# How to run DSSP

**URL:** <https://gromacs.bioexcel.eu/t/how-to-run-dssp/316>\
**Category:** User discussions\
**Created:** [June 15, 2020, 2:16pm UTC](https://gromacs.bioexcel.eu/t/how-to-run-dssp/316 "2020-06-15T14:16:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![js10230](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/fbc32d/32.png) [@js10230](https://gromacs.bioexcel.eu/u/js10230)\
**Post date:** [June 15, 2020, 2:16pm UTC](https://gromacs.bioexcel.eu/t/how-to-run-dssp/316/1 "2020-06-15T14:16:20Z")

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GROMACS version: 2018.3  
GROMACS modification: NO

I have been trying to run DSSP analysis by typing: gmx do\_dssp -f file.xtc -s file.tpr -o dssp.xpm -sc scount.xvg.

But I got an error saying, “ **DSSP executable (/usr/global/whatif/dssp/dssp) does not exist (use setenv DSSP)** ”.

How do I resolve this problem? When I was in college a few years ago, I didn’t have this problem (probably because it was the older version of Gromacs and DSSP).

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**Author:** ![jalemkul](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex017/user_avatar/gromacs.bioexcel.eu/jalemkul/32/18_2.png) [@jalemkul](https://gromacs.bioexcel.eu/u/jalemkul)\
**Post date:** [June 15, 2020, 5:32pm UTC](https://gromacs.bioexcel.eu/t/how-to-run-dssp/316/2 "2020-06-15T17:32:24Z")

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The `DSSP` environment variable has to be set such that it specifies the location of the `dssp` binary. You’re being told that the value of `$DSSP` points to something that doesn’t exist.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![js10230](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/fbc32d/32.png) [@js10230](https://gromacs.bioexcel.eu/u/js10230)\
**Post date:** [June 21, 2020, 4:24pm UTC](https://gromacs.bioexcel.eu/t/how-to-run-dssp/316/3 "2020-06-21T16:24:04Z")

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Thank you for the reply.  
Computing cluster person located the software for me, and I was supposed to use “mkdssp” command, instead.