Free GIS-an intro to open-source spatial software

• Openlayers. OpenLayers makes it easy to put a dynamic map in any web page. It can display map tiles and markers loaded from any source…OpenLayers is a pure JavaScript library for displaying map data in most modern web browsers, with no server-side dependencies. OpenLayers implements a (still-developing) JavaScript API for building rich web-based geographic applications, similar to the Google Maps and MSN Virtual Earth APIs, with one important difference -- OpenLayers is Free Software, developed for and by the Open Source software community.
• GeoServer. GeoServer is an open source software server written in Java that allows users to share and edit geospatial data. Designed for interoperability, it publishes data from any major spatial data source using open standards…GeoServer is the reference implementation of the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) Web Feature Service (WFS) and Web Coverage Service (WCS) standards, as well as a high performance certified compliant Web Map Service (WMS). GeoServer forms a core component of the Geospatial Web.
• PostGIS. PostGIS "spatially enables" the PostgreSQL server, allowing it to be used as a backend spatial database for (GIS), much like ESRI's SDE
• PostgreSQL. PostgreSQL is a powerful, open source object-relational database system, a true spatial database, conforms to Open Geospatial Consortium standards, ArcSDE can connect to it, New to ArcGIS Server 9.3, Secure storage for both spatial and non spatial data, column level permissions granularity.
• GRASS. Commonly referred to as GRASS, this is a Geographic Information System (GIS) used for geospatial data management and analysis, image processing, graphics/maps production, spatial modeling, and visualization. GRASS is currently used in academic and commercial settings around the world, as well as by many governmental agencies and environmental consulting companies. GRASS is an official project of the Open Source Geospatial Foundation.
• OSSIM. Open Source Software Image Map, C++ software library that provides advanced remote sensing, image processing, and geo-spatial functionality. Includes orthorectification, precision terrain correction, rigorous sensor models, very large mosaics, and cross sensor fusions, a wide range of map projections and datums, and a large range of commercial and government data formats. OSSIM Planet - an accurate 3D global geo-spatial viewer that is built on top of OSSIM
• Quantum GIS (QGIS). Desktop application-very user friendly. Can work directly with .shp file, WMS, too many to list. Any Platform – Windows, Mac, Linux. FREE. Plugins available (Similar to Firefox add-ons). Allow spatial analysis, 3-D analysis, statistical analysis.User interface for GRASS tools. OGR interface allows use of TONS of formats. PostGIS interface. MapServer export
• GDAL, OGR. GDAL is a translator library for raster geospatial data formats...It also comes with a variety of useful commandline utilities for data translation and processing.The OGR Simple Features Library is a C++ open source library (and commandline tools) providing read (and sometimes write) access to a variety of vector file formats including ESRI Shapefiles, S-57, SDTS, PostGIS, Oracle Spatial, and Mapinfo mid/mif and TAB formats.

详文请参考Free GIS.ppt