Bill Thoen was kind enough to point me to a couple of list messages which
mentioned linux. Since we've converted almost completely, I thought I'd
correct a couple of misimpressions.
First, GRASS was ported to linux several years ago. World-wide, linux is
the most popular platform for both the command line and GUI versions.
Solaris is the second most popular platform. The most recent beta version,
GRASS 5.0 is available only for linux on Intel cpus. The mail list just got
a request today for some help in porting it to the DEC (Compaq?) Alpha chip
running linux.
It's a powerful GIS which does raster, vector, 3D fly-thoughs and
everything but make the bed and wash the dishes. Extremely powerful program.
Most folks doing GIS and mapping in linux are not developing web
applications. We're putting maps out on paper for the most part. The major
GRASS efforts come out of Germany, Greece, Italy and Thailand; users are
literally all over the map and represent governments, organizations,
educational research institutions and commercial organizations.
The only necessary business application not overly abundant on linux is
accounting software. We're working on that right now. Otherwise, there are
multiple options for word processing, spreadsheets, graphics, presentations,
data base management systems, communications, etc.
Our network has been up several months now without a single crash. My
fiancee has managed to hang an application or two (usually Netscape's
Communicator or Navigator) when she opens multiple copies in different
sessions on the same machine. When that happens, I telnet to that machine,
assume root privledges and kill the offending processes. Nothing else is
affected and everyone's back working as before. Actually, we've never hung
linux even as raw tyros. We do boot into win95 on rare occasions when we
need the GPS software or into DOS for the 2 remainaing applications (which
will be ported -- eventually -- to linux).
There are several Windows emulators out; each more-or-less works. WABI, a
commercial effort, works on 16-bit apps quite well; at least the one I have.
Another (no charge) product is wine. Many folks get their stuff running with
it, but I've had no luck. Then there's a new product now in beta: VMware. It
runs virtual machines, each hosting a guest OS such as Win9x or DOS, under
the native OS (e.g., linux). It'll be a commercial product ($300) but it's
supposed to work well. Folks in the local users group easily installed it
and find it works with many win9x apps. The developers still have to fix the
installation with existing win9x and dos partitions, so I'm holding off
testing it. However, we believe that it will allow the use of MapInfo from
within linux, and permit the exchange of data directly from one partition to
another. Well worth the money when they get it working.
Back to the commercial side. WordPerfect 8 works wonderfully. For 90% of
my needs I suffer the GUI and get things done. There's also Applix Words and
-- for those who suffer Microsoft withdrawal -- Star Office 5.0 which is a
look-feel-behave clone of Office97. Perhaps that's why I use it only to load
and translate Office97 and Excel documents. For true typesetting
capabilities there's TeX, LaTeX and the GUI front end, LyX. Use your text
editor for fast work and put out professional-looking documents.
Both Applix and StarOffice have integrated spreadsheets. We use the Applix
one. Does everything we need to do.
For data base systems, there's a plethora of choices. We use postgreSQL
("free" software in both senses of the word); it supports geographic objects
and operations, too. Used by many (most?) with GRASS. There's also MySQL,
some more no-charge ones and the biggies. Informix, Sybase, Oracle and
Interbase all have working ports to linux. The personal versions are
available for no charge via download. I downloaded and installed the Sybase
Adaptive Enterprise Server, clients and all 200M of documentation and played
with it for a day. For our needs it's like buying an 18-wheeler to run
errands around town. It's off the box now.
We're not looking back. Working in linux makes using a computer fun again
and we're much more productive than we were even in DOS.
My best to all of you,
Rich
Dr. Richard B. Shepard, President
Applied Ecosystem Services, Inc.
2404 SW 22nd Street
Troutdale, OR 97060-1247 U.S.A.
+ 1 503-667-4517 (voice) | + 1 503-667-8863 (fax)
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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