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Refresh of Centrally Supported Software (January 2026)

The CSE team has completed a review of the centrally supported software and will make changes during January 2026, deploying current versions of software and refreshing the list of application based on user demand.

The full list of changes is appended below, though significant changes are, as follows:

  • ORCA will be added to the list of supported software
  • NWChem will be removed from the list of supported software (current installed versions will remain available on ARCHER2)
  • Code Saturne Version 9.0 will be installed.
  • QuantumEspresso Versions 7.5 and Version 7.4.1 will be installed.
  • VASP Version 6.5.1 will be installed (and made the default). VASP 6.5.1 with VTST will also be installed.
  • Blender will be updated to Version 5.0.
  • Climate Data Operators (CDO) will be updated to Version 2.5.4.
  • Paraview will be updated to Version 6.0.1.

The full list of changes is captured in the table below. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the ARCHER2 Service Desk.

Software Change
Applications
CASTEP Default version set to Version 25.11 (was 24.1)
Code_Saturne Add version 9.0
Py-ChemShell/Tcl-ChemShell Remove Py-ChemShell Version 23.0.3 (deprecated)
CP2K Add Version 2026.1
Default changed to version 2025.2 (was 2024.3)
FHI-aims Default changed to version 250822.0 (was 240920.0)
Add version 250822.0
GROMACS Add version 2024.7 and version 2025.4
Default changed to Version 2025.4
NAMD Add Version 3.0.2 (and make default). Also add Version 3.0.2 (No SMP) and Version 3.0.2 (GPU)
Remove Version 2.14 and Version 3.0
NWChem Removed from the list of supported software (current installed versions will remain available on ARCHER2)
ORCA Make ORCA a supported package and install ORCA Version 6.1.0 (as default)
Quantum Espresso Add versions 7.4.1 and 7.5
Move default to Version 7.3.1
Remove Version 6.8
VASP Install VASP 6.5.1 and make default
Also install VASP 6.5.1 with VTST
Libraries
Boost Remove version 1.72.0 (old version)
HYPRE Remove Version 2.18.0 (old version)
MUMPS Remove Version 5.3.5 (old version)
NetCDF Keep at Version 1.12.3.1/ 1.12.3.7, but update for Python 3.10 (cray-python)
PETSc Remove Version 3.14.2 (old version)
Scotch Remove Version 6.1.0 (old version)
SLEPC Remove Version 3.14.1 (old version)
SuperLU_DIST Remove Version 6.4.0 (old version)
VTK New library added to support LAMMPS
Analysis and Development Tools
Blender Update to Version 5.0
Climate Data Operators (CDO) Upgrade to Version 2.5.4.
Forge Change default to Version 25.0.1
Remove Version 22.1.3
Paraview Add Version 6.0.1
Remove Versions 5.10.1 and 5.11.1
PyTorch Remove Version 1.10.2
Upgrade CPU version to Version 2.9.1 (requires two modules: a source-code build for torch.distributed and a binary install that works with Horovod)
GPU version is dependent on ROCm version so must remain at Version 1.13.1
SCons Upgrade to Version 4.10.1
Spindle Upgrade to Version 0.14
TensorFlow Remove Version 2.9.3