[osgeo4w-dev] Cygwin Based Prototype

[Frank Warmerdam]

Folks,

I have done a bunch more work on the prototype including packaging:

  * WinGRASS
  * Apache
  * PHP

The WinGRASS was interested because it is built with MinGW/MSYS but I was
able to hack things sufficiently that I could build against the GDAL and
PROJ packages build for OSGeo4W with VC++.

The Apache and PHP are essentially cloned from the MS4W environment.  One
interesting variation is that I have implemented postinstall actions which
are bat files.  The PHP and Apache postinstall scripts replace the path to
the OSGeo4W tree in the httpd.conf, and php.ini files so that the whole tree
can be installed in locations other than C:/OSGeo4W.  I've also implemented
postinstall targets for GDAL (to reprocess gdal-config used by mingw/msys
built software) and WinGRASS (to set the path in grass63.bat).

Setting environment variables is also not handled in a package oriented
way.  The OSGeo4W.bat script (run when you click on the OSGeo4W Shell icon
for instance) will call all .bat files in the etc/ini directory, making
it possible to have packages set their own environment variables.

The approach to packaging is now documented in:

   http://wiki.osgeo.org/index.php/OSGeo4W_Packaging

One thing I have documented there is the installed directory tree which is
mostly sort of "unix-like" and not really the same as MS4W (except in the
apache oriented parts).  It aims to put all commandline programs in /bin,
data files in /share, and developer support stuff in /lib and /include.

I would really appreciate folks trying things out, and giving some feedback.

I have a fairly up to date list of packages at:

   http://wiki.osgeo.org/index.php/OSGeo4W_Packages

I'm keen to get others to add some packages, and to take over some of my
more sloppy packaging efforts (like GRASS, php, apache and mapserver).

If we can come to some reasonable consensus on moving forward with this
approach, then I'd like to proceed with more publicity to get more
contributors.

My next likely steps are packaging Python, and then GDAL and MapServer
python bindings.

Best regards,
-- 
---------------------------------------+--------------------------------------
I set the clouds in motion - turn up   | Frank Warmerdam, warmerdam at pobox.com
light and sound - activate the windows | http://pobox.com/~warmerdam
and watch the world go round - Rush    | President OSGeo, http://osgeo.org