[mapserver-users] Which OS for Mapserver?

[Gregor Mosheh]

A major consideration is that MrSID exists mainly for Windows. For 
64-bit Linux, the only option for MrSID at this point is their 
precompiled utilities, extracting the data out into rasters in some 
other format more GDAL-friendly. For 32-bit Linux, you can contrive to 
build GDAL with MrSID support.

Personally, I have found that the runtime performance of wavelet 
compression (ECW, MrSID, JPEG2000?) to be so poor as to not be worth the 
trouble, and prefer to decompress into fast and space-hogging TIFFs.

And if you have a spare PC, have VMWare, or are willing to partition 
your disk, you can always try it out yourself, run your own tests. I 
always recommend our own free/oss product HostGIS Linux, especially for 
someone who wants to avoid a lot of the learning curve of a new Linux 
and skip to the maps.

-- 
Gregor Mosheh / Greg Allensworth, BS, A+
System Administrator
HostGIS cartographic development & hosting services
http://www.HostGIS.com/

"Remember that no one cares if you can back up,
  only if you can restore." - AMANDA