Install BLAST

Step 1: Launch AWS instance

If you do not have access to a command line terminal on your computer (e.g., WindowsOS), you can set up an AWS remote instance to run command line programs.

Boot a t2.micro instance on AWS and connect your shell prompt.

Tip

If you need assistance setting up an instance check out the tutorial Intro to AWS!

Step 2: Install BLAST software using command line

Now, install the NCBI BLAST software. Copy and paste the following installation commands:

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get -y install python ncbi-blast+

The sudo apt-get update command is used to download package information from all configured sources. So when you run the update command, it downloads the package information from the internet. This updates the software list and installs the Python programming language and NCBI BLAST+.

Check that the installation was successful:

Input

blastp -version

Expected Output

ubuntu@ip-172-31-17-217:~$ blastp -version
blastp: 2.9.0+
Package: blast 2.9.0, build Sep 30 2019 01:57:31

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Last update: May 2, 2022