[GRASS-dev] packagers' guidance on inclusion of small dataset into the GRASS GIS installation

[Moritz Lennert]

On 3/08/20 16:37, Sebastiaan Couwenberg wrote:
> On 8/3/20 4:16 PM, Moritz Lennert wrote:
>> I have a small question concerning the best way to include a very small
>> dataset into the distribution of GRASS GIS. We are currently working on
>> the revamping of the GRASS GIS GUI startup experience, and have the
>> currently proposed solution is that GRASS GIS could start up
>> automatically creating a grassdata database and a default lat-long
>> location which would contain just a simple NaturalEarth world country
>> boundaries dataset.
>>
>> In some OS (e.g. MS Windows), such a demolocation is included in the
>> distribution, but in Debian it is deleted before installation (IIUC what
>> happens in the rules file at [1]).
>>
>> IIRC, Debian does normally not allow data to be distributed with
>> binaries. One option would be to put the data directly into the Python
>> code creating this location. Would that be acceptable for Debian ? What
>> kind of solution would you recommend ?
> 
> If the database can be built from source as part of the build process
> e.g. like proj.db in PROJ, it can be included in the package (assuming
> its license is DFSG compatible).
> 
> Where is "this location"?
> 
> If it's usr/lib/grassXY/demolocation, that's problematic because it's
> not writable by unprivileged users. A subdirectory of $XDG_DATA_HOME
> (e.g. $HOME/.local/share/grass) would be more suitable.

Actually, the idea currently is that a new user without any grassdata 
will just get a grassdata directory automagically created during startup 
and the /usr/lib/grassXY/demolocation would simply be copied into that 
new grassdata directory. GRASS GIS would then directly start up into 
that location.

So, the idea would be that during build /usr/lib/grassXY/demolocation is 
created.

Moritz