This document discusses open source GIS software. It introduces Randal Hale, the owner of a company focused on open source GIS. It then summarizes an upcoming FOSS4G meeting in Tennessee to discuss LIDAR, data, and imagery. The rest of the document demonstrates setting up open source GIS software including QGIS, PostgreSQL, PostGIS, and GeoServer on a virtual machine to display a shapefile as a WMS layer using Leaflet. It discusses why one would use open source GIS software and its advantages.

1. Randal Hale
North River Geographic Systems, Inc
Open Spatial Server

2. Who
Randal Hale
Owner of NRGS
● Owner
● 10 years as a consultant
● 16 years as a Federal Employee
99% of my work currently revolves around Free
and Open Source Software for GIS. I love the
software and the chance to find answers to
problems.

3. FOSS4G in TN
● 2nd meeting this year at UTK. 50 people
discussing everything from LIDAR to Data to
imagery.
● It’s happening again next year so stay tuned.
Probably going to do workshops with the
meeting.
● Join the QGIS.us mailing list!
● Join OSGEO.us!

4. What is FOSS4G
● FOSS4G was first coined in early 2004 as an
acronym for Free and Open Source Software
for Geoinformatics
● Free means “Freedom” to view the source
code
● Most of the time it is “Free as in cost” and and
always “free as in speech”
● It is compatible with commercial software.

5. What is FOSS4G
● Vibrant Community
● Developers are generally open to suggestions
● Volunteers community
● Donation driven community

6. What we will cover…..
PostgreSQL
PostGIS
Geoserver
QGIS

7. IT’S A RUNNING DEMO
● This Virtual machine was built using vagrant
● Vagrant allows automated building of virtual
machines for testing and deployment
● It’s on github:
https://www.github.com/rjhale/terra
● 4GB of Ram total with 2GB going to
Geoserver.

8. What will we do?
● Add a shapefile to QGIS
● Take that Shapefile and import that layer into
postgresql
● Use Geoserver to Publish a WMS
● Use Leaflet to display that WMS

9. QGIS
● Started in 2006
● Desktop Editing Software first written to view
postGIS.
● Works with Databases
○ PostgreSQL, Oracle, SQL Server
● Works with File based data
○ Geopackage, Shapefiles, ESRI’s FGDB

10. PostgreSQL
● Started in 1986
● Runs on everything (Linux if I have a choice)
● It’s a major backbone of the modern web.
● Current Version 10 (with 11 coming)

11. PostGIS
● First version released in 2001
● Extension to PostgreSQL
● Adds Geometry and Follows the OGC Simple
Features for SQL specification
● Currently at 2.4 (2.5 is coming)

12. Geoserver
● Started in 2001
● Publishes WFS, WMS, WCS, WMTS
● Follows Current OGC Standards
○ services can be consumed by any OGC
Compliant Software
● Current is 2.13.2 (2.14 is coming)

13. So how does it work?
Standards
● All of this software is developed independently
but it all works together.
● Open geospatial Consortium publishes specs
for WMS, WFS, WMTS, Geopackage, etc
● No one wants the extra work of making all of
this break

14. In one diagram
QGIS
PostGIS
GeoServer
Vector Data
Aerial Imagery
Leaflet
ArcGIS
AutoCad
Fulcrum

15. What are the specs
● It Varies*
● PostgreSQL/PostGIS is happy on 4 GB of
RAM (me: 6 GB)
● Geoserver seems to be happy at 2GB or
higher (me: 8 GB)
● QGIS is happy on 4GB of RAM (me: 8GB)
* The heavier the usage the more resources you need.

16. IT’S SHOWTIME!!

17. Why? Why Not
● It’s a capable server. It’s standards
based
● It’s compatible with commercial software
● Support from a community of users and
from Commercial Companies <cough>
● Worry about your data vs software.
○ You have to worry about software a
little but not a lot.

18. Questions?
Randal Hale
rjhale@northrivergeographic.com
https://www.northrivergeographic.com