<div>Hi,</div> <div>GRASS on a Ubuntu / Mandriva Linux distribution is most welcome.</div> <div>As it was said on this list, still installing GRASS on Linux needs GEEK support.</div> <div> </div> <div>GRASS on MS-Windows can lure neo-converts, to migrate to GRASS on Linux.</div> <div>Until recently (even now ??) GRASS on windows has serious difficulty, hope this also gets resolved.</div> <div>Cheers</div> <div>Ravi Kumar<BR><BR><B><I>Venkatesh Raghavan <raghavan@media.osaka-cu.ac.jp></I></B> wrote:</div> <BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid">Hi Cameron and others,<BR><BR>Cameron has made an excellent suggestion and<BR>summarized what needs to be done.<BR><BR>Our Mandriva FOSS4G Toolkit is not a LiveCD.<BR>The CD and training material can be assessed from.<BR>http://wiki.osgeo.org/index.php/Educational_Content_Inventory#Training_Notes_on_Spatial_Data_Sharing_using_FOSS<BR><BR>We are now
testing and re-building RPM for<BR>Mandriva 2008. I will put all info about this<BR>on wiki and inform on this list.<BR><BR>Kind regards<BR><BR>Venka<BR><BR>Cameron Shorter wrote:<BR>> Lorenzo and others, Your LiveCD and the UbuntuGIS, DebianGIS is an<BR>> excellent basis for the OSGeo Version Matrix required to seed the<BR>> building of an *integrated* OSGeo stack.<BR>> <BR>> The project dependencies I see are:<BR>> <BR>> OSGeo Packages +-OSGeo Matrix Project +-LiveCD +-MandrivaGIS <BR>> +-DebianGIS +-UbuntuGIS +-Ubuntu +-WindowsGIS (yet to be started) <BR>> +-Other distributions<BR>> <BR>> +-OpenSource Workshops +-Documentation<BR>> <BR>> The effort required to achieve all the above is huge. But there are <BR>> already many people working on each of these sections, and by <BR>> integrating our efforts we are all going to benefit. I hear your call<BR>> for donations and encourage it. Some people give money, others
give<BR>> time. Lets make it easy for people to give time to this project as<BR>> well.<BR>> <BR>> So I suggest the following: 1. Get buy in from the<BR>> Ubuntu/Debian/Mandriva GIS linux builders. I've see Venkatesh has<BR>> been packaging for Mandriva. Is anyone from Ubuntu/Debian communities<BR>> watching this thread? If not, lets email them and get their input.<BR>> <BR>> 2. Start an OSGeoVersionMatrix project. It could be the liveCD<BR>> project, or start from the versions in the liveCD project. It should<BR>> contain: * Web page * Email list * Version dependency matrix (how<BR>> should we store this) * Build processes * Test processes * Release<BR>> schedule This project would be an excellent candidate for <BR>> http://wiki.osgeo.org/index.php/OSGeo_Labs<BR>> <BR>> 3. Have projects like UbuntuGIS, DebianGIS, liveCD use the <BR>> OSGeoVersionMatrix as the core for building their own distributions,<BR>> which in
turn will ensure that testing, bug fixes etc all feed back<BR>> into the core repository.<BR>> <BR>> --- Do the above steps make sense?<BR>> <BR>> I might be volunteering to help with the initial grunt work.<BR>> <BR>> <BR>> Lorenzo Becchi wrote:<BR>>> Cameron analysis is clear and well centered to me. With others,<BR>>> we've started trying to do something in this direction since one<BR>>> year ago. it is clear to us that if we base the development of such<BR>>> a platform on volunteers, we will need a long time to succeed.<BR>>> loooong time. If we want something for the next year, an investment<BR>>> in time and money is needed. I know geeks capable to do the<BR>>> technical part (see: Luca, Jachym and Frankie) but I don't know<BR>>> who's interested to invest enough money on such a project.<BR>>> <BR>>> with Luca, as a challenge, we've decided to make a donation program<BR>>> for
our liveCd. In one year we've collected around 500€ (200 are<BR>>> mine) and we barely pay bandwidth, for the external host. This is<BR>>> just an example, we are not the only ones, but it's clear that<BR>>> without investments there will be poor future for such a thing. <BR>>> from the other side, downloads are growing continuously.<BR>>> <BR>>> try to search for "GIS live Cd" on google, and try to list projects<BR>>> that made more then one distro for longer then a year. Please,<BR>>> don't stop reading google list, go and see those pages, most of<BR>>> projects barely have a home page or are off since long.<BR>>> <BR>>> ciao Lorenzo<BR>>> <BR>>> <BR>>> <BR>>> <BR>>> Cameron Shorter wrote:<BR>>>> Gavin, I think the time is ripe to consolidate upon this goal. <BR>>>> I'd like to expand the goal a bit and then break it down into <BR>>>> achievable
steps.<BR>>>> <BR>>>> *The goal:* Powerful, Simple, Used, Integrated, Open Source<BR>>>> Geospatial Applications<BR>>>> <BR>>>> *Current status* We already have powerful applications, but we<BR>>>> still need geeks if you want to install and then use a full stack<BR>>>> of OSGeo software. Our applications are often easy to install by<BR>>>> themselves, but project release schedules are independent of each<BR>>>> other and it is hard to keep up with which versions of software<BR>>>> work with each other. Documentation and training material is<BR>>>> still in an early phase. This material needs to be cross project,<BR>>>> and matched to the software versions too.<BR>>>> <BR>>>> *Key Steps* *Set up project version dependency table* A table<BR>>>> which lists for each project version, the other project versions<BR>>>> it depends upon.
