Open Source Geospatial Foundation
Encyclopedia
The Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo), is a non-profit non-governmental organization
whose mission is to support and promote the collaborative development of open geospatial
technologies
and data. The foundation was formed in February 2006 to provide financial, organizational and legal support to the broader Free
and open source
geospatial community. It also serves as an independent legal entity to which community members can contribute code, funding and other resources, secure in the knowledge that their contributions will be maintained for public benefit.
OSGeo draws governance inspiration from several aspects of the Apache Foundation, including a membership composed of individuals drawn from foundation projects who are selected for membership status based on their active contribution to foundation projects and governance.
The foundation pursues goals beyond software development, such as promoting more open access to government
produced geospatial data and completely free geodata, such as that created and maintained by the OpenStreetMap
project. Education
and training are also addressed. Various committees within the foundation work on implementing strategies.
via a Wiki
, Mailing List
s and IRC.
Award for Geospatial Free and Open Source Software (GFOSS) is awarded annually by OSGeo to individuals who have demonstrated leadership in the GFOSS community. Recipients of the award will have contributed significantly through their activities to advance open source ideals in the geospatial realm.
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
whose mission is to support and promote the collaborative development of open geospatial
Geospatial
Geospatial analysis is an approach to applying statistical analysis and other informational techniques to geographically based data. Such analysis employs spatial software and analytical methods with terrestrial or geographic datasets, including geographic information systems and...
technologies
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
and data. The foundation was formed in February 2006 to provide financial, organizational and legal support to the broader Free
Free software
Free software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
and open source
Open source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
geospatial community. It also serves as an independent legal entity to which community members can contribute code, funding and other resources, secure in the knowledge that their contributions will be maintained for public benefit.
OSGeo draws governance inspiration from several aspects of the Apache Foundation, including a membership composed of individuals drawn from foundation projects who are selected for membership status based on their active contribution to foundation projects and governance.
The foundation pursues goals beyond software development, such as promoting more open access to government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
produced geospatial data and completely free geodata, such as that created and maintained by the OpenStreetMap
OpenStreetMap
OpenStreetMap is a collaborative project to create a free editable map of the world. Two major driving forces behind the establishment and growth of OSM have been restrictions on use or availability of map information across much of the world and the advent of inexpensive portable GPS devices.The...
project. Education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
and training are also addressed. Various committees within the foundation work on implementing strategies.
Projects
OSGeo projects include:Geospatial Libraries
- FDO
- GDAL/OGRGDALGDAL is a library for reading and writing raster geospatial data formats, and is released under the permissive X/MIT style free software license by the Open Source Geospatial Foundation. As a library, it presents a single abstract data model to the calling application for all supported formats...
- GeoToolsGeoToolsGeoTools is a free software GIS toolkit for developing standards compliant solutions.It provides an implementation of Open Geospatial Consortium specifications as they are developed...
- GEOS
- MetaCRS
- PostGISPostGISPostGIS is an open source software program that adds support for geographic objects to the PostgreSQL object-relational database. PostGIS follows the Simple Features for SQL specification from the Open Geospatial Consortium .-Features:...
Desktop Applications
- GRASS GISGRASS GISGRASS GIS is a free, open source geographical information system capable of handling raster, topological vector, image processing, and graphic data....
- OSSIM
- Quantum GISQuantum GISQuantum GIS is a free software desktop Geographic Information Systems application that provides data viewing, editing, and analysis capabilities.-Development:...
- gvSIGGvSIGgvSIG is a geographic information system , that is, a desktop application designed for capturing, storing, handling, analyzing and deploying any kind of referenced geographic information in order to solve complex management and planning problems. gvSIG is known for having a user-friendly interface,...
Server
- MapServerMapServerMapServer is an open source development environment for building spatially-enabled internet applications. It can run as a CGI program or via MapScript which supports several programming languages . MapServer was developed by the University of Minnesota — so, it is often and more specifically...
