[postgis-users] Documentation suggestions and a Request

[elein]

Be nice.  I've just installed PostGIS. Previously I've only
needed to work with the built-in Geometry types.

Suggestions:
I have some suggestions for the documentation and/or defaults
based on gotchas I ran into and mostly resolved.
These are only suggestions which may facilitate newbies
to get up and running faster.

* What are Proj4 and GEOS exactly?  
* Why do I want them?
* Where should they be down loaded from?
  (Answers to this were in different locations, never together.)

Hints of the answers to these questions are a little scattered.
If there could be something consolidated and easily accessible
that would be helpful.

I believe the default installation sets the variables to
use these libraries to 1.  This leads to compile errors
and load errors if one is reading the simplistic install 
directions from the web page.  THEN, one must dig through
to find out what they are, etc.

* Indicate whether or not the LDFLAGS must really be changed
  and the postgres libraries rebuild.  

I was able to get going without this.  The best reference was
in the manual which said to try this if there were 
"weird problems."  Also note that rebuilding postgres is
not trivial for some people using packages.

* Make more visible how to configure installation for
  a non-standard installation location.

This is less newbie issue.  I, for example, never run
in standard locations because I run multiple versions.
Also, different distributions put things in different
places.

Request:

I would like to write or publish an article about PostGIS for
General Bits (http://www.varlena.com/GeneralBits).
The goal of the article would be a blow by blow install
to connecting to a common front end tool, say grass.  

Is there anyone interested in working with me on this?
If so, please contact me directly at elein at varlena.com.

Elein
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elein at varlena.com        Varlena, LLC        www.varlena.com

          PostgreSQL Consulting, Support & Training   

PostgreSQL General Bits   http://www.varlena.com/GeneralBits/
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I have always depended on the [QA] of strangers.