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

[Daniel P. Ames]

For South Africa, we just needed Windows XP or Vista and Visual Basic .NET
Express Edition (though C# or SharpDevelop would also work). Of course these
have to be installed before hand - can't be run from a live CD (I'll look
into what can be done from a Live CD with Windows and post back here.)

In any case, I hate to be the Sarah Palin supporter at an Obama rally (or
for that matter, an open source GIS guy at a Spanish ESRI conference!), but
Windows is a bit of a pragmatic choice for us and for our target users. So
thanks to those of you who haven't told us to hold our meetings outside the
conference at the cafe or something :)

Maybe time to move this thread to the Conference mailing list?

- Dan

On Sun, Oct 19, 2008 at 9:28 PM, Cameron Shorter
<cameron.shorter at gmail.com>wrote:

> Thanks Daniel,
> It is good to know that there are projects which depend upon Windows.
>
> For MapWindws, (and any other windows based workshops), what should we
> install on our lab computers? Can we cover everything using OSGeo4W? Or
> should we use something different?
>
> Maybe we should set up the lab computers to dual boot  with Windows +
> OSGeo4W / LiveDVD.
>
> Daniel P. Ames wrote:
>
>> Hi folks.  As you all know, there is a growing interest in open source for
>> Windows. Especially with Microsoft's release of its developer tools in free
>> "express" editions and the availability of such tools as SharpDevelop and
>> Mono.
>> MapWindow is .NET based and the bulk of our developers and users are
>> strictly MS based.  I don't think this makes them any less human, it just
>> says that their threshold for open source is set such that a $90 Windows
>> operating system is considered acceptable but a $10000 GIS is not.
>> We had a great turnout at the MapWindow lab and worshop in South Africa
>> and got lots of "hey it's great to see .NET open source GIS here" comments.
>>  So, call us mudbloods, but it's an approach that we see has a huge added
>> value for lots of folks.  Bottom line, if having Windows on some lab
>> computers doesn't add a huge expense, then we'd hope that Windows based labs
>> and/or workshops would be encouraged.
>>
>> Indeed, consider the opportunities for demonstrating QGIS and GRASS and
>> others on Windows to help convert Linux avoiders over to OSGeo.
>>
>> - Dan
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Dave Patton <davep at confluence.org>
>> Sent: Sunday, October 19, 2008 3:02 PM
>> To: OSGeo Discussions <discuss at lists.osgeo.org>
>> Subject: Re: [OSGeo-Discuss] Can we use a LiveDVD for workshops and labs
>> at FOSS4G 2009?
>>
>> On 2008/10/19 1:30 PM, Cameron Shorter wrote:
>>
>>
>>> I'm wondering whether it will be achievable and desirable to use a
>>> GeoFOSS LiveDVD as the only installed operating system at workshops
>>> and labs at FOSS4G 2009.
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>>> So my questions to communities are:
>>>
>>> Do you and your project think you would commit to packaging your
>>> project into a debian based LiveDVD before FOSS4G in October 2009?
>>>
>>> For presenters, would you want to add tutorial material to the
>>> LiveDVD, which would mean using an Open licence like Creative
>>> Commons?
>>>
>>>
>>
>> I would start by asking a different question - does anyone
>> foresee any issue with not having MS Windows available as
>> an option for Workshops/Labs for FOSS4G 2009?
>>
>> We might not want to restrict the discussion to "OSGeo projects".
>> What if a Sponsor, or Exhibitor, or 'some software company', or
>> 'some non-OSGeo project' submitted a proposal to deliver a
>> Workshop/Lab, and it merited consideration for inclusion in the
>> conference, but it required MS Windows?
>>
>> Were there Workshops/Labs at FOSS4G 2008 that could not have
>> been delivered without having MS Windows?
>>
>> If we assume that there was 'some need' for MS Windows for
>> FOSS4G 2009, but that it wasn't needed for "all the PCs",
>> how would people react to Workshops/Labs that required
>> MS Windows also requiring a higher registration fee?
>> (i.e. higher by the incremental cost of the license to
>> use MS Windows on the PC for the Workshop/Lab)
>>
>>
>> P.S.
>> It helps if everyone uses the term "Instructors" when
>> referring to Workshops/Labs, because "Presenter" makes
>> people think of "Presentations", and sometimes that
>> causes confusion.
>>
>>
>>
>
>
> --
> Cameron Shorter
> Geospatial Systems Architect
> Tel: +61 (0)2 8570 5050
> Mob: +61 (0)419 142 254
>
> Think Globally, Fix Locally
> Geospatial Solutions enhanced with Open Standards and Open Source
> http://www.lisasoft.com
>
>
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-- 
Daniel P. Ames PhD, PE
Department of Geosciences
Idaho State University - Idaho Falls
amesdani at isu.edu
www.MapWindow.org
www.Hydromap.com
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