- DeegreeDeegreedeegree supplies the building blocks of a Spatial Data Infrastructure, while implementing the standards of the Open Geospatial Consortium and ISO/TC 211. The Java-based deegree framework is the most extensive implementation of OGC/ISO standards in the field of Free Software.deegree is an...
(but iGeoPortal is client) - GeomajasGeomajasGeomajas is an open source GIS framework for the web. It allows aggregation and transformation of GIS data sources and has components for Web mapping. It was written in Java building on the Spring Framework, JTS Topology Suite, GeoTools, Hibernate spatial, GWT...
- GeoServerGeoServerIn computing, GeoServer - an open-source server written in Java - allows users to share and edit geospatial data. Designed for interoperability, it publishes data from any major spatial data source using open standards...
Governance
The OSGeo Foundation is thoroughly community driven and has a lightweight organizational overhead consisting of 45 initial members, 9 directors including the president Arnulf Christl. It is organized in more than 20 projects. Twelve of these (March 2007) focus on software development projects (see above) or organizational matters like board issues, web site, visibility, education, public geodata and promotion. The OSGeo community collaboratesCollaboration
Collaboration is working together to achieve a goal. It is a recursive process where two or more people or organizations work together to realize shared goals, — for example, an intriguing endeavor that is creative in nature—by sharing...
via a Wiki
Wiki
A wiki is a website that allows the creation and editing of any number of interlinked web pages via a web browser using a simplified markup language or a WYSIWYG text editor. Wikis are typically powered by wiki software and are often used collaboratively by multiple users. Examples include...
, Mailing List
Mailing list
A mailing list is a collection of names and addresses used by an individual or an organization to send material to multiple recipients. The term is often extended to include the people subscribed to such a list, so the group of subscribers is referred to as "the mailing list", or simply "the...
s and IRC.
Events
OSGeo runs an annual international conference called FOSS4G - Free and Open Source Software for Geospatial. Starting as early as 2006, this event has drawn over 900 attendees (2011) and is expected to bring in even more each year. It is the main meeting place and educational outreach opportunity for OSGeo members, supporters and newcomers - to share and learn from one another in presentations, hands-on workshops and a conference exhibition.Sol Katz Award
The Sol KatzSol Katz
Sol Katz was an early pioneer of geospatial computer software and left behind a large body of work in the form of computer applications and format specifications while at the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. This early archive provided both source code and applications freely available to the...
Award for Geospatial Free and Open Source Software (GFOSS) is awarded annually by OSGeo to individuals who have demonstrated leadership in the GFOSS community. Recipients of the award will have contributed significantly through their activities to advance open source ideals in the geospatial realm.
See also
- List of GIS software
- Comparison of GIS softwareComparison of GIS softwareThis is a comparison of notable GIS software. To be included on this list, the software must either have a linked existing article or include references to independent sources verifying notability.-License, source, & operating system support:-Map servers:...
- Free SoftwareFree softwareFree software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
- GIS Live DVDGIS Live DVDGIS Live DVD is a type of the thematic Live CDs containing GIS/RS applications and related tutorials, and sample data sets. The general sense of a GIS Live DVD is to demonstrate the power of FLOSS GIS and encourage users to start on FLOSS GIS. However a disc can be used GIS data processing and...
- Open SourceOpen sourceThe term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
- Open Geospatial ConsortiumOpen Geospatial ConsortiumThe Open Geospatial Consortium , an international voluntary consensus standards organization, originated in 1994. In the OGC, more than 400 commercial, governmental, nonprofit and research organizations worldwide collaborate in a consensus process encouraging development and implementation of open...
(OGC) – a standards organization - OpenStreetMapOpenStreetMapOpenStreetMap is a collaborative project to create a free editable map of the world. Two major driving forces behind the establishment and growth of OSM have been restrictions on use or availability of map information across much of the world and the advent of inexpensive portable GPS devices.The...