This dependency table can be used by UbuntuGIS,<BR>>>> DebianGIS, liveCD, a windows packager etc. For this we should be<BR>>>> able to tap into expertise from liveCD and linux distribution<BR>>>> communities. Once this dependency table exists, the onus on<BR>>>> maintaining it will become the responsibility of projects (and<BR>>>> become an entry criteria for OSGeo projects). For efficiency, it<BR>>>> would probably help to set a release timetable for snap shots of<BR>>>> the dependency list, which should be timed to link with with<BR>>>> other distributions.<BR>>>> <BR>>>> *OSGeo Workshops & Tutorials* * I see an immediate opportunity to<BR>>>> present OSGeo Workshops at Geospatial Conferences. Agencies want<BR>>>> to learn about OSGeo, and workshops are a great advertising tool<BR>>>> for companies looking for OSGeo work. * Together we
can<BR>>>> collectively build some quality documentation here, and we have<BR>>>> the resources (potential presenters) to develop the <BR>>>> documentation. * These workshops require a stable set of<BR>>>> software, so should be able to seed the dependency table as well.<BR>>>> <BR>>>> <BR>>>> *Further documentation* Comprehensive documentation which has<BR>>>> already started in the education committee should be able to tap<BR>>>> into and get a boost from the workshops and tutorials. I'll let<BR>>>> others comment on the path this should take.<BR>>>> <BR>>>> <BR>>>> Gavin Fleming wrote:<BR>>>>> While Venka is on the topic of packaging FOSS GIS for Ubuntu,<BR>>>>> I'd like to put a niche request / challenge to the community.<BR>>>>> <BR>>>>> High schools in South Africa and elsewhere need a
FOSS<BR>>>>> alternative to use and teach GIS, which is a compulsory part of<BR>>>>> the syllabus from this year. FOSS GIS at present is too<BR>>>>> inaccessible. My challenge is to have a packaged CD for Ubuntu<BR>>>>> to launch at FOSS4G2008 in Cape Town. This CD (or DVD) would<BR>>>>> have:<BR>>>>> <BR>>>>> -one-click installation for Linux, Windows or Mac. -Integrated<BR>>>>> software stack so teachers and learners have to launch a <BR>>>>> minimal number of applications -Simplified and customised GUIs<BR>>>>> to lower the entry threshold. -for teachers to teach curriculum<BR>>>>> requirements of GIS -for teachers to use GIS to teach geography<BR>>>>> and other subjects -for learners to use for hands-on work <BR>>>>> -Free, integrated global and local data package -excellent<BR>>>>> documentation
-framework for local contributors to structure<BR>>>>> and contribute exercises, lessons, etc. -central website for<BR>>>>> resources -possible advanced options for network deployment,<BR>>>>> more sophisticated users, 'computer studies' learners (i.e.<BR>>>>> developers), school web map services, etc.<BR>>>>> <BR>>>>> Any takers?<BR>>>>> <BR>>>>> Gavin<BR>>>>> <BR>>>>> <BR>>>> <BR>>> _______________________________________________ Discuss mailing<BR>>> list Discuss@lists.osgeo.org <BR>>> http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss<BR>>> <BR>> <BR>> <BR><BR>_______________________________________________<BR>Discuss mailing list<BR>Discuss@lists.osgeo.org<BR>http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss<BR></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><p> __________________________________________________<br>Do You Yahoo!?<br>Tired of
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