Johan, I agree that it would be hugely valuable to extend the osgeolive packaging and marketing to windows. And osgeo4w has done much of the hard packaging work. We just need a few people to drive the packaging and qa process.
On 24/11/2011 7:56 AM, "Johan Van de Wauw" <[email protected]> wrote: > Very interesting to read this experience. In fact it makes me doubt > whether we should not also focus on providing a live dvd for windows, > where one could test different programs without having to install > them, and which can use the same documentation and quickstarts as the > linux version. > I know many people who would definitely use such a disk; and continue > using it, but much less people who would actually do so with the linux > version. > > Johan > > On Wed, Nov 9, 2011 at 3:14 AM, Cameron Shorter > <[email protected]> wrote: > > osgeo-live people, > > > > Erik, CCed, has provided valuable feedback describing his experience > using > > OSGeo-Live. Thanks Erik. > > > > > > On 9/11/2011 12:12 PM, Erik Lash wrote: > > > > Hi Cameron, > > > > > > > > Please feel free to post my comments to the list. > > > > > > > > Sincerely, > > > > Erik Lash > > > > > > > > From: Cameron Shorter [mailto:[email protected]] > > Sent: Monday, November 07, 2011 2:46 AM > > To: Helena Mitasova > > Cc: Hamish; Erik Lash > > Subject: Re: Fwd: OSGEO Live 5 USB Distribution testing > > > > > > > > Thanks for the feedback Helena and Erik, > > Do you mind if we forward this email onto our osgeo-live email list so > that > > we can share this feedback with others, which hopefully can lead to an > > improved osgeo-live? > > > > On 7/11/2011 3:50 PM, Helena Mitasova wrote: > > > > Cameron, > > > > > > > > I am not sure whether this would be useful for the next version of > > OSGEO-Live, but I gave the USB > > > > that I got in Denver to one of my students (MS Windows user) to try it > out > > on his own as is. > > > > (he knows GDAL and GRASS but not much linux). > > > > Below is summary of his experience (he might not have used it the way it > was > > indented to be used), > > > > but note #6 which worked very well. > > > > <snip> > > > > > > > > Feel free to contact Eric Lash directly if you have any questions, > > > > > > > > Helena > > > > > > > > Begin forwarded message: > > > > From: "Erik Lash" <[email protected]> > > > > Date: October 10, 2011 9:12:32 AM EDT > > > > To: "Helena Mitasova" <[email protected]> > > > > Cc: <[email protected]> > > > > Subject: OSGEO Live 5 USB Distribution testing > > > > > > > > Hi Dr. Mitasova, > > > > > > > > I’ve spent some time playing around with the OSGEO Live system this > weekend. > > (learning a lot about Linux) > > > > > > > > I’ve installed it on my 64 bit Windows server as a virtual drive and on > my > > Windows laptop as a dual boot operating system and attempted to use the > use > > the USB distribution. I’ll be doing my homework for this week on it. > > > > > > > > The USB installation has proved too cumbersome for easy use alongside my > > current implementations of Windows and Windows Server and needs to be > > tweaked a bit before it’s something that will be readily accessible to > the > > normal student. > > > > > > > > Six significant issues of feedback that I’ve noted so far are: > > > > > > > > 1) Documentation is not well formatted or easy to find if one is not > > already familiar with Linux. I spent much time searching online forums > this > > weekend to find answers to basic use questions like -> “how does one > tweak > > display settings in XFce?” and “how does one connect to a network > drive”. A > > good set of instructions and a useful FAQ that addresses basic computer > > integration tasks needs to be included on the desktop with the USB > > distribution (and the other ones as well). > > > > > > > > 2) Network drives are not easily supported and the auto-mount > features > > don’t seem to work without significant tweaking over the network. I keep > my > > data and documents on a separate network drive (for security and backup > > purposes) at home just like at the University. Setting up the OSGEO Live > > distribution to work with my network seems an almost insurmountable task > (to > > this Linux novice/newbie) and I’ve had to move my documents to a portable > > USB stick to do my homework. > > > > a. What would be great would be to have a feature that allows for > the > > installation to remember and automatically mount network directories > after > > reboot. Instead all I can figure out is how to set them up manually each > > time I start the system…not efficient and somewhat time consuming. > > > > > > > > 3) Monitors – Monitors – Monitors : Still don’t have this one > figured > > out…I use multiple monitors with all my computers. I’ve tried to install > and > > use some of the add on packages and have followed the directions from > OSGEO > > for this but I still cannot get the OSGEO Live distribution to extend my > > desktop onto a second monitor (or resize correctly on one screen). The > > default seems to be for it to mirror to a second monitor which is almost > > useless for someone like me who uses the space on the second monitor for > > other programs. > > > > a. This is probably the most annoying issue of all…I can’t function > > without multiple monitors. It’s how I prefer to