Live GIS Disc

About

The aim of this project is to provide bootable ISO-Images and Virtual Machines which allow users to try out fully-operational versions of popular Free Geospatial Software without the need to install a thing. Everything is set up for you ready to go: just reboot into it, glance at the help pages on the desktop, and go. The existing hard drive and operating system will not be modified in any way, everything happens in temporary system memory. As such it will run a bit slower than the "real thing" and you may want to grab a USB flash drive to save or transfer files with. You can load and boot a live-image completely from a USB stick too if you prefer.

We do this in large part by maintaining automated build scripts which collect many OSGeo programs and sample data-sets together, and then combine them to form the Live disc or VM itself. By tweaking these scripts users are free to make their own custom distributions, for example localized in their own language and with local map data.

• For the 2009 FOSS4G conference a snapshot of Free Geospatial software has been collected onto the Arramagong Live DVD and VM.

The Arramagong Live DVD & VM contains a collection of the best Geospatial Open Source software, pre-configured with sample data. The DVD and Virtual Machine are available for download at http://download.osgeo.org/livedvd. Refer to Live GIS Disc Quick Start to get started.

Key Links

Quick Start

• Live GIS Disc Quick Start

Build Process

• Live GIS Build instructions

Package List

• Live GIS Disc Packages

Schedule

• Live GIS Disc Schedule

Contact Us

• Mailing List: http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/live-demo

The mailing list is archived at Gmane and Nabble

• IRC: irc://freenode.net#foss4g (until we get too busy and need a new channel)
• Meeting Minutes

Click2Try: run from browser

The Live DVD and Virtual Machine can be viewed from http://click2try.com from within a web browser.

All you need to do is:

• Open this webpage: http://www.click2try.com/catalog/Web-Development/Geospatial/Arramagong-GISVM/details
• Follow these steps:

1. Click the big Try this application now button.
2. Review the connection test results and fix, if necessary.
3. Either wait for the application to launch or click the Launch App button.

• Login to the Arramagong desktop using the login credentials in the Quick Start guide in the left pane of the window.
• You should see the icons for the Geospatial applications on the desktop. You can start and try any application.
• To save data, you'll need to apply for a free click2try account at http://www.click2try.com/component/user/?task=register.

See also: Live GIS Disc for Click2Try

Downloads

• ISO hosting: See the SAC:ISO Mirroring page.

Downloads at: http://download.osgeo.org/livedvd

Members in good standing who require it may apply for ssh access to the download box. To do so create a user id, as described below, and then ask cameronDOTshorter.AT.lisasoftDOTcom to add you to the "Telascience" group.

Issue Tracker

Our bug and wish tracker is hosted at OSGeo's Trac system. To distinguish the LiveDVD project from other OSGeo projects, use the following conventions:

Component field

Set to `LiveDVD`

Keywords

Version: Set to base arramagong release version: eg: 2.0 or 3.0 or 4.0 (not 3.0alpha1)

Application: Set to application with issue (use lower case): eg: "geoserver"

List of open tickets

• Just those concerning the 2.0 release
• Just those concerning the 3.0 release
• List of tickets already fixed

OSGeo User Id

• Create an OSGeo id: http://www.osgeo.org/osgeo_userid , which is required to edit the wiki, commit to svn and create an issue in the issue tracker.

Subversion

• Subversion: For config files and build scripts. You should always update from the server before editing a file, and always check the diff is as you intended before committing.
  • Repository: https://svn.osgeo.org/osgeo/livedvd/gisvm/trunk and web view
  • On Linux systems: access Subversion using:

svn checkout https://svn.osgeo.org/osgeo/livedvd/gisvm/trunk

To get commit access, you need to create yourself a user id, as explained above, then ask cameronDOTshorter.AT.lisasoftDOTcom to add you to the osgeo user group.

The first think you can do to test your svn install is update the users list:

# to edit a file
svn update contributors.csv
# edit contributors.csv

# optionally check to see what has changed.
svn diff contributors.csv

# check the file back into subversion
svn commit contributors.csv

# to add a file
cd <dir>
# create a file
svn add <file>
svn propset svn:mime-type <mime.type> <file>
svn commit <file>

# to move or rename a file
svn move <file>
svn commit <file>

On windows, it is even easier, using Tortoise SVN which plugs directly into Windows Explorer.

Press Releases

• FOSS4G 2009 Press Releases
  • 27 August 2009, FOSS4G 2009 Press Release 28 - Simple steps to get your project on the FOSS4G Live DVD
  • 6 September 2009, FOSS4G 2009 Press Release 29 - What Windows installers should be on the FOSS4G Live DVD + Live DVD Status.
  • 16 October 2009, FOSS4G 2009 Press Release 35 - LiveDVD/VM on click2try Cover Email
• 16 December 2009, Live GIS Disc Press Release 1 - Defining the next LiveDVD/VM
• 14 January 2009, Live GIS Disc Press Release 2 - 3 weeks to Live DVD 3.0 feature freeze

Use Cases

There are multiple use cases for this product:

• Demo DVD that can be handed out at conferences.
  This will contain a wide variety of applications, preconfigured with some sample data and containing introductory tutorials. It should be able to function completely offline, at least within the scope of the tutorials, and should provide an introduction to many products. This is very much a Live DVD, and as such should be conservative with regards to size (it will be run from RAM).
• Education DVD
  This seems to be a more involved version than the Demo DVD, including more involved material, including train-the-trainer style material. This is targeted at those who will be teaching others, be it in workshops or university classes/labs. My expectation (mleslie: feel free to correct me) is that this is more likely to be installed on machines and used as a teaching resource, as opposed to a toy to play with, as with the Demo DVD. This will require material developed through the.
• Workstation Install DVD
  This need was seen in Cape Town, where the bandwidth seems to be a very limiting factor. Using the DVD to install either a complete OS, a set of packages to an existing Linux, or Windows installers completely offline is of great value in the developing world. Would it be of greater value to lose the Edu or demo material and put in complete application documentation?

Passwords

The disk username=user, password=user

Right now https://svn.osgeo.org/osgeo/livedvd/gisvm/trunk/doc/passwords.txt is copied to the Desktop when main.sh is run to build the live image. If you want users to have access to an applications user/password please place it there.

Links to related projects

• Arramagong Live DVD home page
• GISVM home page (GIS Virtual Machine by Ricardo Pinho)

The Arramagong LiveDVD and VM is based on and shares much of its build process with the GISVM project.

• DebianGIS Live Image

Build scripts in DebianGIS's SVN

• Omniverdi LiveCD project
• List of live CDs from the GRASS download site
• Gfoss.it live DVD
• Portable GIS - Zero-install GIS for MS Windows on a USB stick
• Poseidon Linux
• GISLive - LiveDVD project from FOSSGIS e.V. (German language)

Links to Build tool options

• The live-helper package - DebianLive home page
  • How-to for Ubuntu/Hardy

• Gnewsense method
• Remastersys
• Debian\Ubuntu Tricks
• Ubuntu Help Way