# System Requirements

NetLogo 5.0.3 User Manual

NetLogo runs on almost any current computer.

If you have any trouble with NetLogo not working, see Contacting Us.

## Application Requirements

### Windows

NetLogo runs on Windows 7, Vista, 2000, and XP.

The NetLogo installer for Windows installs Java 6 for NetLogo's private use only. Other programs on your computer are not affected.

### Mac OS X

Mac OS X 10.4 or newer is required. (NetLogo 4.0 was the last version to support 10.3 and 10.2.)

We recommend you use Software Update to ensure that you have the latest Java.

### Other platforms

NetLogo should work on any platform on which Java 5 or later is installed. Java 6 or later is strongly recommended. (If you have any trouble, try using the official Java from Oracle, not some alternate. GNU libgcj does not work. Very recent versions of OpenJDK, 1.6.0.0-22.b22 or newer, may work; older ones don't.)

Start NetLogo by running the provided `netlogo.sh` script. Double-clicking NetLogo.jar may appear to work but is not recommended.

## Applet Requirements

NetLogo models saved as Java applets should work in any web browser where Java 5 (or later) is installed.

If you are using Firefox 4 on Mac OS X 10.6 or earlier and NetLogo applets don't work, try updating Java through Software Update, and if that doesn't help, try a different browser such as Safari. (There are two different Java applet browser plugins Mac OS X, known as "plugin1" and "plugin2". Safari uses plugin1 by default, Firefox 4 uses plugin2. plugin1 works with NetLogo, plugin2 doesn't. Plugin1 is considered legacy; Oracle and Apple are now only improving plugin2. As of Mac OS X 10.7, only plugin2 is available.)

## 3D Requirements

Occasionally an older, less powerful system is not able to use the 3D view or NetLogo 3D. Try it and see.

Some systems can use 3D but can't switch to full-screen mode. It depends on the graphics card or controller. (For example, the ATI Radeon IGP 345 and Intel 82845 probably will not work.)

## Java Notes for Windows Users

Most Windows users should choose the standard NetLogo download, which includes a bundled Java 6 which is for NetLogo's private use only; other programs on your computer are not affected.

There are two reasons you might want to use the alternate download, without bundled Java:

1. You want a smaller download so it arrives faster and uses up less space on your hard drive.
2. For specific technical reasons of your own, you want to run NetLogo using a different Java than the one we bundle.

If you think the alternate download might be appropriate for you, please read on.

Even if you already have Java installed on your computer, using that Java may make NetLogo run slowly.

For maximum performance, NetLogo uses a special option called the "server" VM. The default Java Runtime Environment (JRE) installer from Oracle does not install this option. It is only included in Oracle's Java Development Kit (JDK).

If you are not a Java developer, then you probably have the JRE, not the JDK, and if you use it with NetLogo, models may run somewhat slower.