From sethg at geographika.co.uk Sat Jun 13 02:18:02 2026 From: sethg at geographika.co.uk (Seth G) Date: Sat, 13 Jun 2026 11:18:02 +0200 Subject: [MapServer-dev] Questions to users of XML Mapfiles Message-ID: Hi all, In the MapServer 2026 User Survey, there were 9 users that reported they used XML Mapfiles [1]. As part of ongoing hardening work, we are looking at disabling XML entity expansion and external DTD loading when parsing XML Mapfiles prior to XSL transformation. Draft pull request here: [2]. This should not affect use of the default XSL file [3], but if you maintain custom XML Mapfile XSL transformations, we would appreciate feedback or testing results here, or on the pull request. Also, note that the XSL (and XSD file [4]) often lack more recent Mapfile syntax and keywords. The last updates were ~2021, and there are no unit tests to check continued functionality. If you are heavy users of XML Mapfiles please consider offering to maintain these or sponsoring the project [5]. Thanks, Seth [1] https://mapserver.org/mapfile/xml_mapfile.html [2] https://github.com/MapServer/MapServer/pull/7526 [3] https://github.com/MapServer/MapServer/blob/main/src/xmlmapfile/mapfile.xsl [4] https://github.com/MapServer/MapServer/blob/main/src/xmlmapfile/mapfile.xsd [5] https://github.com/MapServer/MapServer/wiki/Sponsorship -- web:https://geographika.net & https://mapserverstudio.net mastodon: @geographika at mastodon.social From even.rouault at spatialys.com Sun Jun 21 17:09:12 2026 From: even.rouault at spatialys.com (Even Rouault) Date: Mon, 22 Jun 2026 02:09:12 +0200 Subject: [MapServer-dev] LLM tool policy for MapServer? Message-ID: <9a410398-7c88-4d9e-bf53-d7d7d125fb64@spatialys.com> Hi, It would have been surprised if we'd have been spared by that plague. See https://github.com/MapServer/MapServer/pull/7535 Adopt https://gdal.org/en/stable/community/ai_tool_policy.html with s/GDAL/MapServer and minus the Mitigation paragraph since we don't have project-wide funding vehicle ? Even -- http://www.spatialys.com My software is free, but my time generally not. LLMs contribute to global warming and brain rot From jbo-ads at mailo.com Mon Jun 22 01:19:48 2026 From: jbo-ads at mailo.com (jbo-ads at mailo.com) Date: Mon, 22 Jun 2026 10:19:48 +0200 Subject: [MapServer-dev] LLM tool policy for MapServer? In-Reply-To: <9a410398-7c88-4d9e-bf53-d7d7d125fb64@spatialys.com> References: <9a410398-7c88-4d9e-bf53-d7d7d125fb64@spatialys.com> Message-ID: Hi, Don't know whether vote is requested, but anyway, +1 J?rome Bou?. On 6/22/26 02:09, Even Rouault via MapServer-dev wrote: > Hi, > > It would have been surprised if we'd have been spared by that plague. > See https://github.com/MapServer/MapServer/pull/7535 > > Adopt https://gdal.org/en/stable/community/ai_tool_policy.html with > s/GDAL/MapServer and minus the Mitigation paragraph since we don't > have project-wide funding vehicle ? > > Even > From tomkralidis at gmail.com Mon Jun 22 02:59:38 2026 From: tomkralidis at gmail.com (Tom Kralidis) Date: Mon, 22 Jun 2026 05:59:38 -0400 Subject: [MapServer-dev] LLM tool policy for MapServer? In-Reply-To: References: <9a410398-7c88-4d9e-bf53-d7d7d125fb64@spatialys.com> Message-ID: Strong +1. ..Tom On Mon, Jun 22, 2026 at 4:25?AM jbo-ads--- via MapServer-dev wrote: > > Hi, > > Don't know whether vote is requested, but anyway, > > +1 > J?rome Bou?. > > On 6/22/26 02:09, Even Rouault via MapServer-dev wrote: > > Hi, > > > > It would have been surprised if we'd have been spared by that plague. > > See https://github.com/MapServer/MapServer/pull/7535 > > > > Adopt https://gdal.org/en/stable/community/ai_tool_policy.html with > > s/GDAL/MapServer and minus the Mitigation paragraph since we don't > > have project-wide funding vehicle ? > > > > Even > > > > > _______________________________________________ > MapServer-dev mailing list > MapServer-dev at lists.osgeo.org > https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/mapserver-dev From michael.smith.erdc at gmail.com Mon Jun 22 03:43:11 2026 From: michael.smith.erdc at gmail.com (Michael Smith) Date: Mon, 22 Jun 2026 06:43:11 -0400 Subject: [MapServer-dev] LLM tool policy for MapServer? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: +1 Mike Michael Smith > On Jun 22, 2026, at 5:59?AM, Tom Kralidis via MapServer-dev wrote: > > ?Strong +1. > > ..Tom > >> On Mon, Jun 22, 2026 at 4:25?AM jbo-ads--- via MapServer-dev >> wrote: >> >> Hi, >> >> Don't know whether vote is requested, but anyway, >> >> +1 >> J?rome Bou?. >> >>> On 6/22/26 02:09, Even Rouault via MapServer-dev wrote: >>> Hi, >>> >>> It would have been surprised if we'd have been spared by that plague. >>> See https://github.com/MapServer/MapServer/pull/7535 >>> >>> Adopt https://gdal.org/en/stable/community/ai_tool_policy.html with >>> s/GDAL/MapServer and minus the Mitigation paragraph since we don't >>> have project-wide funding vehicle ? >>> >>> Even >>> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> MapServer-dev mailing list >> MapServer-dev at lists.osgeo.org >> https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/mapserver-dev > _______________________________________________ > MapServer-dev mailing list > MapServer-dev at lists.osgeo.org > https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/mapserver-dev From even.rouault at spatialys.com Mon Jun 22 04:29:06 2026 From: even.rouault at spatialys.com (Even Rouault) Date: Mon, 22 Jun 2026 13:29:06 +0200 Subject: [MapServer-dev] LLM tool policy for MapServer? In-Reply-To: References: <9a410398-7c88-4d9e-bf53-d7d7d125fb64@spatialys.com> Message-ID: <5fa7e135-33a5-47c1-b2be-ed2e917300c4@spatialys.com> Le 22/06/2026 ? 10:19, jbo-ads--- via MapServer-dev a ?crit?: > Hi, > > Don't know whether vote is requested, but anyway, Was more a call for a potential discussion. But to be honest, I've little energy to drive such a discussion one more time.?I'm becoming *really* tired to drive that topic in almost all open source projects I'm involved to. I'm wondering if I'm over paranoid... or if everybody has just given up like if it was a lost battle. Yeah it's certainly a lost battle and I'll have to swallow all that shit at some point. -- http://www.spatialys.com My software is free, but my time generally not. LLMs contribute to global warming and brain rot From steve.lime at state.mn.us Mon Jun 22 08:54:01 2026 From: steve.lime at state.mn.us (Lime, Steve D (MNIT)) Date: Mon, 22 Jun 2026 15:54:01 +0000 Subject: [MapServer-dev] LLM tool policy for MapServer? In-Reply-To: <9a410398-7c88-4d9e-bf53-d7d7d125fb64@spatialys.com> References: <9a410398-7c88-4d9e-bf53-d7d7d125fb64@spatialys.com> Message-ID: Thanks for bringing this up Even. I'm +1... I think the GDAL approach is pretty pragmatic and appropriately so. I'd leave the mitigation paragraph in but reference the donation page referenced on the mapserver.org homepage. That is: MapServer donations are one way your organization can help buffer the cost and disruption of LLMs in projects such as MapServer. The constrained resource is maintenance, not adding more code/capability. Donations financially support operation of MapServer as an ongoing open source software project, and without it, much of the activity MapServer users take for granted would simply not happen. --Steve -----Original Message----- From: MapServer-dev On Behalf Of Even Rouault via MapServer-dev Sent: Sunday, June 21, 2026 7:09 PM To: 'MapServer Dev Mailing List' Subject: [MapServer-dev] LLM tool policy for MapServer? Hi, It would have been surprised if we'd have been spared by that plague. See https://github.com/MapServer/MapServer/pull/7535 Adopt https://gdal.org/en/stable/community/ai_tool_policy.html s/GDAL/MapServer and minus the Mitigation paragraph since we don't have project-wide funding vehicle ? Even -- https://www.spatialys.com/en/home/ My software is free, but my time generally not. LLMs contribute to global warming and brain rot _______________________________________________ MapServer-dev mailing list MapServer-dev at lists.osgeo.org https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/mapserver-dev From sethg at geographika.co.uk Tue Jun 23 00:25:44 2026 From: sethg at geographika.co.uk (Seth G) Date: Tue, 23 Jun 2026 09:25:44 +0200 Subject: [MapServer-dev] LLM tool policy for MapServer? In-Reply-To: <9a410398-7c88-4d9e-bf53-d7d7d125fb64@spatialys.com> References: <9a410398-7c88-4d9e-bf53-d7d7d125fb64@spatialys.com> Message-ID: Hi Even, all, +1 on using the GDAL policy (with the updates from Steve). I also think we should allow LLMs to be used to review code in a PR which I'm not sure is covered in: "LLMs may only be used as an improved auto-completion mechanism, or for repeated tasks (mechanical refactoring) that could potentially be completed with a deterministic algorithm." In the case of https://github.com/MapServer/MapServer/pull/7535 I think this could be acceptable under the new policy? The author has declared use of AI, responded to questions, and knows enough about the code they are adding to create a real-world example and documentation. Having said that I don't know anything about the algorithm, and I'm not able to scan through the C code and tell if it is nonsense or not. I'm happy to test the PR locally though. I think we should continue to encourage MapServer users / power-users to contribute, whilst closing any drive-by LLM PRs, or PRs from "entities" with no interest or connection to the project. Seth -- web:https://geographika.net & https://mapserverstudio.net mastodon: @geographika at mastodon.social On Mon, Jun 22, 2026, at 2:09 AM, Even Rouault via MapServer-dev wrote: > Hi, > > It would have been surprised if we'd have been spared by that plague. > See https://github.com/MapServer/MapServer/pull/7535 > > Adopt https://gdal.org/en/stable/community/ai_tool_policy.html with > s/GDAL/MapServer and minus the Mitigation paragraph since we don't have > project-wide funding vehicle ? > > Even > > -- > http://www.spatialys.com > My software is free, but my time generally not. > LLMs contribute to global warming and brain rot > > _______________________________________________ > MapServer-dev mailing list > MapServer-dev at lists.osgeo.org > https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/mapserver-dev From michael.smith.erdc at gmail.com Tue Jun 23 02:25:02 2026 From: michael.smith.erdc at gmail.com (Michael Smith) Date: Tue, 23 Jun 2026 05:25:02 -0400 Subject: [MapServer-dev] LLM tool policy for MapServer? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: I like this refinement. LLMs are a tool. I have no issue if it?s used by someone who knows what they are doing. It?s the burden on the maintainers that concerns me. The strain. Michael Smith > On Jun 23, 2026, at 3:26?AM, Seth G via MapServer-dev wrote: > > ?Hi Even, all, > > +1 on using the GDAL policy (with the updates from Steve). I also think we should allow LLMs to be used to review code in a PR which I'm not sure is covered in: > > "LLMs may only be used as an improved auto-completion mechanism, or for repeated tasks (mechanical refactoring) that could potentially be completed with a deterministic algorithm." > > In the case of https://github.com/MapServer/MapServer/pull/7535 I think this could be acceptable under the new policy? The author has declared use of AI, responded to questions, and knows enough about the code they are adding to create a real-world example and documentation. Having said that I don't know anything about the algorithm, and I'm not able to scan through the C code and tell if it is nonsense or not. I'm happy to test the PR locally though. > > I think we should continue to encourage MapServer users / power-users to contribute, whilst closing any drive-by LLM PRs, or PRs from "entities" with no interest or connection to the project. > > Seth > > > -- > web:https://geographika.net & https://mapserverstudio.net > mastodon: @geographika at mastodon.social > >> On Mon, Jun 22, 2026, at 2:09 AM, Even Rouault via MapServer-dev wrote: >> Hi, >> >> It would have been surprised if we'd have been spared by that plague. >> See https://github.com/MapServer/MapServer/pull/7535 >> >> Adopt https://gdal.org/en/stable/community/ai_tool_policy.html with >> s/GDAL/MapServer and minus the Mitigation paragraph since we don't have >> project-wide funding vehicle ? >> >> Even >> >> -- >> http://www.spatialys.com >> My software is free, but my time generally not. >> LLMs contribute to global warming and brain rot >> >> _______________________________________________ >> MapServer-dev mailing list >> MapServer-dev at lists.osgeo.org >> https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/mapserver-dev > _______________________________________________ > MapServer-dev mailing list > MapServer-dev at lists.osgeo.org > https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/mapserver-dev From even.rouault at spatialys.com Tue Jun 23 03:41:34 2026 From: even.rouault at spatialys.com (Even Rouault) Date: Tue, 23 Jun 2026 12:41:34 +0200 Subject: [MapServer-dev] LLM tool policy for MapServer? In-Reply-To: References:

