QGIS & the Open Source Mapping software stack

At home, I just installed QGIS (Desktop GIS), again after long time, on OpenSUSE 13.2. Looks good. I needed to enable relevant repository (in my case: http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/Application:/Geo/openSUSE_13.2/ ) I have been also looking at web articles of whole open source mapping software stack which has come on in leaps and bounds in last few years. … Continue reading “QGIS & the Open Source Mapping software stack”

At home, I just installed QGIS (Desktop GIS), again after long time, on OpenSUSE 13.2. Looks good. I needed to enable relevant repository (in my case: http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/Application:/Geo/openSUSE_13.2/ )

I have been also looking at web articles of whole open source mapping software stack which has come on in leaps and bounds in last few years. As I now only use budget shared hosting for my own sites (and any website/service playing around) so I am limited in what I can test online myself of the tools. I guess I could just test locally but I actually decided on last rebuild of home pc I was going with keeping it rock solid (as others use home computer more than me nowadays) and not installing a web server (although I did give in on that since). As well as my time at home is pretty limited and I should spend less time on the computer as much of day on a computer at work.

By mapping software stack I mean:
PostgreSQL/PostGIS (Spatial Database)
GeoServer (Spatial Data Infrastructure)
MapServer (Advanced rendering and map query engine)
GeoNetwork (Geographic Metadata and Information Management System)
GDAL (the Geospatial Data Abstraction Library) / OGR
OpenLayers (JavaScript map viewer)
Leaflet (JavaScript library)
MapProxy (Tile cache solution)
and scripting with
Python

The way data is provided to feed in online mapping solutions have moved on so much, even Ordnance Survey data:
Loading, Styling and Displaying Ordnance Survey Mastermap Data
with Open Source Software by Jo Cook, Astun Technology

There seems some really polished offerings from companies supporting these open source elements as a integrated software stack for solid enterprise solutions:
Astuntechnology
Lutra Consulting
ThinkWhere

But in past few years I have on & off used ID the editor for Open Street Map
and Potlach the flash based editor before that, and been impressed by what is possible in a web browser window.