[Live-demo] LiveDVD, Portable GIS, osgeo4w

[Alex Mandel]

Hamish wrote:
>> So portable gis has applications already installed, and
>> would run best from a memory stick, as opposed to the
>> LiveDVD which currently has windows installers?
>  
>> This makes sense.
>> I'm now wondering whether it would make sense for the
>> portable GIS to be distributed via the LiveDVD as well, in
>> order to maximise exposure of portableGIS to new users. (The
>> LiveDVD is being handed out at conferences).
>>
>> "Want to try GeoFOSS on windows now? Go to the
>> portable GIS directory, or for better performance, copy the
>> portableGIS directory onto a memory stick and run from
>> there."
> 
> For live USB on MS-Windows see also Firefox Portable Edition, and more
> generally the other stuff at portableapps.com, e.g. Notepad++ Portable
> Edition:
>   http://portableapps.com/apps/internet/firefox_portable
>   http://portableapps.com/apps/development/notepadpp_portable
> 
> 
> unlike Linux LiveDVD-R, I might speculate that the read-onliness of the
> DVD could be a sticky problem on MS-Windows. (but via USB stick might work
> ala portableapps approach)
> 
> 
> ..... and don't forget Mac OSX! IME many academics join FOSS because the
> apps will run natively, while they have to use emulation/dual boot to run
> "market leader" software, which is usually of limited support. For that
> practical reason and a number of social reasons they are very easy
> converts after the required exposure to the available options.
> I would estimate that my dept is >60% apple (mostly biologists).
> 
> 
> Hamish
> 

I agree that aiming for OSGeo projects to build portableapps installs is
a good direction - portableapps has tools to shrink file foot print and
optomize execution on device.

Things like Postgres should be integrated into XAMP which has a nice
service manager.

For mac, there is an example at:
http://www.freesmug.org/portableapps/

Alex