Prokka needs blastp 2.2 or higher.

[siryanto]

Hi
I'm reporting a bug.
When running Prokka you may encounter errors such as the following

[11:07:19] Looking for 'blastp' - found /mgpfs/apps/bioinformatics/apps/prokka-env/1/bin/blastp
[11:08:49] Determined blastp version is 2.16
[11:08:49] Prokka needs blastp 2.2 or higher. Please upgrade and try again.

This is indeed a bug.

Prokka requires blastp version 2.2 (which seems to mean 2.02) or higher. If it meant 2.2 (interpreted as 2.20), it doesn't make sense because the latest version of blastp is 2.16. Prokka is comparing the installed version, 2.16, as being lower than 2.2, causing the program to stop because it believes our blastp version is below the minimum requirement.

The solution is straightforward: edit the Prokka executable file (prokka) and modify the MINVER value. Locate the line with the following code:

 'blastp' => {
    GETVER  => "blastp -version",
    REGEXP  => qr/blastp:\s+($BIDEC)/,
    MINVER  => "2.2",
    NEEDED  => 1,

Change the MINVER value (MINVER => "2.2") to 2.16 (or another version matching your installed version). Do the same for the makeblastdb version.

By making these changes, Prokka should run without issues, recognizing the correct version of blastp. If you continue to experience problems, double-check the changes and ensure the versions align correctly. If needed, reach out for further assistance. Happy annotating!