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A: Yes. ProtoFit is released under the GNU General Public License (GPL), and thus is both Open Source and Free Software.
Basically, this means that the user is granted some rights to modify and redistribute the software. See the license for details.
A: The Microsoft Windows and Linux versions contain all of the needed software, and do not require that additional software be set up.
The source-only package does not contain any of the additional software. The program ProtoFit itself (i.e. the number crunching component) must be compiled in order to run. Compilation requires the following:
ProtoFit GUI (i.e. the graphical user interface) in the source-only package requires additional software to run. It requires that the following software be set up:
See the download page for links to where this software may be obtained. Older versions may require additional software as described on the old versions page.
A: ProtoFit and ProtoFit GUI should run on most popular contemporary operating systems. Available at this site are executable versions for Linux and Microsoft Windows. The software should also be able to run on most popular variants of Unix (e.g. Mac OS X, FreeBSD, AIX, etc.) once the additional software above is set up.
A: Since Mac OS X is a variant of Unix, ProtoFit and ProtoFit GUI should be able to run on it. However, an executable version is not currently available at this site. This means that additional software must be set up in order to get it to work. Because earlier versions of Mac OS than OS X are not variants of Unix, getting ProtoFit GUI to run on them may be difficult.
A: The Windows installer has not been updated in a long time, so the default installation location for ProtoFit 2.1 rev1 and earlier will not work properly with the "newer" versions of Windows. To correct this, first unistall ProtoFit. When re-installing, enter C:\ProtoFit instead of the default C:\Program Files\ProtoFit when the installer asks you to "Select Destination Directory." Otherwise, ProtoFit will not run correctly.
A: Please see the above response for Windows 10.
A: Not currently. ProtoFit is designed only for simple acidic and basic proton exchange reactions. Triple layer models involve reactions between the surface and electrolyte counterions. Enabling ProtoFit to optimize or simulate a triple layer model would require a major modification. There are currently no plans to enable the triple layer model in the near future.
A: Probably not. In some cases, the user may be able to "trick" the program into optimizing or simulating such a model. Otherwise, modification of the code would be required.
A: Since ProtoFit is Free Software, the user is granted the freedom to modify the source code. Models very similar to models already implemented should be relatively easy to add. Models not very similar may require major modification. This code is designed for legibility and ease of maintenance, however that does not necessarily mean that the code will be easy to understand and modify. It would probably be a good idea for anyone attempting to modify the code to contact the author for advice.
A: Possibly. ProtoFit has not been updated in a long time, but the author has ideas for making ProtoFit more useful. At the very least, the author will try to ensure that ProtoFit remains a useful tool for many years.
Comments and constructive feedback are appreciated.
A: No. The titration can begin at any pH value. The buffering function that ProtoFit calculates is independent of the starting conditions of the titration. This makes the buffering function useful for comparing titrations conducted under different conditions.
Titrant volume values in the data file are expressed relative to the beginning of the data set (i.e. they begin at zero).
A: The author is Benjamin F. Turner.