Engr. Ben Hur S. Pintor


Researcher/Programmer/RS-GIS Specialist/All-around Tech Guy
Phil-LIDAR 2: REMap

Juris Doctor
University of the Philippines College of Law

Engr. Ben Hur S. Pintor


GIS user since late 2000's.
Started with ArcGIS 9.x

Began adopting FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) early 2010's
GNU/Linux OS (*buntu, OSGeo-Live)
LibreOffice Suite
QGIS, GRASS GIS, SAGA GIS

Majority of the software I use now are FOSS / available on Linux OS

FOSS

Free and

Open-Source

Software

FREE SOFTWARE

Richard Stallman (1980's)

Free meaning not only as Free Beer (cost) but Free as in Freedom (Liberty).

A philosophy of writing and sharing software.

img source: http://www.kawalingpinoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/chickenadobo-a.jpg

FREE SOFTWARE

Four Essential Freedoms:

(Freedom 0) The freedom to run the program as you wish, for any purpose.
(Freedom 1) The freedom to study how the program works, and change it so it does your computing as you wish.
(Freedom 2) The freedom to redistribute copies.
(Freedom 3) The freedom to distribute copies of your modified versions to others.

see: Free Software Definition (https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html)

OPEN-SOURCE

Eric Raymond and Bruce Perens (1998)

Open source doesn't just mean access to the source code. The distribution terms of open-source software must comply with the criteria in The Open Source Definition.

see: The Open Source Definition (https://opensource.org/osd)

img source: http://www.seriouswheels.com/pics-2009/klm/2009-Mr-Norms-Super-Dodge-Challenger-Open-Hood-1280x960.jpg

FOSS4G as an Option

FOSS4G - Free and Open Source Software for Geospatial

Pertains to a variety of geospatial software and tools (GIS, libraries, web-mapping toolkits, etc) released under a free and open-source license.

Examples:
QGIS, GRASS GIS, Leaflet, OpenLayers, MapServer, GeoServer, GeoNode, PostGIS

FOSS4G is not a panacea.

Most of the time, the best solutions are made from using a combination/hybrid of open-source and proprietary software.

When is FOSS4G (probably) not for you?

1. When budget is not an issue.
2. When you lack time to develop your own solutions.

Why FOSS4G?

1. Scaling
2. License Liability (lack of)
3. Flexibility
4. Staff Development
5. Transparency (Openness)

SCALING

Growth is not hampered by licensing/number of licenses (if your license agreement computes costs per core/per server/per computer, the costs can grow exponentially).

No cost for the acquisition of the software.

Easier to fix/patch problems as you can view and edit the source code (No need to wait for a fix from the vendor/supplier).

LICENSE LIABILITY

Technically, you can't pirate an open-source software.

No risk of facing possible legal repercussions for "copy-pasting" the software.

FLEXIBILITY

No need to buy an entire software or software package just for a specific tool you need.

FOSS can easily be modified to tailor-fit your needs.

No single vendor lock-in.

FOSS can communicate better with other software and usually follow standards.

STAFF DEVELOPMENT

How to fix an issue in proprietary software:
1. Reboot the machine.
2. Contact the vendor and wait in a queue.
3. Wait for them to fix the issue.

How to fix an issue in FOSS:
1. Fix the issue yourself.

TRANSPARENCY (OPENNESS)

The use of open-source software promotes and fosters a culture of openness and transparency which is very important especially to an organization that is tasked and trusted with using public funds.

Case studies

OpenGeo Suite (boundlessgeo.com)

Open Source Software That Solves Enterprise Geospatial Challenges

OpenGeo Suite (boundlessgeo.com)

Open Source Software That Solves Enterprise Geospatial Challenges

OpenGeo Suite (boundlessgeo.com)

Open Source Software That Solves Enterprise Geospatial Challenges

Cadasta (cadasta.org)

Open data for securing land tenure and transparency built on an open-source platform.

WFP Geonode (geonode.wfp.org)

The United Nations World Food Programme is using GeoNode enhance their data collecting capabilities.

LiPAD (https://lipad.dream.upd.edu.ph/)

LiDAR Portal for Archiving and Distribution (Phil-LiDAR Program)

RESOURCES: Paul Ramsey, The Unknowns: A Managers Guide to Open Source (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUgiG6eaYtI)