[OSGeo-Discuss] Can we use a LiveDVD for workshops and labs at FOSS4G 2009?

[Alex Mandel]

Tyler Mitchell (OSGeo) wrote:
> 
> On 19-Oct-08, at 5:30 PM, P Kishor wrote:
> 
>> I have no skin in this game, but I would second the above sentiment.
>> While "not free as in beer" should not be as much of a problem as "not
>> free as in speech," ignoring Windows is perilous and foolish. Because
>> of its lack of architecture diversity and its monolithic nature,
>> actually Windows can be a pretty good open source development platform
>> because one can actually get past dicking around with installing the
>> damn software and get to developing with it.
> 
> This thread is discussin "LiveDVD", right, which is not readily possible
> with Windows unless running some sort of VM.  But of course, the
> solution is to have installers and packaged demos ready to go.  That's
> the goal of projects like OSGeo4W:
> http://trac.osgeo.org/osgeo4w/
> 
> Hopefully those with more Windows experience can help on that front.
> 

An additional option which would be closer to a LiveDVD option would be
PortableGIS via a usb.http://www.archaeogeek.com/blog/portable-gis/

And yes I agree that we should distribute OSGeo4W and MS4W on top of
live options as giveaways at booths etc.

As for the statement earlier made "...with installing the
damn software and get to developing with it." I think it would be more
appropriate to change developing to using.
It is much slower from my experience trying to develop on a windows
system, and if you're talking Open Source, you really should be(wish
list) talking cross platform or open platform. I'll also toss in that
the free versions of Visual Studio leave out certain things that make it
impossible to compile certain apps or to compile them without Visual Studio.

Don't get me wrong, I think Open Source is open source in all it forms
and I appreciate it all it's forms. But even if you only use windows or
linux or mac acknowledging the others and working across is a good thing.

Alex