The
Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo) "was created to support the collaborative development of open source geospatial software, and promote its widespread use". See
A possible combination of Open Source systems for my current understanding and choice of OSGEO systems (QGIS, MapServer, OpenLayers). The
OpenGeo Suite is another way of putting together some elements of the Open Source software, and now our preferred stack.
Other OSGeo Projects - all open source (from their website):
- Web Mapping - these all seem to cover similar ground
- deegree - "(java) software for spatial data infrastructures and the geospatial web, offering components for geospatial data management, including data access, visualization, discovery and security"
- geomajas - "a collection of free and open source (java/javascript) GIS libraries, tools and API's for a complete end-to-end web mapping solution"
- GeoMOOSE - "a Web Client JavaScript Framework for displaying distributed cartographic data"
- GeoServer - "a (java) server for sharing geospatial data" - see also Boundless
- Mapbender - "the back office software and client framework for spatial data infrastructures, used to display, overlay, edit and manage distributed Web Map Services (the maps themselves are generated by Server software)"
MapBuilder - retired- MapFish - "a flexible and complete framework for building rich web-mapping applications"
- MapGuide Open Source - "a web-based platform that enables users to develop and deploy web mapping applications and geospatial web services" - only Windows, Linux (Ubuntu and CentOS)
- Desktop Applications
- GRASS GIS (Geographic Resources Analysis Support System) - "used for geospatial data management and analysis, image processing, graphics and maps production, spatial modeling, and visualization"
- gvSIG - "gvSIG Desktop is a powerful, user-friendly, interoperable GIS; also i3Geo integrates various open source applications into a single development platform (gvSIG Association is the largest network of open source geomatics professionals - a new model of development based on knowledge sharing, solidarity and cooperation)"
- Marble - "a virtual globe and world atlas — your swiss army knife for maps"
- Geospatial Libraries (technical components of other software, so not of direct interest to one-placers)
- FDO (Feature Data Object) Data Access Technology - "an API for manipulating, defining and analyzing geospatial information regardless of where it is stored"
- GDAL/OGR - "a translator library for raster and vector geospatial data formats"
- GEOS - "a Geometry Engine"
- GeoTools - "a Java library that provides tools for geospatial data"
- OSSIM - "a powerful suite of geospatial libraries and applications used to process imagery, maps, terrain, and vector data"
- PostGIS - "a spatial database extender for PostgreSQL object-relational database, adding support for geographic objects allowing location queries to be run in SQL"
- Metadata Catalogs (not sure how/if these are of interest to one-placers)
- GeoNetwork - "an easy to use web interface to search geospatial data across multiple catalogs"
- pycsw - "allows for the publishing and discovery of geospatial metadata, providing a standards-based metadata and catalogue component of spatial data infrastructures"
- Outreach Projects
- Public Geospatial Data - "a gathering of people who are committed to promote the use of open geospatial formats, public access to state-collected geodata, run a repository of open geodata, present and explain licenses for public geodata"
- Education and Curriculum (GeoForAll) - aiming "to promote and enhance education, research and service activities in the area of Open Geospatial Science & Applications all over the world"
- OSGeo Live - "a self-contained bootable DVD or USB thumb drive that allows you to try a wide variety of open source geospatial software without installing anything"
More information can be found in
this Wikipedia article.
