[FWTools] install mapserver from FWtools for linux

[Frank Warmerdam]

Peter Shrock wrote:
> Hello, all:
> 
> I have been looking around in order to figure out if this is possible.
> 
> I have purchased a hosting plan which is a linux platform.
> 
> All I can do is to upload files to certain folders. There is no services of any
> installation, batch file running, change of Apache config, or envirnmental
> variables (path) setting.
> 
> In windwos, I can just upload mapserv.exe and all libraries to cgi-bin, and set
> Proj path. Then mapserver will work.
> 
> I never used Linux, so could anyone please tell me if this is possible:
>    1: get all the files from FWTools for Linux, and put in the cgi-bin so that
> mapserver will work properly? I only need mapserver and its dependencies.
>   2: I need to work with PostgIS and Proj.
> 
> Do I need to change Apache config?  
> 
> Your help is greatly appreciated. I know others have been facing the same
> problem. An answer will help many people.

Peter,

I haven't tried this myself, but it should be possible.  I'm not sure FWTools
is the best binary distribution for linux to start from.  It contains quite
a bit of stuff you likely don't need.  As I see it you would need to:

- upload mapserv executable and all the shared libraries somewhere.
- upload proj.4 support files (like epsg init file) somewhere
- create a mapserv wrapper script in the cgi-bin directory which sets
   environment variables pointing to various things and then executes
   the real mapserv binary.  Environment variables would include:
     LD_LIBRARY_PATH: needs to point to directory with all the .so files.
     PROJ_LIB: needs to point to directory with the proj support files.

You should not need to alter the Apache configuration.  The key is getting
the required files uploaded, and the wrapper script pointing to them.

If you aren't to experienced with this sort of thing, I suspect it will
be frustrating.  It will likely be hard to find out why things are
going wrong on the server (when they go wrong) and if you have to do
everything on the server through the very thin window of an ftp
client or similar ... well it will likely suck.

But, it should be doable.

Do you have a local linux system you can do testing on before you upload
things?

Best regards,
-- 
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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