System Requirements for Plant Base (versions 2.x.x)

Hardware:

There are no special requirements, the Plant Base program will run on any PC or laptop based on Intel/AMD type processors. It will run adequately even on old and low power systems.

The program does not use excessive memory, run-time memory will fluctuate depending on database activity but will generally be less than 50Mb. Any system with adequate RAM for its operating system should be fine.

Disc space required depends mostly on the data stored. Installation with the supplied database will need about 500Mb, with an empty database only approximately 6Mb is needed. Backup or additional database copies will of course use more.

A reasonable graphics display is needed, minimum 1024x600 resolution, but 1280x768 or larger is recommended.

An internet connection is not required. Where web links are available either within the application or from recorded reference data, the program will simply attempt to invoke the default web browser. The program itself has no network capability.

Operating Systems:

The application program has no external dependencies other than common functions provided by the normal operating system. The program executable is self-contained, no special frameworks or separate subsystems are used.

Microsoft Windows

The current Windows edition of Plant Base 2 is available as two versions:-

Version 2.1.16 (32-bit) requires Windows 2000 or later. This will also run on 64-bit systems, so therefore any Windows machine since W2K.

Version 2.2.0 (64-bit) needs Windows Vista or later and a 64-bit operating system.

Apple MacOS

The Mac edition also has two versions:-

A "legacy" version 2.1.16, runs on MacOS 10.6.8 Snow Leopard or later, with both 32-bit and 64-bit app executables available. From MacOS 10.15 Catalina only 64-bit apps are supported.

Version 2.2.0, 64-bit only, intended for MacOS 12 Monterey or later.

All MacOS executables are built for Intel processors, but should run on Apple Silicon processor M-series models using Rosetta 2 emulation.

Linux

The Linux edition should run on most popular distributions and with any desktop environment that supports GTK2. Very old Linux versions may not be able to execute the program, as below. Some desktop environments and themes may change the appearance of the user interface, those with a "classic" style are the most predictable.

All Linux executables are built for Intel/AMD processor architecture.

The Linux edition is available as two versions. 32-bit and 64-bit executables are provided for both.

Version 2.1.16 will run on distributions dating from about 2019 (Debian 10 or equivalent other base distribution).

Version 2.2.0 needs a distribution dating from about 2021 (Debian 11 or equivalent).

A general guide for executable compatibility is the GNU C Library (GLibC) version for the Linux distribution. GLibC version 2.28 or later is needed for Plant Base 2.1.16, whereas GlibC 2.31 or later is required for PlantBase 2.2.0. There should be no problem running any Plant Base version on the latest Linux releases.

The Windows edition of Plant Base has been run under WINE, however there is a known issue that prevents display of the toolbar component of the user interface. We don't recommend this option.

Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation
Mac and MacOS are trademarks of Apple Inc.