[mapserver-dev] Out of Box MapServer

[Paul Ramsey]

Right, what goes into RPM/DEB, and how the stuff is broken up, is a
packaging decision.

We'd end up with a default install setup:

/usr/local/mapserver/cgi-bin
/usr/local/mapserver/share/data,fonts,symboles
/usr/local/mapserver/doc
/usr/local/mapserver/etc
/usr/local/mapserver/htdocs

Which could be over-ridden globally with a --prefix.

And then provide a panoply of other ./configure switches (--share-dir,
--config-dir, etc ,etc) to allow the kinds of fully integrated
installs packagers love.

The key is to have some default locations that mapserv can look for
required things like fonts, symbols, data, so that the bare mapserv
CGI can actually do something right out of the box. So the handling of
DATA for example would be (a) is there a DATA in this map file? no? is
there anything at the expected system data location
(/usr/local/mapserver/share/data, eg)

Best,

Paul



On Mon, Sep 27, 2010 at 2:41 PM, Daniel Morissette
<dmorissette at mapgears.com> wrote:
> I agree as well, but perhaps not all in a single deb/rpm package, i.e.
> with separate selectable packages for the core binaries, support files,
> docs and sample datasets, so that those who only want the CGI can still
> install only that. I believe that's already the way we handle the
> various mapscript flavors vs the CGI in UbuntuGIS, and other distros for
> instance.
>
>
> Lime, Steve D (DNR) wrote:
>> I like it. It's a whole new way to get contributors in the door as well... Steve
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: mapserver-dev-bounces at lists.osgeo.org [mailto:mapserver-dev-bounces at lists.osgeo.org] On Behalf Of Paul Ramsey
>> Sent: Monday, September 27, 2010 4:29 PM
>> To: MapServer Dev List
>> Subject: [mapserver-dev] Out of Box MapServer
>>
>> Daniel is trying to avoid scope creep in his simple viewing thread, so
>> I'm going to start a new one.
>>
>> I think the main reason there isn't a good "out of the box" MapServer
>> experience yet is because there is no 'make install' target. Weird
>> hey?
>>
>> If there was a 'make install' you could install the CGI directly into
>> cgi-bin, and install support files, like a standard set of styles, a
>> standard set of fonts, some standard templates, some basic data, even
>> some HTML files with documentation and whatnot. Linux packagers could
>> then say to themselves, "OK, I will have the etc directory be this on,
>> the share directory be this one, I'll drop the CGI into the system CGI
>> directory here, and now I am set to build an RPM/DEB/whatever". Other
>> OSes would do similar stuff, and each copy of MapServer would have a
>> similar expectation of "what-is-expected-to-exist-by-default".
>>
>> Once you have something more than the CGI available being installed by
>> default, the amount of user-friendliness you can implement across all
>> platforms goes up quite quickly.
>>
>> For exampleness, 'make install' for example on RHEL
>>
>> /var/www/cgi-bin/mapserv
>> /var/www/htdocs/mapserver/docs
>> /var/www/htdocs/mapserver/examples
>> /etc/mapserv.conf
>> /usr/share/mapserver
>> /usr/share/mapserver/symbols
>> /usr/share/mapserver/fonts
>> /usr/share/mapserver/templates
>> /usr/share/mapserver/data
>> /usr/docs/mapserver
>>
>> What do you think?
>>
>> Paul
>> _______________________________________________
>> mapserver-dev mailing list
>> mapserver-dev at lists.osgeo.org
>> http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/mapserver-dev
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> mapserver-dev mailing list
>> mapserver-dev at lists.osgeo.org
>> http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/mapserver-dev
>
>
> --
> Daniel Morissette
> http://www.mapgears.com/
> _______________________________________________
> mapserver-dev mailing list
> mapserver-dev at lists.osgeo.org
> http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/mapserver-dev
>