[FGS] Fw: GIS suite

[Tyler Mitchell]

Frank, can you check that Nicolas got subscribed okay?  He's done some 
great stuff over the years that I've known him re: packaging.

----- Forwarded by Tyler Mitchell/Lignum on 06/18/2004 08:31 AM -----

Nicolas Boretos <nicolas at maich.gr> 
06/18/2004 05:50 AM

To
Tyler Mitchell <TMitchell at lignum.com>
cc

Fax to

Subject
Re: GIS suite






Hi,

This bounced back to me when I posted to the foss list (I registered 
earlier...)
Maybe you post on my behalf...


Hi Tyler, Frank, et.al,

I registered on the twiki and this list on Tyler's rec.

The objective of this group as I understand it is to easily deploy 
mapping applications,
whether ms, web, or other..

Is this correct?
If this is correct, it also coincides with my objectives of  easy 
deployment.

I've been a long time Tcl user, and a "general scripting advocate".
These last few years, I'm a subscriber to the "dual ported" philosophy 
of sw dev, meaning
script when you can, and call external libs,c,c++, fortran for 
speed/special cases...

In tcl land, I use starkit/starpack technology for deployment, where a 
developer ships
either
a static, single file tcl interpreter, and a single file of the app 
logis/libs/etc...(starkit).
or
both the interp and the logic are delivered as a single file....(starpack)

This approach was developed by JC Whippler, and is detailed more at his 
starkit creators site
http://www.equi4.com/starkit

I've used this approach in many cases, and have "never" seen any 
deployment issues.
Most of our end users are "bio" scientists that have no real computer 
skills (read no install..)
A couple of years ago, I sent Tyler an ms cdrom that used this approach, 
and AFAIR, there was no real problem with
deployment at least...

I believe that similar "wrapping" type of technology is available for 
Python as well, Gordon MacMillan???

Anyway, back to foss..

I agree that distro's should be fat;
I feel apps should be statically linked (either works or it doesnt)

Regarding MS, I think my recommended approach would be to include a 
simple web server (not necessarily apache)
meaning ms cgi should run w/o problem (statically linked...) A simple 
config interface should be included...
Said server should be able to run the PHP stuff, as the DM stuff I've 
seen is incredible..
Is anyone running the pythonmapscript stuff? If so, webserver should run 
it...

Where is foss heading wrt desktop apps?

anyway, I'll stop here and wait for some feedback....

regards,

nicolas