[Incubator] Considering Portable GIS as an OSGeo community project

Mon Aug 28 16:15:55 PDT 2017

Looks good Jo, I will be happy to make the motion in a bit.

I like the friendly tone for CONTRIBUTING.md file, can I recommend making a
note somewhere in there that people should contribute their changes to the
project using a GPL3 license.

Sometimes groups like Apache like to have a seperate license for
contributions that is different from the license used for distribution.
GPL3 tends to serve both these needs - but your contributors should be
really clear they are providing the project the code / fix / change with a
GPL license so there are no tears later. One trick I use to double check
consent is to ask these pull requests to include adding their name to the a
CONTRIBUTORS list in the documentation - both so I can credit them in
release notes and have a list of participants.

It also looks like your LICENSE file is just the header, rather than a full
GPL license.  For complete text see:
- https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.txt
- https://github.com/IQAndreas/markdown-licenses

--
Jody Garnett

On 28 August 2017 at 10:02, Jo Cook <jocook at astuntechnology.com> wrote:

> Hi All,
>
> I've added a contributing guidelines page and moved the license and
> changelog to the root of the portable gis repository at
> https://gitlab.com/archaeogeek/portable-gis. Does it all look OK?
>
> Thanks to everyone who has offered to assist with Portable GIS- it's
> really appreciated.
>
> All the best
>
> Jo
>
> On Sun, Aug 27, 2017 at 6:34 PM, Landon Blake <
> sunburned.surveyor at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> If I can help Jo with set-up as a community project, let me know. I'm a
>> Windows user...so I can help with the testing of releases. I'd also be
>> interested in learning more about how this works. :]
>>
>> Landon
>>
>> On Thu, Aug 24, 2017 at 4:26 AM, Jo Cook <jocook at astuntechnology.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Hi Jeff,
>>>
>>> There's no relationship as such between Portable GIS and OSGeo4W- they
>>> are really complimentary projects with different objectives. The way I see
>>> it, Portable GIS provides a portable (hence the name) set of open source
>>> geospatial tools that don't require installation and can be taken from
>>> windows computer to windows computer on a USB stick,compared to OSGeo4W,
>>> which provides a streamlined way of installing the tools on a machine. They
>>> have some packages in common, but not all (I include PostgreSQL/PostGIS and
>>> GeoServer alongside QGIS, Mapserver etc, but otherwise a much more limited
>>> set of tools than OSGeo4W due to space considerations).
>>>
>>> When OSGeo4W first came out (believe it or not, Portable GIS predates
>>> it) there was some discussion about the possible relationship between the
>>> two packages at that point, but like I say, they have different objectives
>>> and exist in harmony together.
>>>
>>> Hope that clears things up- I'll add some disambiguation to the readme
>>> and website next time I do an update!
>>>
>>> Jo
>>>
>>> On Wed, Aug 23, 2017 at 9:16 PM, Jeffrey Johnson <ortelius at gmail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Just curious about the relationship to osgeo4w
>>>>
>>>> On Wed, Aug 23, 2017 at 1:06 PM, Cameron Shorter
>>>> <cameron.shorter at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> > Hi Jo,
>>>> >
>>>> > I'm really excited to see you pushing Portable GIS forward. I think
>>>> that
>>>> > having a windows based OSGeo distribution is a great complement to
>>>> > OSGeo-Live, as OSGeo-Live is tied into (and limited to) being a linux
>>>> > distribution.
>>>> >
>>>> > I also see potential for collaboration between OSGeo-Live and
>>>> Portable GIS.
>>>> > Eg, the OSGeo-Live Project Overviews could note whether the project is
>>>> > available on Portable GIS.
>>>> >
>>>> > We could also potentially align OSGeo-Live and Portable GIS release
>>>> > schedules (which would help with aligning documentation).
>>>> >
>>>> > Re packaging, have you considered building with cygwin (which is Open
>>>> > Source)?
>>>> >
>>>> > I'm happy to answer questions about license. While I'm not a lawyer,
