[GRASS-dev] [bug #5215] (grass) r.los module crashes (Windows)

[Hamish]

Paul Kelly via RT wrote:
> this bug's URL: http://intevation.de/rt/webrt?serial_num=5215
..
> I can confirm that it crashes on Windows when higher values for
> max_dist are used. E.g. in spearfish it is OK with max_dist=2500 but
> crashes for max_dist=3000. I remember from looking in depth at r.los a
> few years ago that the code was quite a mess and really inefficient
> and, well, I'd rather re-write it than try to fix it.

I looked at it in the past as well and came to much the same conclusion.
(I modified it to output azimuth angle instead of elevation angle)

> Oh and is there a reason why we can not put r.cva in CVS and replace
> r.los with it, perhaps renaming it to r.los? I recall there being some
> discussion on the list about that but can't remember the outcome. Was
> there some objection from the author? IIRC r.cva fixed a few bugs in
> r.los as well as greatly increasing the functionality. Had some very
> nice documentation too.

AFAIK the author was in favour of this, but stuck in protracted
negotiations with his employer (a university) WRT releasing the code as
GPL or public domain. Perhaps we can help by preparing a Wiki page
highlighting contributions from other high-profile corporate entities
(e.g. USACE/CERL, Duke Univ, US EPA, Lockheed Martin, UC Berkeley, USGS,
...). For r.cva examples of other U.K. institutions gaining prestige by
contributing to well known open source projects would be good.
e.g. (sort of) http://gpsd.berlios.de/for-vendors.html


Hamish