[GRASS-user] setting-up a FOSS GIS lab

GRASS GRASS user
,
1

Hi,

I am a new instructor on Basic GIS in a small college in the Philippines.
We find it hard to request for a dedicated GIS lab for student to
tinker around. In last term's basic GIS course, we used the
foss4g2006 lausanne live-CD for our exercise using the schools generic
computer lab. The live-cd works just fine, we basically set-up the
samba server so that students can access Philippine datasets for the
exercises.

For this term, were trying out the ominiverdi live-cd.

With constant lobbying, I finally persuaded the department to explore
setting-up a dedicated GIS lab. No assurance on when and how will
this initiative will go through, but I was asked to write a proposal
on how do we plan to implement this project.

I would like to ask this list on experiences in setting up a GIS lab
for students (both for undergrad & graduate course). Initially, I
have the following on my mind:

hardware: 1 server, 5 thin clients
OS: Linux LTSP route (debian-based)
GIS applications: OSGEO stack (GRASS, QGIS, Mapserver)
databse and stats: R, postgesql
other apps: standard office applications (openoffice, firefox, pdf reader)
online course management: moodle

Any ideas on how we should go about this? One thing thats bugging me
is, can LTSP setup handle GIS computing-intensive tasks using the thin
clients.

Apart from preparing the proposal, I am also looking for sponsors or
where we can submit the proposal for possible funding. I know ESRI
has this "altruistic" facility to schools. But I also want the lab as
advocating for software freedom (as in speech) philosophy. Any
org/institution we can ask for help?

Any ideas would be helpful.

cheers,

maning

--
|---------|----------------------------------------------------------|
| __.-._ |"Ohhh. Great warrior. Wars not make one great." -Yoda |
| '-._"7' |"Freedom is still the most radical idea of all" -N.Branden|
| /'.-c |Linux registered user #402901, http://counter.li.org/ |
| | /T |http://esambale.wikispaces.com|
| _)_/LI |http://www.geocities.com/esambale/philbiodivmap/philbirds.html |
|---------|----------------------------------------------------------|

2

If you are going for a thin client setup, you definitely
want to consider NoMachine NX (or the FreeNX variety).
These use a _very_ efficient compression scheme that
allows you to get great responsiveness and graphics
throughput on the network even with limited bandwidth.

A server with a quadcore CPU and plenty of RAM should
be able to handle the task.

However, with just 5 workplaces in the lab, why not use
full PC clients with local Linux OS and apps installed?
Once these are setup, they should not be hard or
time-intensive to maintain and you will get much more
computing power at each workplace. With this setting,
you could do with inexpensive hardware for both the
server and clients.

A good idea for GIS work is using a dual monitor setup
or at least widescreen displays.

Benjamin

maning sambale wrote:

Hi,

I am a new instructor on Basic GIS in a small college in the Philippines.
We find it hard to request for a dedicated GIS lab for student to
tinker around. In last term's basic GIS course, we used the
foss4g2006 lausanne live-CD for our exercise using the schools generic
computer lab. The live-cd works just fine, we basically set-up the
samba server so that students can access Philippine datasets for the
exercises.

For this term, were trying out the ominiverdi live-cd.

With constant lobbying, I finally persuaded the department to explore
setting-up a dedicated GIS lab. No assurance on when and how will
this initiative will go through, but I was asked to write a proposal
on how do we plan to implement this project.

I would like to ask this list on experiences in setting up a GIS lab
for students (both for undergrad & graduate course). Initially, I
have the following on my mind:

hardware: 1 server, 5 thin clients
OS: Linux LTSP route (debian-based)
GIS applications: OSGEO stack (GRASS, QGIS, Mapserver)
databse and stats: R, postgesql
other apps: standard office applications (openoffice, firefox, pdf reader)
online course management: moodle

Any ideas on how we should go about this? One thing thats bugging me
is, can LTSP setup handle GIS computing-intensive tasks using the thin
clients.

Apart from preparing the proposal, I am also looking for sponsors or
where we can submit the proposal for possible funding. I know ESRI
has this "altruistic" facility to schools. But I also want the lab as
advocating for software freedom (as in speech) philosophy. Any
org/institution we can ask for help?

Any ideas would be helpful.

cheers,

maning

--
Benjamin Ducke, M.A.
Archäoinformatik
(Archaeoinformation Science)
Institut für Ur- und Frühgeschichte
(Inst. of Prehistoric and Historic Archaeology)
Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel
Johanna-Mestorf-Straße 2-6
D 24098 Kiel
Germany

Tel.: ++49 (0)431 880-3378 / -3379
Fax : ++49 (0)431 880-7300
www.uni-kiel.de/ufg

3

On 10/6/07, Benjamin Ducke <benjamin.ducke@ufg.uni-kiel.de> wrote:

If you are going for a thin client setup, you definitely
want to consider NoMachine NX (or the FreeNX variety).

Thanks! Will look into this one.

However, with just 5 workplaces in the lab, why not use
full PC clients with local Linux OS and apps installed?

The 5 thin-client setup would be more of a proof-of-concept showing
that it works. But we intend to add additional thin clients once we
made case that it is possible.

