Python MapScript, take 2

Rats! Python seems to ignore weak-linking, so the Python MapScript wouldn’t work without the OCI libraries installed (they are weak-linked). A new build is available with all Oracle support stripped out (you can use Oracle thru OGR, but it’ll probably be slower).

Python MapScript

There has been some interest in it, and I plan to add it to the MapServer package. Until then, for those Tiger-PPC users, here is a quick-n-dirty fix for you (no fancy installer yet). As it implies, Tiger-PPC only, and you must use the current stable 2.4.1 MacPython as mentioned in the GIS Libs readme, it’s untested in the 2.4.2 universal in development, in fact I really don’t have anything to test it at all. It’s a separate file from the main MapServer package, available on the Downloads page.

Full round of updates today

Graphics Libs: Fixed a compatibility version problem with libming that could cause PHP and MapServer to fail to run.

GIS Libs 2.3: CFITSIO updated to 3.006, GeoTIFF updated to 1.2.3, NetCDF updated to 3.6.1, GRASS libs updated to 6.0.2.

MapServer updated to 4.8.3.

Postgres updated to 8.1.3.

Site upgrade in progress

Things may look a bit odd for a short time while I work on the theme. Yes, Sumomo will be coming to my web site style.

Some new features to note:

  • RSS news feed. You should see the RSS tag in Safari (and possibly other browsers).
  • I didn’t hack out the menu bar, so you’ll see the usual Geeklog menu. I didn’t have to because there is more control over anonymous submissions (ie, they don’t do anything for anonymous users).
  • I may enable user registration. I may not. At least I may let anonymous users comment. I’m still thinking about it.

Installer updates

Until I figure out the Panther/Tiger thing, here is a Graphics Libs update. TIFF 3.8.2. PDF 6.0.3. Ming 0.3.0. ImageMagick 6.2.6-5.

Note – There are some issues with libtiff and overviews, like in gdaladdo (see readme). Be careful when using tiff overviews for now until it is resolved.

GIS Libs update coming soon.

Trying to work out packaging possibilities

In my quest to simplify my installers, for me and for users, I’ve come up with a few possibilities. But I need a little feedback. There’s a poll to the right to vote, it’s public, since I don’t do registrations on my site, so hopefully it won’t get spammed. Details on the choices inside…

The two main ideas behind my installers are modularity, so users can pick what they need, and developer usability, so they are usable for other packages I don’t provide binaries for. To do this, I currently have them split into Panther and Tiger versions. This is because of library availability and C++ differences between the two. I do this using separate Macs for each system. I’ve played around with the SDKs to try building Panther packages on Tiger, but there are gaps in the SDK and some patching is required. Overall, it’s quite a chore.

I’ve come up with a few alternatives that look doable. These are in decreasing order of usefulness (developer usability and Panther compatibility) and increasing order (generally) of simplicity for me to maintain.

  1. Separate binaries for Panther and Tiger. Full developer ability on both. This is the current state.
  2. Separate binaries. But leave out the developer headers in Panther. Not really any different than with headers, but encourages people to consider upgrading to Tiger.
  3. Single binary for both. Devloper ability, but everything is built on Panther. I would enable the current Panther installer to install on Tiger, but it still means maintaining a separate Panther Mac, or extra boot disk. And you would lose the speed and binary size benefits on Tiger of a GCC 4 build.
  4. Single binary. No developer ability for Panther. This would be because of the C++ version differences mostly, as everything would be built with GCC 4 on Tiger. It would also mean adding a couple libraries where they are not available in Panther or are old incompatible versions.
  5. Single binary. Developer usability for Panther, but only if built on Tiger with GCC 4. Really no different than the previous, I would just have to test it more and provide more help.
  6. Tiger only. Bye-bye Panther. With the coming of Intel Macs, the focus is more on Tiger these days, and now Leopard (10.5) is in the radar, so I expect Panther support will be dropped by Apple when Leopard comes.

Small stuff

Finally got around to the small utilities. UIPS and Par2 are updated for Universal PPC/Intel. I decided to not pursue further builds of Unrar and 7z.

Unrar has a universal binary available from Rarlab. And the old-Mac rar name problem is so obscure it’s not worth it (I encountered it once in the early Mac OS X days).

7z has a nice universal GUI available from SixtyFive.

More Universal Bits

Thanks to Paul Moen, PHP-Apache is now fully Universal. That let me finish up MapServer as well – MapScript for PHP-Apache is now Universal.

I’ve had a couple success stories for the Intel builds. Nothing extensive yet, but a good start.

Ouch

Some idiot used some code injection thing to use my site to send a ton of spam (some Chase phishing). After maxing out my outgoing limit, my host automatically bounced the rest back to me. ~3000 came back! What a mess.

I’ve updated PHP and applied some Geeklog security updates, so I hope that takes care of it. I’m sorry if any of those might have hit any regulars to my site (it would be pure coincidence). No information seems to have been compromised, not that I have anything usable to anyone, my site was just used as a relay of sorts.