>>>> I have
>>>> > been involved in plenty of licensing selection discussions, including
>>>> for
>>>> > OSGeo-Live.
>>>> >
>>>> > Re Portable GIS licensing, I assume your build tools are not embedded
>>>> in the
>>>> > final Portable GIS software distribution? That would mean that the
>>>> final
>>>> > software distribution does not inherit to the license of the build
>>>> tools. So
>>>> > I suspect you should be ok to select what ever license you choose for
>>>> the
>>>> > build tools. That is how we have approached the OSGeo-Live build
>>>> scripts,
>>>> > which are LGPL. (Documentation is licensed under CC-By for Project
>>>> Overviews
>>>> > and CC-By-SA for Quickstarts).
>>>> >
>>>> > Warm regards, Cameron
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> > On 24/8/17 1:22 am, Jo Cook wrote:
>>>> >
>>>> > Hi Jody and list,
>>>> >
>>>> > Having had a bit of a think about licensing, I had previously chosen
>>>> GPLv3
>>>> > *for my components alone* and I think I'm happy with that. As far as
>>>> I can
>>>> > tell, I can license my modifications alone with GPLv3 regardless of
>>>> what the
>>>> > software projects themselves are. I've had a look at how OSGeo Live
>>>> works,
>>>> > but that doesn't help much (https://live.osgeo.org/en/copyright.html).
>>>> Is
>>>> > there anyone on the list who could help me out with this- basically to
>>>> > confirm or deny?
>>>> >
>>>> > Thanks
>>>> >
>>>> > Jo
>>>> >
>>>> > On Wed, Aug 23, 2017 at 8:55 AM, Jo Cook <jocook at astuntechnology.com>
>>>> wrote:
>>>> >>
>>>> >> Hi Jody,
>>>> >>
>>>> >> That all sounds really encouraging and yes I'd be happy to go
>>>> through the
>>>> >> process with you and the team. We (Astun) potentially have another
>>>> project
>>>> >> that we'd like to submit for consideration too, and I'll be in touch
>>>> >> separately about that one.
>>>> >>
>>>> >> Regarding autoit, no you don't need to purchase anything to use it.
>>>> Having
>>>> >> thought about this in some more detail, I think I will try to move
>>>> away from
>>>> >> that dependency and try to find an open source alternative but that
>>>> will
>>>> >> obviously take some time to work through, so it would be good if we
>>>> could
>>>> >> start working through the process of becoming a community project
>>>> while that
>>>> >> is ongoing.
>>>> >>
>>>> >> I'll make some tweaks to the repository to make sure that the
>>>> various docs
>>>> >> are easy to find, and then maybe come back to you when that's ready.
>>>> I want
>>>> >> to think a little about whether I'm using the most appropriate
>>>> license too.
>>>> >>
>>>> >> Regards
>>>> >>
>>>> >> Jo
>>>> >>
>>>> >> On Tue, Aug 22, 2017 at 6:12 PM, Jody Garnett <
>>>> jody.garnett at gmail.com>
>>>> >> wrote:
>>>> >>>
>>>> >>> Glad to hear from you Jo!
>>>> >>>
>>>> >>> Although the "OSGeo community" initiative was started last year, we
>>>> have
>>>> >>> not had a chance to try it out yet (perhaps due to lack of
>>>> publicity). If
>>>> >>> you are patient with us we would enjoy going through this process
>>>> with you,
>>>> >>> and revising our notes as we go.
>>>> >>>
>>>> >>> The wiki OSGeo Community Projects page has the following recipe:
>>>> >>>
>>>> >>> If your project would like to join OSGeo the technology initiative
>>>> asks:
>>>> >>>
>>>> >>> That your project is geospatial (or directly supports geospatial
>>>> >>> applications);
>>>> >>>
>>>> >>> Data & doc projects would of course need an appropriate data or
>>>> >>> documentation license
>>>> >>>
>>>> >>> That your project is open source
>>>> >>>
>>>> >>> Uses an OSI approved open source license
>>>> >>> That you know where your source code came from, and that care is
>>>> taken
>>>> >>> when accepting external contributions
>>>> >>>
>>>> >>> Participatory (accepts pull-requests)
>>>> >>>
>>>> >>>
>>>> >>> Along with a few notes on how we can quickly check the LICENSE,
>>>> >>> CONTRIBUTING, README files.
>>>> >>>
>>>> >>> autoit
>>>> >>>
>>>> >>> Your question about autoit is tricky, it is freely distributable -
>>>> so not
>>>> >>> a barrier to use. We are actually in a similar spot for the
>>>> GeoTools and
>>>> >>> GeoServer projects. When they were first created Java was not open
