Specify Appliance

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Specify Appliance

Specify is a software application for managing museum specimen collection. It is a powerful application that depends on software such as database management systems, so its first-time installation and uses can take time and effort. The iDigBio Specify Appliance helps reduce this burden by packaging Specify and all its required software in the form of a pre-configured, plug-and-play virtual appliance. The Specify Appliance runs as a virtual machine in your desktop, laptop or server, using freely available virtualization software (VirtualBox, or VMware). In its typical usage, a user installs the virtualization software, downloads the virtual appliance, unpacks it, and starts it up - then, the whole Specify software is available conveniently through a Web interface and/or a remote display client (VNC). "Under the hood", the virtual appliance is running Linux, Java, Specify, a Web server (Apache), and a database server (MySQL), and more - but the user does not need to worry about configuring and running any of this software - instead, just connecting to the Specify graphical user interface. The appliance supports both the Specify thin client (Web-based, with less features) and the full-featured thick client (through remote display). The steps below guide you through the process of installing and running the Specify appliance for the first time.

Specify appliance contains below software.

Packaged software

- MySQL
- Java Runtime Environment
- Specify 6.5
- Specify Thin Client
- VNCServer
- GNOME
- Configuration Console


1. Install hypervisor

Before you run Specify appliance, you need a virtual machine player. We recommend to use VMware player if you use Windows operating system. Follow this link and download the VMware player.

- http://www.vmware.com/support/download-player

If you are Mac user and do not have a VMware fusion installed, we recommend to use VirtualBox (because it is free!). Below link introduces how to install and configuring VirtualBox on Mac.

- Installing and configuring instruction for VirtualBox(for mac)


2. Download Specify appliance

for vmware

- http://www.acis.ufl.edu/~xetron/Downloads/Specify_Appliance_v2.2_vmware.zip

for VirtualBox

- http://www.acis.ufl.edu/~xetron/Downloads/Specify_Appliance_v2.2_virtualbox.zip

3. Specify appliance usage instruction

Running specify appliance

1. Extract the zip file.

Specify Appliance 00.png


2. Enter the appliance folder and run Specify appliance by double clicking the appliance file.

Specify Appliance 01.png


3. Click the green play button

Specify Appliance 02.png


4. Some message may pop up, you can simply click "no".

Specify Appliance 03.png


5. After the appliance boot completes, it shows several addresses.

Specify Appliance 04.png


Running specify thin client

1. Type the address to the address bar in the browser.

Specify Appliance 05.png


Running specify thick client through web browser

1. The browser acquire for the permission. You can click either of the permission.

Specify Appliance 06.png


2. If a message pops up saying the security does not allow it, you need to open "Java control panel" in the control panel and add the address in the exception list.

Specify Appliance 09.png


3. Enter the VNC password, the password is given in the appliance screen.

Specify Appliance 07.png


4. Now you can start Specify thick client.

Specify Appliance 08.png


Running specify thick client through VNC program

1. Download the VNC program from the below link and run it

- https://www.realvnc.com/download/

Specify Appliance 10.png


2. Enter the address and port number and connect

Specify Appliance 11.png


3. Double click the Specify program. The credential is given on the appliance screen.

Specify Appliance 12.png


Closing Specify Appliance

click either "suspend" or "shutdown" button in the menu, then you can close the hypervisor by clicking x button as other software.

Specify Appliance 13.png