[mapserver-users] Fwd: Help me...

[Pericles S. Nacionales]

Gerald,

You didn't mention what operating system you have.  MapServer runs on
just about any platform but you'll have to compile it yourself.  If you
are using Windows NT/2000/XP, you can download a precompiled MapServer
binary from the MapServer web site.  Compiling the software isn't hard
but it can be very tedious.

Anyway, the best place for you to get started with MapServer, if you're
running Windows is to download a precompiled binary from
http://mapserver.gis.umn.edu/win32binaries.html.  I suggest downloading
ms35gif.zip.  Unzip the file and follow the installation instructions.  

Once you have it installed, download the demo application at
http://mapserver.gis.umn.edu/dist/itasca3.5.tar.gz and unzip it as a
subdirectory of your apache's htdocs directory.  If you know apache
well, you can unzip the demo in some other directory and create an alias
to that directory in apache.  Follow the installation instructions at
http://mapserver.gis.umn.edu/demo_readme.html.

I'm working on a tutorial for MapServer 3.5.  It's not quite finished
yet but you are welcome to have a look at and use
it--http://terrasip.gis.umn.edu/projects/tutorial35.  Once you've
created your own application, you should try DM Solutions' PHP/Mapscript
solution.  If you want to use PHP, this is what you need.  DM Solutions'
also provide compiled binaries for Windows.  See their web site at
http://www2.dmsolutions.ca/mapserver/.

If you haven't had a chance to look at the MapServer gallery, please do
so at http://mapserver.gis.umn.edu/gallery.html.  Most of the examples
are very complex but these are the things you can do with MapServer.

Good luck!

Perry Nacionales

PS: It's good to know that there are other Filipinos interested in
MapServer.

___
Pericles S. Nacionales
Conservation Biology Program
University of Minnesota

pnaciona at gis.umn.edu