.ccp4.ac.uk/download/#os=linux)
2.  Follow the install instructions in the GUI

### CloudPlay

[Embedded content](https://www.youtube.com/embed/aTmyD-CCmJA)

## Example 3: Utilizing installation scripts

For commonly used scientific software, we provide installation scripts to streamline and simplify the installation process: [dectris-cloud/scientific-software-installation](https://github.com/dectris-cloud/scientific-software-installation)

These scripts serve as an alternative to environments, making it possible to (1) provide installation instructions for non-distributable softwares that therefore cannot be shared via environments and (2) provide a streamlined and fast way of adding extra features to an existing session.

### Step-by-step tutorial for installing CCP4 via provided installation script

1.  Download the installation script from the DECTRIS CLOUD script repository.
2.  Make the script executable via the command `sudo chmod +x install_ccp4.sh`.
3.  Execute the script via `sudo ./install_ccp4.sh` 
    1.  In certain cases, you may be instructed to provide specific program or license files for the installation to proceed. If so, create the instructed install\_files folder with mkdir install\_files, and move the requested files there.
    2.  Rerun `sudo ./install_ccp4.sh` to perform the installation with the installation files.

### CloudPlay

[Embedded content](https://www.youtube.com/embed/eYz2IERF2Bk)

### Suggestions

If you have suggestions for additional installation scripts, we'd love to hear from you! Submit feedback via the form on our web application or contact us at feedback@dectris.cloud. 

## References

\[1\] https://www.ccp4.ac.uk/

\[2\] https://github.com/dectris-cloud/scientific-software-installation