Thanks!

maning

>
> I am a new instructor on Basic GIS in a small college in the Philippines.
> We find it hard to request for a dedicated GIS lab for student to
> tinker around. In last term's basic GIS course, we used the
> foss4g2006 lausanne live-CD for our exercise using the schools generic
> computer lab. The live-cd works just fine, we basically set-up the
> samba server so that students can access Philippine datasets for the
> exercises.
>
> For this term, were trying out the ominiverdi live-cd.
>
> With constant lobbying, I finally persuaded the department to explore
> setting-up a dedicated GIS lab. No assurance on when and how will
> this initiative will go through, but I was asked to write a proposal
> on how do we plan to implement this project.
>
> I would like to ask this list on experiences in setting up a GIS lab
> for students (both for undergrad & graduate course). Initially, I
> have the following on my mind:
>
> hardware: 1 server, 5 thin clients
> OS: Linux LTSP route (debian-based)
> GIS applications: OSGEO stack (GRASS, QGIS, Mapserver)
> databse and stats: R, postgesql
> other apps: standard office applications (openoffice, firefox, pdf reader)
> online course management: moodle
>
> Any ideas on how we should go about this? One thing thats bugging me
> is, can LTSP setup handle GIS computing-intensive tasks using the thin
> clients.
>
> Apart from preparing the proposal, I am also looking for sponsors or
> where we can submit the proposal for possible funding. I know ESRI
> has this "altruistic" facility to schools. But I also want the lab as
> advocating for software freedom (as in speech) philosophy. Any
> org/institution we can ask for help?
>
> Any ideas would be helpful.
>
> cheers,
>
> maning
>

--
Benjamin Ducke, M.A.
Archäoinformatik
(Archaeoinformation Science)
Institut für Ur- und Frühgeschichte
(Inst. of Prehistoric and Historic Archaeology)
Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel
Johanna-Mestorf-Straße 2-6
D 24098 Kiel
Germany

Tel.: ++49 (0)431 880-3378 / -3379
Fax : ++49 (0)431 880-7300
www.uni-kiel.de/ufg

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http://grass.itc.it/mailman/listinfo/grassuser

--
|---------|----------------------------------------------------------|
| __.-._ |"Ohhh. Great warrior. Wars not make one great." -Yoda |
| '-._"7' |"Freedom is still the most radical idea of all" -N.Branden|
| /'.-c |Linux registered user #402901, http://counter.li.org/ |
| | /T |http://esambale.wikispaces.com|
| _)_/LI |http://www.geocities.com/esambale/philbiodivmap/philbirds.html |
|---------|----------------------------------------------------------|

4

maning sambale wrote:

Hi,

I am a new instructor on Basic GIS in a small college in the Philippines.
We find it hard to request for a dedicated GIS lab for student to
tinker around. In last term's basic GIS course, we used the
foss4g2006 lausanne live-CD for our exercise using the schools generic
computer lab. The live-cd works just fine, we basically set-up the
samba server so that students can access Philippine datasets for the
exercises.

For this term, were trying out the ominiverdi live-cd.

With constant lobbying, I finally persuaded the department to explore
setting-up a dedicated GIS lab. No assurance on when and how will
this initiative will go through, but I was asked to write a proposal
on how do we plan to implement this project.

I would like to ask this list on experiences in setting up a GIS lab
for students (both for undergrad & graduate course). Initially, I
have the following on my mind:

hardware: 1 server, 5 thin clients
OS: Linux LTSP route (debian-based)
GIS applications: OSGEO stack (GRASS, QGIS, Mapserver)
databse and stats: R, postgesql
other apps: standard office applications (openoffice, firefox, pdf reader)
online course management: moodle

Any ideas on how we should go about this? One thing thats bugging me
is, can LTSP setup handle GIS computing-intensive tasks using the thin
clients.
  

Hello Maning:
First, I highly suggest you take this question to the k12ltsp mailing list: K12OSN@redhat.com
They are a very helpful and very knowledgeable group.
Second, in general you'll probably want to stick plenty of memory into the server, and it definitely should be on a gigabit port on the network switch.
Please keep us posted as to your progress.
Regards,
Micha

Apart from preparing the proposal, I am also looking for sponsors or
where we can submit the proposal for possible funding. I know ESRI
has this "altruistic" facility to schools. But I also want the lab as
advocating for software freedom (as in speech) philosophy. Any
org/institution we can ask for help?

Any ideas would be helpful.

cheers,

maning

5

On 6 Oct 2007, at 03:22, maning sambale wrote:

Hi,

I am a new instructor on Basic GIS in a small college in the Philippines.
We find it hard to request for a dedicated GIS lab for student to
tinker around.

...

With constant lobbying, I finally persuaded the department to explore
setting-up a dedicated GIS lab. No assurance on when and how will
this initiative will go through, but I was asked to write a proposal
on how do we plan to implement this project.

I would like to ask this list on experiences in setting up a GIS lab
for students (both for undergrad & graduate course). Initially, I
have the following on my mind:

hardware: 1 server, 5 thin clients
OS: Linux LTSP route (debian-based)
GIS applications: OSGEO stack (GRASS, QGIS, Mapserver)
databse and stats: R, postgesql
other apps: standard office applications (openoffice, firefox, pdf reader)
online course management: moodle

Unfortunately, I have no experience with the thin client route.

I managed to take advantage of the fact that computers were being replaced in our formerly windows-only GIS lab, to (1) install some FOSS4G tools (QGIS, R, ...) on the new Windows setup, and also (2) to repartition the machine so that it has a dual boot setup, offering Windows XP or Fedora. The Linux side has GRASS, Mapserver, QGIS, R, and associated utilities.

We set up one machine, then copy the hard drive image to all machines in the lab, then go around to each one to just fix the computer ID/hostname in each OS on each machine to make them unique. This was "relatively" painless. I am also setting up a Fedora-powered server to serve out a data directory with NFS (have used SMB shares in the meantime), and I am thinking of adding an NFS-mounted /usr/local so that I can easily add new software without having to modify each client machine.

I realize this doesn't really match what you're proposing, and I can't offer experience of relative pros and cons of each approach, but if you do consider a local dual-boot option, I'd be happy to share more experiences.

Cheers,

Scott Mitchell - Department of Geography and Environmental Studies
Carleton University - Ottawa, Canada