[OSGeo Africa] FOSS GIS

[Edouard Legoupil]

Hi Franck,
 
My feeling is that in 2007, it is not possible to avoid mentioning web mapping applications when talking about Open Source GIS

Here's below a tentative of categorization the most known packages:
 
Remote sensing oriented soft:
OSSIM
ILWIS
Spring
Multispec

Desktop GIS:
GRASS (is also good for raster)
QGIS (QGIS can be coupled with Grass as QGIS interface is far more user friendly)
Mapwindows
 
Java Desktop GIS:
Udig, 
gvSIG, 
the JUMP family (open Jump, Sky JUMP, Dee JUMP, etc.. http://www.openjump.org/wiki/show/OpenJUMPs+Family )
 
Server GIS:
Based on UMN Mapserver (- www.cartoweb.org , kmap, maplab...) 
Based on Java Geotools (- www.Geoserver.org for implementation of WFS-T, Mapbuilder, Mapbender)
MapGuide 
 
Spatial DB:
Postgis/PostgreSQL

Metadata management (very important):
geonetwork
 
Libraries and small utilities:
Geotools,
FWtools
GDAL 
Proj
OGR
 
Maybe you should introduce some ideas on how to evaluate the reliability of an open source project and how such project are created and evolves (number of users, number of release, etc...). The case of Jump is a good example of how a project can divide itself.... 
 
Another good point would be to present the Open Source business model (Nothing's free in this world!): Some projects are supported by Governmental organization and developed by private companies, some are through Universities, and some are former proprietary solutions that turned out to be open source like MapGuide from Autodesk....
 
Good Luck and best regards,
Edouard



>>> "mark at deblois.nl" <mark at deblois.nl> 09/05/07 06:53PM >>>
Hi Frank,

You might also want to mention:
- ILWIS remote sensing software which has gone open source recently (see
http://52north.org/index.php?option=com_projects&task=showProject&id=30&Itemid=127),
- FWTools (http://fwtools.maptools.org/)
- OpenJump (http://openjump.org/wiki/show/HomePage).
- uDIG (http://udig.refractions.net/confluence/display/UDIG/Home)
- gvSIG (http://www.gvsig.gva.es/index.php?id=gvsig&L=2)

I presume you are not going to get into web mapping applications or
spatial databases, in that case there is a lot to add to the list.

cheers,
Mark de Blois
GIS Consultant
Maplecroft


>> Hi,<br><br>I'm planning a seminar on FOSS GIS software, which I'll be
> presenting to GIS/Remote Sensing students at the University of
>> KwaZulu-Natal. I'll be demonstrating GRASS, QGIS, MultiSpec, Spring and
> MapWindow&nbsp;but would like to know whether&nbsp;there any other
> packages worth looking at? Anyone have any suggestions?<br>&nbsp;<br>I'm
> also a bit confused about OSSIM. Is it a standalone program or is it a
> collection of library routines? The OSSIM webpages are not all that
> clear.<br><br>Regards,<br>Frank Sokolic.<br>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Africa mailing list
>> Africa at lists.osgeo.org 
>> 
>>
>
>
>
>


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