Subject: [Thuban-list] running Thuban as a portable GIS viewer

From: Tim Michelsen <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 23 May 2008 22:25:01 +0200

Hello,
so far, I have only used Thuban as a GIS viewer installed on the 
specific operating system:
On windows this has been installed with setup.exe install file and on 
linux as a package (*.deb).

In the README it says:

To setup Thuban to run directly from the source directory:

    python setup.py install_local

My question here is:

Is it possible to build Thuban in the above stated way and then put it 
on a USB drive or CD-R and execute it from there?

What I am looking for is a "portable" (in the sense of moving arround) 
GIS viewer that I can use to deliver results of my work to reviewers, 
collegues or clients who are not GIS specialists, who may not have GIS 
systems installed or just want to view the results of the work.

I know that it needs some other packages as stated in the requirements 
such as the Python environment and a few libraries.

But I could use Portable Python (http://www.portablepython.com/) to 
provide that on the CD-R and use a startup script.

Would a Thuban installation configured in such a way run from any PC 
(Linux or Windows) without problems or further dependencies?
Can I then specify a defaukt session in my startup script that 
automatically starts the programm with my layers?

I would be very happy to recieve a statement on this issue.

Kind regards,
Timmie

P.S.: I put this mailing list up on Gmane. I hope that you like that...

---

From: Bernhard Reiter <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 24 May 2008 19:48:13 +0200

Hi Tim,

> on a USB drive or CD-R and execute it from there?

The ability to put Thuban on a media an run it from there is independent
from the "install_local" feature. This feature is only a comfort function
to copy the Thuban files to the system location where it usually would reside
in a GNU/Linux system. "install_local" allows you to run Thuban directly in 
place.

Of course you can produce a self-contain media running Thuban.
(My company Intevation has done this a few years ago.)
You need to put everything on that you need to run Thuban.

There are two general ways:
a) Complete operating system and Thuban. Works e.g. GNU/Linux
   like a kanotix or morphix live-CDs. Needs all Thuban packages installed.
   Putting it in will boot it.

b) Only the Thuban application (with all dependencies) e.g. ready to run
   for several operating system like Windows, GNU/Linux.

> systems installed or just want to view the results of the work.

It is possible to do this with Thuban.

> provide that on the CD-R and use a startup script.

I do not have experience with portablepython, so I can only guess.
My guess is that you at least need the wxWidget and other binary libraries, 
but you can make it work. I cannot say how difficult it is, though, without 
having tried myself.

> (Linux or Windows) without problems or further dependencies?

GNU/Linux and Windows would need binary libraries for their specific variants
(e.g. Debian Etch, Ubuntu, RedHat, XP, Vista).
Thuban needs those libraries and they are not pure python.

> automatically starts the programm with my layers?

Yes.

> P.S.: I put this mailing list up on Gmane. I hope that you like that...

I am not using Gmame myself, I have nothing against spreading knowledge 
about this public list. :)

Best,
Bernhard

-- 
Managing Director - Owner: www.intevation.net       (Free Software Company)
Germany Coordinator: fsfeurope.org. Coordinator: www.Kolab-Konsortium.com.
Intevation GmbH, Osnabrück, DE; Amtsgericht Osnabrück, HRB 18998
Geschäftsführer Frank Koormann, Bernhard Reiter, Dr. Jan-Oliver Wagner