>>>> source so
>>>> >>> there were some very heated discussions with the gvSig team on if
>>>> you could
>>>> >>> ever make a free software solution using Java.
>>>> >>>
>>>> >>> But we are an open source software foundation (not at a free
>>>> software
>>>> >>> foundation) allowing GeoTools, GeoServer .. and by extension autoit.
>>>> >>>
>>>> >>> This question of Java still troubles us, while Java is now open
>>>> source,
>>>> >>> the image processing library that was included in Java is still
>>>> only free to
>>>> >>> distribute. This causes problems for the OSGeo Live and uDig
>>>> projects.
>>>> >>>
>>>> >>> I would be concerned though if people need to purchase autoit in
>>>> order to
>>>> >>> work on your project? There is a slight difference between being
>>>> required to
>>>> >>> purchase a tool, and optionally using a tool. For GeoTools we can
>>>> "work
>>>> >>> with" the Oracle Database (if user installs the right jars they have
>>>> >>> downloaded from Oracle) or ArcSDE (if the user installs the right
>>>> jars they
>>>> >>> have purchased from ESRI). However if a contributor is not in
>>>> possession of
>>>> >>> these artifacts they can still work on the project as a whole.
>>>> >>>
>>>> >>>
>>>> >>>
>>>> >>> --
>>>> >>> Jody Garnett
>>>> >>>
>>>> >>> On 22 August 2017 at 06:25, Jo Cook <jocook at astuntechnology.com>
>>>> wrote:
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>> Hi Incubator List,
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>> As you may or may not know, I have been running a small project
>>>> called
>>>> >>>> Portable GIS (GIS on a USB stick for Windows) for a number of
>>>> years. The
>>>> >>>> basic premise is to provide a no-install, no-config version of
>>>> many of the
>>>> >>>> common open source GIS projects on a USB stick.
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>> Recently I built a website for the project (portablegis.xyz) and
>>>> I'm
>>>> >>>> working through the process of documenting and publishing all the
>>>> >>>> configuration changes that need to be made to make projects
>>>> portable (mainly
>>>> >>>> batch files to be honest). This also includes the source code for
>>>> building
>>>> >>>> the menu and installer files.
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>> This is on Gitlab at https://gitlab.com/archaeogeek/portable-gis
>>>> so that
>>>> >>>> I can now start accepting contributions. Note that this repository
>>>> does not
>>>> >>>> contain the actual source code for the projects such as QGIS, it
>>>> just
>>>> >>>> contains the files that need to be adjusted to make it work
>>>> portably.
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>> One of my colleagues has suggested that Portable GIS could be an
>>>> OSGeo
>>>> >>>> Community Project, so here I am, asking about it :-)
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>> My main concern is that autoit, which I used for building the
>>>> menu, is
>>>> >>>> freeware rather than opensource (see
>>>> https://www.autoitscript.com/site/ and
>>>> >>>> specifically https://www.autoitscript.com/autoit3/docs/license.htm).
>>>> My gut
>>>> >>>> feeling is that this bars Portable GIS from being truly open
>>>> source, and
>>>> >>>> hence not suitable for being an OSGeo Community Project. Would
>>>> that be
>>>> >>>> correct?
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>> If this was the only bar to entry, I could certainly look at
>>>> alternative
>>>> >>>> options for building the menu.
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>> Regards
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>> Jo
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>> --
>>>> >>>> Jo Cook
>>>> >>>> t:+44 7930 524 155/twitter:@archaeogeek
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>> --
>>>> >>>> Astun Technology Ltd, The Coach House, 17 West Street, Epsom,
>>>> Surrey,
>>>> >>>> KT18 7RL, UK
>>>> >>>> t:+44 1372 744 009 w: astuntechnology.com twitter:@astuntech
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>> iShare - enterprise geographic intelligence platform
>>>> >>>> GeoServer, PostGIS and QGIS training
>>>> >>>> Helpdesk and customer portal
