New User - What to start with: Unix or Windows

[Puneet Kishor]

On Jan 21, 2006, at 7:03 PM, Maggie Ma wrote:

> Hello Puneet,
>
>  Thank you very much for your advice.
>
>  The reason why I mentioned ArcGIS is because most of my spatial data, 
> in the future, will still be generated by ArcGIS. And as I understand, 
> MapServer is only something that will help me to display the map 
> online. (I dont have enough knowledge about MapServer at this moment 
> to be 100% sure about this statement tho :P)

I thought so, and you are correct about your assumptions vis a vis 
MapServer.

>
>  My current understanding is that I will generate maps and spatial 
> data using ArcGIS and let MapServer to display them on the web. So I 
> may work switching between ArcGIS and MapServer a lot.

You are mostly correct. You would generate spatial data using ArcGIS. 
Once you have done so, you can also generate maps using ArcGIS, 
especially complicated cartographic products. But you will need 
MapServer (or, heaven forbid, that other map server) to display that 
data on the web. If your GIS data are in Shapefile format, you can use 
them with MapServer on Windows or *nix or Mac OS X without any problem. 
If your  data are in some other format (ArcSDE, GeoDatabase), you would 
have to change your approach accordingly.

>
>  So I want to choose an OS where both ArcGIS and MapServer are 
> installed and both work efficiently. It'd be a pain to change the 
> platform later on, I think.
>

My original advice still stands. The biggest source of inefficiency is 
going to be you, the author/manager/administrator of the system. You 
can minimize that inefficiency by working with the operating system and 
platform that you are most comfortable with, unless some special 
circumstances dictate your choice.

Windows should be just as fine as any other platform as long as you are 
aware of its limitations -- unless you are comfortable with compiling, 
and have a compiler, you will likely depend on binaries compiled by 
others. They are usually freely available, and if you have special 
needs, probably someone somewhere will happily help you. Also, keep in 
mind, MapScript support may be limited, but as I said, most Windows 
folks seem to work with PHP for creating their web apps. Of course, you 
can create pretty good web apps without a stitch of MapScript -- the 
galleria has some fine examples of pure CGI apps, with some very clever 
DHTML/CSS front-ends.

The *nix world brings its own goodies. Every machine has all the 
compilers you usually need, you are expected to "roll your own," and 
you have generally more control over how things work.

Stay with what you know, learn the ins and outs, create smashing 
applications, and you can always migrate later.


> Puneet Kishor <punkish at EIDESIS.ORG> wrote:
>>
>> > Dear all,
>> >
>> > I am a new user of MapServer. I have been using ArcGIS desktop for a
>> > few years. Now I want to do some online mapping. I just start to 
>> look
>> > into MapServer. And I need your input on whether I should start with
>> > Unix or Windows MapServer.
>> >
>> > The concern is to do it right/the best from the very beginning. I am
>> > not afraid of learning Linux/Unix. I know some basics. But since I
>> > have always been working with ArcGIS under Windows, I want to make
>> > sure that it worths it to switch. If it wont make much difference 
>> then
>> > I will just stay with Windows.
>> >
>> > So shall I go : Windows MapServer + Windows ArcGIS or Linux 
>> MapServer
>> > + Linux ArcGIS or even Linux MapServer + Windows ArcGIS?
>> >
>> > What's the best way to start?
>>
>> Unless you have any reason to switch (a specific tech that is 
>> available
>> on one OS but not on the other; pointy-haired-boss, etc.), stay with
>> the operating system that you know and are comfortable with. That way
>> you will not make your life more complicated than it has to be. You
>> will notice that MapServer runs equally competently on whatever
>> platform you choose, albeit some aspects of it (SWIG/MapScript) might
>> be hobbled on Windows. Most Windows folks seem to go with PHP anyway,
>> and there is a pretty active following of that.
>>
>> That said, you are mixing some technologies here. Are you planning to
>> leverage ArcGIS somehow? I am curious as to why you are mentioning
>> ArcGIS and MapServer in the same sentence.


--
Puneet Kishor