FOSS4G 2009 Integration Showcase

Geospatial Integration Showcase

The Geospatial Integration Showcase is a practical demonstration of Application and Data Interoperability which underpins FOSS4G presentations and workshops and provides a platform for future initiatives, including:

• Application selection, decision trees
• Testing suite programs
• Spatial Data Infrastructures
• Open Data programs
• An OSGeo demo CD (often called Live CD)
• Future conferences
• Mashups and Boot Camps

FOSS4G's reputation as the international gathering of the Geospatial Open Source tribes, along with its high profile show casing of Open Geospatial systems makes it an ideal forum for users and developers to build then launch long lasting geospatial initiatives.

The Integration Showcase is the sum of many long term integration projects and is structured to be significantly bigger than a one event demonstrator and all participants are strongly encouraged to think long term.

Direct FOSS4G goals

The showcase direct goals are:

• To demonstrate interoperability between the full stack of Open Source and Proprietary Geospatial applications.
• To provide cross-application testing and comparison.
• To provide baseline applications to underpin FOSS4G & OSGeo presentations and workshops.
• To facilitate development of Spatial Data Infrastructures.
  • To provide a catalyst to encourage data custodians to publish their data into the Spatial Data Infrastructure & facilitate mashup applications.
• To simplify deployment and use of Geospatial Data, in particular by supporting GeoFOSS integration into software distributions.

Showcase themes

GeoFOSS Packaging

Windows based

OSGeo4W

OSGeo4W is a small setup to install some of the applications. It's based on Cygwin.

Goal: Ease installation of the whole open source stack. Everyone at the conference has the same version of the software.

Status: Actively maintained by community, Works well

• Pro
  • Already there and works

• Con
  • Needs installation
  • Needs internet connection for installation

PortableGIS

PortableGIS is a collection of applications that run from a USB stick.

Goal: Have the most important applications always with you.

Status: Actively m by single person, Works well

• Pro
  • No installation required, just run the applications

• Con
  • Doesn't work right from CD at the moment
  • Applications need clean-up (Eg. Java is bundled more than once)

Problems PortableGIS currently needs to be run from a writable medium (like and USB stick), it won't work on a read-only medium like a CD.

Linux based

Former tries

Ominiverdi (2007)

The Ominiverdi live CD was baded on Gentoo and seemed to be dead. But there was an announcement that they will switch to Ubuntu. Though there was no sigh of life since then (Jan 2008).

Status: Seems dead, not tried yet

GISák LiveCD (2007)

GISák LiveCD is a Czech Live CD/DVD for educational purpose. Different scope but a candidate to join forces. More information in English.

Status: Current status unkown (pages are in Czech), not tried yet

FOSS4G2006 (2006)

A Knoppix based live CD for the FOSS4G 2006 ([1]). Download is available at [2]

Status: A spin-off that can be ordered seems to be actively maintained, not tried yet

GeoNetwork + GeoFOSS (2006)

There is an The GeoNetwork opensource DVD. It included also several other open source projects. Download is available at [3]. Contact person is Jeroen Ticheler.

Status: Seems dead, not tried yet

Way to go

To get a sustainable solution the live CD from DebianGIS will be used as a basis (with intend to collaborate). All projects from former tries should be contacted.

Building Debian based live CDs is fairly easy with the existing tools from the DebianLive project (live-helper)

A side effect is, that the DebianGIS team would get support with packaging the software. This way the applications might even find end up as official Debian packages (resp. Ubuntu).

Why get involved?

What's in it for Projects?

• The Showcase is an excellent avenue to show off projects and engage future sponsors.
• Activities in testing and comparison threads will provide feed back into product testing suites which will improve the products.
• Cross project integration will help make the Open Source Stack easier to use, make it more attractive, and consequently will engage more users and sponsors.

What's in it for Data Custodians?

For Data Custodians to be sponsored to publish data, they need to describe the data's public value, which in turn is dependent upon developers finding and using the data.

FOSS4G will provide a "Mashup Boot Camp" where hackers are encouraged to showcase and build mashups using Open Data and Open Source tools. This provides an excellent avenue for custodians to publicise datasets.

FOSS4G will be an effective catalyst for many data custodians to engage management sponsorship and commit to a specific deadline.

What's in it for SDI Sponsors?

• FOSS4G provides an focal point data custodians can use to facilitate bring data online.
• The showcase is a mini Spatial Data Infrastructure, and hence brings force to bear on key SDI issues like:
  • Robustness
  • Integration

What is in it for FOSS4G

• A baseline distribution of GeoFOSS software will make it much easier for presenters, and hence ensure a more polished conference.
• The showcase will be a significant drawcard for delegates and sponsors. Sponsors will have the opportunity to show off their wares, showcase participants will want to present their efforts, users will be very interested to listen and talk to showcase builders.

What is in it for FOSS4G Presenters?

The FOSS4G Audience will be interested to hear details about the various aspects of the Integration Showcase. It will also be powerful to sum up a presentation with "Now go and try it out on the Integration Showcase CD".