Evaluation & Setup
Evaluation
- Specify 6 Model for Institution Organization
- Specify 6 Collection Database Architecture, Organizational Model, and User Account Access to Multiple Collections
- Specify 6 Hardware/Software Requirements (PDF)
- Collection Management Software Criteria Checklist (Canadian Heritage Information Network, CHIN)
- Specify Software & Hardware Compatibility Spreadsheet (2-2-2022) (PDF)
Hardware Setup
- Replacing Oracle (Java) JRE with Amazon Corretto on Specify 6 computers
- MySQL Options for Institutions
- Setting Up Specify to Use a Networked MySQL Server
- Setting Up Specify to use a Shared Workstation as a Database Server
- Changing the default MySQL engine to InnoDB
Installation Using MariaDB (Recommended)
- Installing MariaDB and Specify 6 on Windows 8 or newer
- Installing MariaDB and Specify 6 on macOS 11 or newer
- Installing MariaDB and Specify 6 on Debian-based Linux
Installation Using MySQL 5.7
- Replacing Oracle (Java) JRE with Amazon Corretto on Specify 6 computers
- Installing MySQL and Specify 6 on Mac OS X (Older Macs)
- Installing MySQL on Windows for Specify
Specify Setup
- Specify Setup Wizard Documentation
- Installing Specify in Portuguese (PDF)
- Gallery of Printed Label and Report Formats (PDF)
Importing Data


Documentation
- Complete Specify Embedded Help Text Formatted for Printing (PDF, 3.7 MB, 394 pp)
- Field Formatting and Auto-Numbering
- Specify 6 Synonym Cleanup Tool
- Approaches to Cataloging Tissues in Specify
- Importing and Exporting Pick Lists
- Editing Field Names/Captions and Descriptions
- Configure and View Audit Logs in Specify 6
- Managing ISO Codes in Specify 6
- Specify Schema GGBN Update v2.4 Changes, PDF, Oct 2017
- Online Specify DB Schema, v2.9, September 2021 (as of Specify 6.8.01 and 7.6.0)
- Specify 6.8.01 Release Notes, PDF, Sep 2021
- Changes to Specify DB Schema made in v2.9, 15 September 2021 (Specify 6.8.01 and 7.60)