BrainSuite
Select Page

Installing BrainSuite

System Requirements

Operating System: Windows 10 (64-bit); MacOS 10.8+; Linux 64-bit
Memory: 2 GB (4+ GB recommended)
Processor: x86

Surface/Volume Registration (SVReg) and the BrainSuite Diffusion Pipeline (bdp) require MATLAB Compiler Runtime (MCR) R2023a for BrainSuite23a. Use MCR R2019b for BrainSuite18b to BrainSuite21a, and R2015b for BrainSuite18a or earlier. This file can be downloaded for free from Mathworks here.
The BrainSuite software is distributed as a GUI for Windows, Macintosh OS X, and Linux platforms. Command line programs for cortical surface extraction and diffusion processing are also provided. The related software for Surface/Volume Registration (SVReg) is provided as a collection of command-line programs callable from BrainSuite’s GUI, while the BrainSuite Diffusion Pipeline (BDP) is a command-line only program.

The software may be downloaded here.

Installing on MacOS

MacOS Platforms

BrainSuite for MacOS is distributed as a disk image file (BrainSuite21a.dmg). To install:

  1. Open BrainSuite21a.dmg and drag the BrainSuite21a folder into your Applications folder, as indicated in the pop-up window.BrainSuite21a macOS Installer
  2. Download and install the 2019b MATLAB Runtime, available from Mathworks. See the Mathworks MATLAB Runtime page for more details.
  3. Open your Applications folder (or Launch Pad on the dock) and start BrainSuite21a from within the BrainSuite21a folder.
  4. Verify that the program has been installed correctly by checking that no red text warnings appear in the log at the bottom of the BrainSuite window.

Installing on Windows

Windows Platforms

On Windows, the software is distributed as an installer package (BrainSuite21a_win64.exe). To install:

  1. Run BrainSuite21a_win64.exe. This will initiate the BrainSuite Installer.

    brainsuite16a1_win_installer

  2. Follow the instructions for the Setup, indicating the folder in which you would like to save BrainSuite and its shortcuts.
  3. The Setup program will check to see if you have the correct version of the Matlab runtime libraries installed. If you do not, it will offer to download the 2019b MATLAB Runtime for you. Install this, and then continue the setup procedure.
  4. When Setup has finished, launch BrainSuite.
  5. Verify that the program has been installed correctly by checking that no red text warnings appear in the log at the bottom of the BrainSuite window.

Installing on Linux

Linux Platforms

On Linux, the software is distributed as gzipped tar file (BrainSuite21a.linux.tgz). This file can be installed to whichever location is most appropriate for your system. A typical location, provided you have administrator privileges, would be /opt/BrainSuite21a/. For individual use, you may want to locate the program in your home directory.

  1. Unzip and untar BrainSuite21a.linux.tgz file. This will create a BrainSuite21a folder which includes the files for CSE, BDP, and SVReg.

    2. This can be done on the command line using

    tar xvfz BrainSuite21a.linux.tgz

    Note that you can unpack BrainSuite into the /opt directory by using

    sudo tar xvfz BrainSuite21a.linux.tgz -C /opt/
  2. If necessary, move the folder to its desired location. You may need to use sudo to do this.
  3. Download and install the 2019b MATLAB Runtime for Linux, available from Mathworks. See the Mathworks MATLAB Runtime page for more details.
  4. To run the GUI on Linux (requires glibc 2.14, glibc++ 3.4.19 or greater), launch BrainSuite16a1 in the bin folder from the terminal, e.g., /opt/BrainSuite21a/bin/BrainSuite21a. Doing so will launch the user interface:

  5. We have run the BrainSuite GUI on Ubuntu 22.04LTS, 20.04LTS, 18.04LTS and 16.04LTS, as well as Debian 11.
  6. There are a variety of Linux flavors, so if you encounter difficulties with the installation, please visit the BrainSuite forums for assistance.

Building from Source

We highly recommend using the pre-compiled versions of BrainSuite, which have been tested for cross-platform compatibility. If you do wish do build the software from the source code, instructions for how to do this are provided on this page.