| 1 | GRASS GIS releases version 6.3.0
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| 2 | 23 April 2008
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| 3 | http://grass.osgeo.org
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| 4 |
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| 5 | GRASS 6.3.0 is a "technology preview" release, the first beta on the
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| 6 | path to GRASS 6.4-stable, and also marks the start of work on GRASS 7.
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| 7 | As such GRASS 6.3.0 is not intended to be a stable release with ongoing
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| 8 | support, but after five months of quality-assurance review users can be
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| 9 | confident to use this version for their day to day work, indeed due to
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| 10 | the open development model many already do.
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| 11 |
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| 12 | This release brings hundreds of new module features, supported data
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| 13 | formats, and language translations, as well as a number of exciting
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| 14 | enhancements to the GIS. A prototype of the new wxPython user interface
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| 15 | is debuted, and for the the first since its inception with a port from
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| 16 | the VAX 11/780 in 1983, GRASS will run on a non-UNIX based platform:
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| 17 | MS-Windows. This is currently still in an experimental state and we hope
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| 18 | that widespread testing of 6.3.0 will mean the 6.4 release of WinGRASS
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| 19 | will be fully functional and robust. Existing users will be happy to
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| 20 | know that these new features do not disrupt the base GIS which remains
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| 21 | as solid as ever and fully backwards compatible with earlier GRASS 6.0
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| 22 | and GRASS 6.2 releases.
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| 23 |
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| 24 | Several infrastructure changes accompany this release with the project
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| 25 | becoming a founding member of the Open Source Geospatial Foundation
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| 26 | (OSGeo). This includes a new home for the website, the Wiki help system,
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| 27 | source code repository, community add-on module repository, integrated
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| 28 | bug tracking system, and formal membership for the project in a non-profit
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| 29 | legal entity. We hope that these changes will guarantee that the GRASS
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| 30 | community will be well supported and vibrant well into the future.
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| 31 |
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| 32 |
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| 33 | The Geographic Resources Analysis Support System (GRASS) is a Geographic
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| 34 | Information System (GIS) used for spatial modeling, visualization of
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| 35 | both raster and vector data, geospatial data management and analysis,
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| 36 | processing of satellite and aerial imagery, and production of
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| 37 | sophisticated presentation graphics and hardcopy maps. GRASS combines
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| 38 | powerful raster, vector, and geospatial processing engines into a
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| 39 | single integrated software package.
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| 40 |
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| 41 | The GRASS GIS project is developed under the terms of the GNU General
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| 42 | Public License (the GPL) by volunteers the world over. GRASS differs
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| 43 | from many other GIS software packages used in the professional world
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| 44 | in that it is developed and distributed by users for users, mostly on
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| 45 | a volunteer basis, in the open, and is given away for free. Emphasis
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| 46 | is placed on interoperability and unlimited access to data as well as
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| 47 | on software flexibility and evolution rate. The source code is freely
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| 48 | available allowing for immediate customization, examination of the
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| 49 | underlying algorithms, addition of new features, and fast bug fixing.
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| 50 |
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| 51 | GRASS is currently used around the world in academic and commercial
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| 52 | settings as well as by many governmental agencies and environmental
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| 53 | consulting companies.
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| 54 |
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| 55 |
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| 56 | Software download at http://grass.osgeo.org/download/ and numerous
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| 57 | mirror sites.
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| 58 |
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| 59 | Full story at http://grass.osgeo.org/announces/announce_grass630.html
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