[Live-demo] Which 2011 conferences should we distribute OSGeo-Live DVDs at?

[Johan Van de Wauw]

On Thu, Oct 28, 2010 at 2:25 AM, Alex Mandel <tech_dev at wildintellect.com> wrote:

> As I mentioned in a previous thread I think we should stick to Ubuntu
> 10.04 for this next release to save ourselves some time/work on the base
> system that could be more focused towards improvements of other
> features. (Note: I've also seen on some lists that usb based systems
> under Meerkat have some issues around booting)

As a proposal for improvement:
I think we should try to move towards using packages instead of
install scripts for most programs (and we can even do it for the
documentation).
advantages:
- packages can be reasonably well tested on any ubuntu 10.4 system
without having to build the live dvd
- an installed live dvd can update packages (and the user can remove
things he doesn't like) - eg security updates
- packages can be used by normal ubuntu users which want to install
some gis applications
- building can occur on a different pc: build time for the dvd itself
goes down and less chance that unneeded build-dependencies are
installed

disadvantage:
- it might be more difficult
Although it is true that it may be difficult to create a well working
package that builds from source, if we adopt a less strict regime and
allow binary packages (or treat binary files as source files), many
programs which are now installed as a tarball/jar should be relatively
easy convertible to packages.

if we group are programs:
already installed as a package: atlasstyler, geopublisher, gmt, grass,
gvsig, mapguide, mapnik?, mapserver, maptiler,marble, opencpn,
osgearth, osm, (ossim), pgrouting, postgis, pywps,qgis, R, saga,
spatialite?, viking, zygrib
installed as a tarball or jar: 52nWPS, degree, geokettle, geomajas,
geonetwork,geoserver, gisdata, gpsdrive?, kosmo,
mapbender,openjump,openlayers, ossim, sahana, spatialite?,
udig,ushahidi, zoo
compiled during installation: main-docs, (mapfish, mapnik?)

Most programs also install documentation, icons, ... things which can
go in a package as well. I could try to give some proposals, but prior
to investing time in that I would like to hear what the others
(especially those who maintained the dvd up to now) think.

Johan