<p>Johan,<br>
I agree that it would be hugely valuable to extend the osgeolive packaging and marketing to windows. And osgeo4w has done much of the hard packaging work. We just need a few people to drive the packaging and qa process. <br>
</p>
<p>On 24/11/2011 7:56 AM, "Johan Van de Wauw" <<a href="mailto:johan.vandewauw@gmail.com">johan.vandewauw@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br type="attribution"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
Very interesting to read this experience. In fact it makes me doubt<br>
whether we should not also focus on providing a live dvd for windows,<br>
where one could test different programs without having to install<br>
them, and which can use the same documentation and quickstarts as the<br>
linux version.<br>
I know many people who would definitely use such a disk; and continue<br>
using it, but much less people who would actually do so with the linux<br>
version.<br>
<br>
Johan<br>
<br>
On Wed, Nov 9, 2011 at 3:14 AM, Cameron Shorter<br>
<<a href="mailto:cameron.shorter@gmail.com">cameron.shorter@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br>
> osgeo-live people,<br>
><br>
> Erik, CCed, has provided valuable feedback describing his experience using<br>
> OSGeo-Live. Thanks Erik.<br>
><br>
><br>
> On 9/11/2011 12:12 PM, Erik Lash wrote:<br>
><br>
> Hi Cameron,<br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> Please feel free to post my comments to the list.<br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> Sincerely,<br>
><br>
> Erik Lash<br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> From: Cameron Shorter [mailto:<a href="mailto:cameron.shorter@gmail.com">cameron.shorter@gmail.com</a>]<br>
> Sent: Monday, November 07, 2011 2:46 AM<br>
> To: Helena Mitasova<br>
> Cc: Hamish; Erik Lash<br>
> Subject: Re: Fwd: OSGEO Live 5 USB Distribution testing<br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> Thanks for the feedback Helena and Erik,<br>
> Do you mind if we forward this email onto our osgeo-live email list so that<br>
> we can share this feedback with others, which hopefully can lead to an<br>
> improved osgeo-live?<br>
><br>
> On 7/11/2011 3:50 PM, Helena Mitasova wrote:<br>
><br>
> Cameron,<br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> I am not sure whether this would be useful for the next version of<br>
> OSGEO-Live, but I gave the USB<br>
><br>
> that I got in Denver to one of my students (MS Windows user) to try it out<br>
> on his own as is.<br>
><br>
> (he knows GDAL and GRASS but not much linux).<br>
><br>
> Below is summary of his experience (he might not have used it the way it was<br>
> indented to be used),<br>
><br>
> but note #6 which worked very well.<br>
><br>
> <snip><br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> Feel free to contact Eric Lash directly if you have any questions,<br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> Helena<br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> Begin forwarded message:<br>
><br>
> From: "Erik Lash" <<a href="mailto:elash@ncsu.edu">elash@ncsu.edu</a>><br>
><br>
> Date: October 10, 2011 9:12:32 AM EDT<br>
><br>
> To: "Helena Mitasova" <<a href="mailto:hmitaso@unity.ncsu.edu">hmitaso@unity.ncsu.edu</a>><br>
><br>
> Cc: <<a href="mailto:elash@ncsu.edu">elash@ncsu.edu</a>><br>
><br>
> Subject: OSGEO Live 5 USB Distribution testing<br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> Hi Dr. Mitasova,<br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> I’ve spent some time playing around with the OSGEO Live system this weekend.<br>
> (learning a lot about Linux)<br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> I’ve installed it on my 64 bit Windows server as a virtual drive and on my<br>
> Windows laptop as a dual boot operating system and attempted to use the use<br>
> the USB distribution. I’ll be doing my homework for this week on it.<br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> The USB installation has proved too cumbersome for easy use alongside my<br>
> current implementations of Windows and Windows Server and needs to be<br>
> tweaked a bit before it’s something that will be readily accessible to the<br>
> normal student.<br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> Six significant issues of feedback that I’ve noted so far are:<br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> 1) Documentation is not well formatted or easy to find if one is not<br>
> already familiar with Linux. I spent much time searching online forums this<br>
> weekend to find answers to basic use questions like -> “how does one tweak<br>
> display settings in XFce?” and “how does one connect to a network drive”. A<br>
> good set of instructions and a useful FAQ that addresses basic computer<br>
> integration tasks needs to be included on the desktop with the USB<br>
> distribution (and the other ones as well).<br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> 2) Network drives are not easily supported and the auto-mount features<br>
> don’t seem to work without significant tweaking over the network. I keep my<br>
> data and documents on a separate network drive (for security and backup<br>
> purposes) at home just like at the University. Setting up the OSGEO Live<br>
> distribution to work with my network seems an almost insurmountable task (to<br>
> this Linux novice/newbie) and I’ve had to move my documents to a portable<br>
> USB stick to do my homework.<br>
><br>
> a. What would be great would be to have a feature that allows for the<br>
> installation to remember and automatically mount network directories after<br>
> reboot. Instead all I can figure out is how to set them up manually each<br>
> time I start the system…not efficient and somewhat time consuming.<br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> 3) Monitors – Monitors – Monitors : Still don’t have this one figured<br>
> out…I use multiple monitors with all my computers. I’ve tried to install and<br>
> use some of the add on packages and have followed the directions from OSGEO<br>
> for this but I still cannot get the OSGEO Live distribution to extend my<br>
> desktop onto a second monitor (or resize correctly on one screen). The<br>
> default seems to be for it to mirror to a second monitor which is almost<br>
> useless for someone like me who uses the space on the second monitor for<br>
> other programs.<br>
><br>
> a. This is probably the most annoying issue of all…I can’t function<br>