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>> Company registration no. 5410695. Registered in England and Wales.
>>>> >>>> Registered office: 120 Manor Green Road, Epsom, Surrey, KT19 8LN
>>>> VAT no.
>>>> >>>> 864201149.
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> >>>> Incubator mailing list
>>>> >>>> Incubator at lists.osgeo.org
>>>> >>>> https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/incubator
>>>> >>>
>>>> >>>
>>>> >>
>>>> >>
>>>> >>
>>>> >> --
>>>> >> Jo Cook
>>>> >> t:+44 7930 524 155/twitter:@archaeogeek
>>>> >>
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> > --
>>>> > Jo Cook
>>>> > t:+44 7930 524 155/twitter:@archaeogeek
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> > --
>>>> > Astun Technology Ltd, The Coach House, 17 West Street, Epsom, Surrey,
>>>> KT18
>>>> > 7RL, UK
>>>> > t:+44 1372 744 009 w: astuntechnology.com twitter:@astuntech
>>>> >
>>>> > iShare - enterprise geographic intelligence platform
>>>> > GeoServer, PostGIS and QGIS training
>>>> > Helpdesk and customer portal
>>>> >
>>>> > Company registration no. 5410695. Registered in England and Wales.
>>>> > Registered office: 120 Manor Green Road, Epsom, Surrey, KT19 8LN VAT
>>>> no.
>>>> > 864201149.
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> > _______________________________________________
>>>> > Incubator mailing list
>>>> > Incubator at lists.osgeo.org
>>>> > https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/incubator
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> > --
>>>> > Cameron Shorter
>>>> > M +61 419 142 254
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> > _______________________________________________
>>>> > Incubator mailing list
>>>> > Incubator at lists.osgeo.org
>>>> > https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/incubator
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> *Jo Cook*
>>> t:+44 7930 524 155 <+44%207930%20524155>/twitter:@archaeogeek
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Astun Technology Ltd, The Coach House, 17 West Street, Epsom, Surrey,
>>> KT18 7RL, UK
>>> t:+44 1372 744 009 <+44%201372%20744009> w: astuntechnology.com twitter:
>>> @astuntech <https://twitter.com/astuntech>
>>>
>>> iShare - enterprise geographic intelligence platform
>>> <https://astuntechnology.com/ishare/>
>>> GeoServer, PostGIS and QGIS training
>>> <https://astuntechnology.com/services/#training>
>>> Helpdesk and customer portal
>>> <http://support.astuntechnology.com/support/login>
>>>
>>> Company registration no. 5410695. Registered in England and Wales.
>>> Registered office: 120 Manor Green Road, Epsom, Surrey, KT19 8LN VAT no.
>>> 864201149.
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Incubator mailing list
>>> Incubator at lists.osgeo.org
>>> https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/incubator
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Landon
>> "Homemade cookies. Hmmmmmmmmmm!"
>>
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>>
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>>
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>>
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>>
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>>
>
>
>
> --
> *Jo Cook*
> t:+44 7930 524 155 <+44%207930%20524155>/twitter:@archaeogeek
>
>
> --
> Astun Technology Ltd, The Coach House, 17 West Street, Epsom, Surrey, KT18
> 7RL, UK
> t:+44 1372 744 009 <+44%201372%20744009> w: astuntechnology.com twitter:
> @astuntech <https://twitter.com/astuntech>
>
> iShare - enterprise geographic intelligence platform
> <https://astuntechnology.com/ishare/>
> GeoServer, PostGIS and QGIS training
> <https://astuntechnology.com/services/#training>
> Helpdesk and customer portal
> <http://support.astuntechnology.com/support/login>
>
> Company registration no. 5410695. Registered in England and Wales.
> Registered office: 120 Manor Green Road, Epsom, Surrey, KT19 8LN VAT no.
> 864201149.
>
> _______________________________________________
> Incubator mailing list
> Incubator at lists.osgeo.org
> https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/incubator
>
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