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Setting up STAMP files

To use STAMP, all users must define the environment variable STAMPDIR, and set it equal to the directory where you have done the installation. Users must also have STAMPDIR in their path. The logical thing is to make modifications to one's .cshrc file to this end.

STAMP reads PDB coordinate information and DSSP information in standard format. Thus, you really must have copies of PDB and DSSP output if you wish to make full use of the program (though DSSP is not, strictly speaking, required).

You must create files in the STAMP directory for reading by the program that are specific to your system. These files must be in STAMPDIR/pdb.directories. This file contains a description as to where possible PDB files may be found. The format is:

<directory>  <prefix>  <suffix> [RETURN]

For example:

/data/newpdb/pdb/           pdb .ent
/data/newpdb/prerelase/     pdb .ent
/usr/people/jack/extrapdb/  _ .pdb
./                          myprefix .pdb

A four letter code is meant to go between the suffix and prefix. For example, the file corresponding the PDB code 4mbn might be found in the file /data/newpdb/pdb/pdb4mbn.ent. A `_' character in the suffix or prefix field denotes no prefix or suffix. When a file is to correspond to a four letter code is to be found, STAMP routines will try each of the specifications in turn, and will use the first one found.

dssp.directories contains a description as to where possible DSSP files may be found. The format is as for pdb.directories, e.g.

/data/newdssp/  _ .dssp
/data/dssp/     _ .dssp

For example, the DSSP file for 4mbn might be found in the file /data/newdssp/4mbn.dssp



Rob Russell and Geoff Barton