> without multiple monitors. It’s how I prefer to work.<br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> 4) Among its other problems the USB drive installation is too big for<br>
> the USB drive. Can’t update it, add data, or add features because its native<br>
> distribution fills up the USB drive almost completely. It’s just too<br>
> cumbersome and bulky for ease of use. Not very much use for a class like MEA<br>
> 792 where we create and use a lot of data and often need to add features to<br>
> software ŕ I’ve given up trying to use the USB installation and have found<br>
> that the both the dual boot and virtual installs work much better.<br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> 5) Installing OSGEO Live to dual boot with Windows is really really<br>
> really buggy and not easily accomplished without significant<br>
> effort. Documentation is not adequate and it took me several attempts and<br>
> system restores to get it right. Now that I have it working, though, it’s<br>
> great.<br>
><br>
> a. Primary problem in setup was that the user login is incorrect -><br>
> calls for lowercase letters only but the OSGEO Live default uses uppercase<br>
> letters. It gets stuck in a loop and a hard boot is required to interrupt<br>
> the setup process.<br>
><br>
> i. Had<br>
> to install it once, hard boot out of the error, then was presented with a<br>
> user login screen during the next attempt that allowed me to create a new<br>
> user for the install with lowercase lettering. That allowed me to finish the<br>
> installation.<br>
><br>
> b. Secondary problems included conflicts with Windows disk management<br>
> when trying to manually configure partitions (both existing partitions and<br>
> new ones).<br>
><br>
> i. Solution<br>
> was to make the entire hard drive a single Windows partition in windows then<br>
> install using the “alongside windows” feature that automatically<br>
> repartitions windows space.<br>
><br>
> ii. This<br>
> would have been a real BIG issue if I had data on another hard drive for<br>
> example a standard configuration: [ c:\Install, d:\Data ]. Instead I have a<br>
> local network that I use so I was afforded the luxury of only having a<br>
> single partition on my laptop. However, I usually do multi-partition my<br>
> drives for organization, backup, and security reasons.<br>
><br>
> c. A tertiary problem was that the OSGEO installation sets Unbuntu as<br>
> the default OS and I didn’t want that. I still plan to use Windows first and<br>
> select the OSGEO drive primarily for doing my homework.<br>
><br>
> i. I<br>
> used a recovery to restore the MBR to Windows default and EasyBCD to<br>
> configure a second boot option to manually select the GRUB menu…now it<br>
> automatically boots Windows unless I select the OSGEO install.<br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> 6) Installing OSGEO Live to VirtualBox was super easy with both the<br>
> vmdk and ISO. It works super good as a virtual machine. ISO installation of<br>
> a new OS seems to work better than the vmdk as it allows for custom<br>
> installation from scratch. The only major issue was getting the network<br>
> drives mounted (these include drives on the local machine because a virtual<br>
> drive acts as a separate machine) and shares had to be set up. But now I can<br>
> remote to it from my laptop and even from out of my house through my home<br>
> VPN…can even connect to it from campus if I want…just like an NCSU VCL<br>
> installation but hosted at my own house.<br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> - Erik<br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------<br>
><br>
> I just thought you might be interested in this.<br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> I run OSGEO as a headless installation for remoting in from my laptop<br>
> attached to a second monitor (OSGEO L 5 gets a monitor by itself and Windows<br>
> stays on the other monitor for access to all my Windows softare)…was a bit<br>
> tricky to figure out how to do it but it turned out to be quite simple in<br>
> the end. There are other ways to do this but the vbs method fit my needs<br>
> perfectly.<br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> I use a vbs script on the server…<br>
><br>
> '=====================================<br>
><br>
> Set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")<br>
><br>
> obj = WshShell.Run("C:\Progra~1\Oracle\VirtualBox\VBoxHeadless.exe -s<br>
> OSGEO_L5_Standard", 0)<br>
><br>
> set WshShell = Nothing<br>
><br>
> '=====================================<br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> Voila…use Windows standard remote desktop interface to connect to the<br>
> process from any Windows machine (or another remote desktop interface from<br>
> some other OS).<br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> -Erik<br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> --<br>
><br>
> Cameron Shorter<br>
><br>
> Geospatial Solutions Manager<br>
><br>
> Tel: <a href="tel:%2B61%20%280%292%208570%205050" value="+61285705050">+61 (0)2 8570 5050</a><br>
><br>
> Mob: <a href="tel:%2B61%20%280%29419%20142%20254" value="+61419142254">+61 (0)419 142 254</a><br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> Think Globally, Fix Locally<br>
><br>
> Geospatial Solutions enhanced with Open Standards and Open Source<br>
><br>
> <a href="http://www.lisasoft.com" target="_blank">http://www.lisasoft.com</a><br>
><br>
> --<br>
> Cameron Shorter<br>
> Geospatial Solutions Manager<br>
> Tel: <a href="tel:%2B61%20%280%292%208570%205050" value="+61285705050">+61 (0)2 8570 5050</a><br>
> Mob: <a href="tel:%2B61%20%280%29419%20142%20254" value="+61419142254">+61 (0)419 142 254</a><br>
><br>
> Think Globally, Fix Locally<br>
> Geospatial Solutions enhanced with Open Standards and Open Source<br>
> <a href="http://www.lisasoft.com" target="_blank">http://www.lisasoft.com</a><br>
><br>
> _______________________________________________<br>
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> <a href="mailto:Live-demo@lists.osgeo.org">Live-demo@lists.osgeo.org</a><br>
> <a href="http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/live-demo" target="_blank">http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/live-demo</a><br>
> <a href="http://live.osgeo.org" target="_blank">http://live.osgeo.org</a><br>
> <a href="http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Live_GIS_Disc" target="_blank">http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Live_GIS_Disc</a><br>
><br>
</blockquote></p>