[GRASSLIST:625] Re: OpenOSX problem

[gis1212 at comcast.net]

There are contradictions between the OpenOSX and GRASS web sites.

- Quotes from OpenOSX (http://www.openosx.com/grass/index.html):
"limited installation support"
"We will no longer offer free technical support for installing and 
configuring GRASS..."
"Updates will be made available when practical..."
"... please consider our Six Month Subscription Plan"

- Quotes from GRASS (http://grass.itc.it/grass5/binary/mac_os_x/):
"Installation support for GRASS on Mac OS X shall be guaranteed to be 
provided only to OpenOSX GRASS customers."
"The fastest and easiest way to install a complete installation of 
GRASS on Mac OS X is accomplished with OpenOSX's GRASS 5.0.2 Product, 
which will eliminate ALL the instructions and downloads outlined on 
this page."


I recently installed GRASS on Mac OS X 10.2.5 without the OpenOSX CD. 
I installed Fink, Apple's X11, Tcl/Tk, and Fink Commander (for a GUI 
interface to Fink). Most of these installations involved double 
clicking on an icon. Unfortunately, I did not record my exact 
installation steps. The next major version of Mac OS X, Panther, will 
have X11 installed by default.

OpenOSX makes the following claim (which I believe is an exaggeration):
"Alternatively, you can download the binaries that we ported, 
compiled and published, download another hundred megabytes of files, 
follow countless pages of installation instructions and FAQ's 
(located at a multitude of different web sites), and hopefully you 
can "save" $50.00 and get GRASS running with a GUI."


Also note that the former Fink project leader alleged that OpenOSX 
did not give proper credit regarding the use of Fink with GIMP for 
Mac OS X and was possibly not complying with the GPL 
(http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html):
http://fink.sourceforge.net/pr/openosx.php


Please keep in mind that OpenOSX has made contributions to GRASS GIS 
which resulted in GRASS being able to run on Mac OS X. Without them 
GRASS Mac OS X binaries might not be available.


At 10:23 AM -0400 7/5/03, Stu wrote:
>Yes -- I've had the exact same problem, in about the same time frame.  I
>received an e-mail saying that the product had been shipped -- but
>nothing arrived.  I contacted OpenOSX by e-mail and belatedly got an
>apologetic reply and promising that 'another' CD would be shipped.  A
>month later, still nothing.  Buyers beware, I guess.
>Stuart Edwards
>
>John Chesnut wrote:
>
>>  I ordered a GRASS 5.0.2 CD from the OpenOSX  website on 5/12/03.
>>  I have been charged for this item, but have not recieved any goods.
>>
>>  E-mails to this company are unanswered, and phone calls to the
>>  owner's phone are hung up without acknowledgement.
>>
>>  Have other individuals on the  GRASS list had recent successful
>  > purchases, or even contact from the OpenOSX organization ?
>  >
>  > -john chesnut