Message-ID: Le 23/06/2026 ? 11:25, Michael Smith a ?crit?: > I like this refinement. LLMs are a tool. I have no issue if it?s used by someone who knows what they are doing. Nuclear bombs are a tool. Such that they were even considered for civil engineering. -- http://www.spatialys.com My software is free, but my time generally not. LLMs contribute to global warming and brain rot From even.rouault at spatialys.com Sat Jun 27 11:26:45 2026 From: even.rouault at spatialys.com (Even Rouault) Date: Sat, 27 Jun 2026 20:26:45 +0200 Subject: [MapServer-dev] LLM tool policy for MapServer? In-Reply-To: References: <9a410398-7c88-4d9e-bf53-d7d7d125fb64@spatialys.com> Message-ID: <7761c663-d147-4333-9bd3-334a36b6d9ca@spatialys.com> Pull request queued at https://github.com/MapServer/MapServer-documentation/pull/1095 The copying&pasting from GDAL text revealed we don't have an explicit code of conduct document. I suppose the OSGeo default one applies. So I've kept the reference to that ghost code of conduct for now, pending a potential more explicit future one. Even Le 22/06/2026 ? 17:54, Lime, Steve D (MNIT) a ?crit?: > Thanks for bringing this up Even. I'm +1... I think the GDAL approach is pretty pragmatic and appropriately so. I'd leave the mitigation paragraph in but reference the donation page referenced on the mapserver.org homepage. That is: > > MapServer donations are one way your organization can help buffer the cost and disruption of LLMs in projects such as MapServer. The constrained resource is maintenance, not adding more code/capability. Donations financially support operation of MapServer as an ongoing open source software project, and without it, much of the activity MapServer users take for granted would simply not happen. > > --Steve > > -----Original Message----- > From: MapServer-dev On Behalf Of Even Rouault via MapServer-dev > Sent: Sunday, June 21, 2026 7:09 PM > To: 'MapServer Dev Mailing List' > Subject: [MapServer-dev] LLM tool policy for MapServer? > > Hi, > > It would have been surprised if we'd have been spared by that plague. > See https://github.com/MapServer/MapServer/pull/7535 > > Adopt https://gdal.org/en/stable/community/ai_tool_policy.html s/GDAL/MapServer and minus the Mitigation paragraph since we don't have project-wide funding vehicle ? > > Even > > -- > https://www.spatialys.com/en/home/ > My software is free, but my time generally not. > LLMs contribute to global warming and brain rot > > _______________________________________________ > MapServer-dev mailing list > MapServer-dev at lists.osgeo.org > https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/mapserver-dev -- http://www.spatialys.com My software is free, but my time generally not. LLMs contribute to global warming and brain rot From sethg at geographika.co.uk Mon Jun 29 09:36:52 2026 From: sethg at geographika.co.uk (Seth G) Date: Mon, 29 Jun 2026 19:36:52 +0300 Subject: [MapServer-dev] State of MapServer 2026 and User Survey Results Message-ID: <787d55e4-b2e6-4d2f-8f68-1238177a971b@app.fastmail.com> Hi all, The "State of MapServer 2026" talk was given this morning at FOSS4G Europe in Timi?oara. Here is a link to the presentation: https://geographika.github.io/mapserver-state-2026/ It includes the full aggregated results of this year's user survey: https://geographika.github.io/mapserver-state-2026/#/3 Thanks for your participation! There is also a summary of the survey results, an overview of the MapServer 8.6 release, and the roadmap for the upcoming 8.8 release. Seth -- web:https://geographika.net & https://mapserverstudio.net mastodon: @geographika at mastodon.social