work. > > > > > > > > 4) Among its other problems the USB drive installation is too big > for > > the USB drive. Can’t update it, add data, or add features because its > native > > distribution fills up the USB drive almost completely. It’s just too > > cumbersome and bulky for ease of use. Not very much use for a class like > MEA > > 792 where we create and use a lot of data and often need to add features > to > > software à I’ve given up trying to use the USB installation and have > found > > that the both the dual boot and virtual installs work much better. > > > > > > > > 5) Installing OSGEO Live to dual boot with Windows is really really > > really buggy and not easily accomplished without significant > > effort. Documentation is not adequate and it took me several attempts and > > system restores to get it right. Now that I have it working, though, it’s > > great. > > > > a. Primary problem in setup was that the user login is incorrect -> > > calls for lowercase letters only but the OSGEO Live default uses > uppercase > > letters. It gets stuck in a loop and a hard boot is required to interrupt > > the setup process. > > > > > i. Had > > to install it once, hard boot out of the error, then was presented with a > > user login screen during the next attempt that allowed me to create a new > > user for the install with lowercase lettering. That allowed me to finish > the > > installation. > > > > b. Secondary problems included conflicts with Windows disk > management > > when trying to manually configure partitions (both existing partitions > and > > new ones). > > > > > i. > Solution > > was to make the entire hard drive a single Windows partition in windows > then > > install using the “alongside windows” feature that automatically > > repartitions windows space. > > > > > ii. This > > would have been a real BIG issue if I had data on another hard drive for > > example a standard configuration: [ c:\Install, d:\Data ]. Instead I > have a > > local network that I use so I was afforded the luxury of only having a > > single partition on my laptop. However, I usually do multi-partition my > > drives for organization, backup, and security reasons. > > > > c. A tertiary problem was that the OSGEO installation sets Unbuntu > as > > the default OS and I didn’t want that. I still plan to use Windows first > and > > select the OSGEO drive primarily for doing my homework. > > > > i. I > > used a recovery to restore the MBR to Windows default and EasyBCD to > > configure a second boot option to manually select the GRUB menu…now it > > automatically boots Windows unless I select the OSGEO install. > > > > > > > > 6) Installing OSGEO Live to VirtualBox was super easy with both the > > vmdk and ISO. It works super good as a virtual machine. ISO installation > of > > a new OS seems to work better than the vmdk as it allows for custom > > installation from scratch. The only major issue was getting the network > > drives mounted (these include drives on the local machine because a > virtual > > drive acts as a separate machine) and shares had to be set up. But now I > can > > remote to it from my laptop and even from out of my house through my home > > VPN…can even connect to it from campus if I want…just like an NCSU VCL > > installation but hosted at my own house. > > > > > > > > - Erik > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > > I just thought you might be interested in this. > > > > > > > > I run OSGEO as a headless installation for remoting in from my laptop > > attached to a second monitor (OSGEO L 5 gets a monitor by itself and > Windows > > stays on the other monitor for access to all my Windows softare)…was a > bit > > tricky to figure out how to do it but it turned out to be quite simple in > > the end. There are other ways to do this but the vbs method fit my needs > > perfectly. > > > > > > > > I use a vbs script on the server… > > > > '===================================== > > > > Set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell") > > > > obj = WshShell.Run("C:\Progra~1\Oracle\VirtualBox\VBoxHeadless.exe -s > > OSGEO_L5_Standard", 0) > > > > set WshShell = Nothing > > > > '===================================== > > > > > > > > Voila…use Windows standard remote desktop interface to connect to the > > process from any Windows machine (or another remote desktop interface > from > > some other OS). > > > > > > > > -Erik > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > Cameron Shorter > > > > Geospatial Solutions Manager > > > > Tel: +61 (0)2 8570 5050 > > > > Mob: +61 (0)419 142 254 > > > > > > > > Think Globally, Fix Locally > > > > Geospatial Solutions enhanced with Open Standards and Open Source > > > > http://www.lisasoft.com > > > > -- > > Cameron Shorter > > Geospatial Solutions Manager > > Tel: +61 (0)2 8570 5050 > > Mob: +61 (0)419 142 254 > > > > Think Globally, Fix Locally > > Geospatial Solutions enhanced with Open Standards and Open Source > > http://www.lisasoft.com > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Live-demo mailing list > > [email protected] > > http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/live-demo > > http://live.osgeo.org > > http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Live_GIS_Disc > > >
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