How to prepare a WinGRASS Release

Table of Contents

Introduction

  1. Install OSGeo4w Tree and Compile Grass
  2. Create a GRASS self-contained Package
  3. Remove OSGeo4W Traces from Package
  4. Install NSIS
  5. Install NSIS: Untgz Plugin
  6. Create the WinGRASS Installer

Credits and Contacts


Introduction

This document explains how to prepare a WinGRASS release (as a self-contained package installer) using the scripts contained in the mswindows folder. In order to avoid mistakes or misunderstandings, I highly recommend to follow each step and command exactly as they are written in this document.

1. Install OSGeo4w Tree and Compile Grass

Follow the instructions here to download the OSGeo4W installer, install the required dependencies, and build Grass from source.

Do not move on to step two until you have successfully tested your new version of Grass.

2. Create a GRASS self-contained Package

Copy all the content of the mswindows folder to a temporary directory, for example c:\temp.

Edit lines 11-15 in the file c:\temp\GRASS-Packager.bat to reflect the path to your OSGeo4W tree (eg. c:\OSGeo4W), and the Grass version being packaged (eg. grass-6.4.0RC4.

Launch the file c:\temp\GRASS-Packager.bat and select the option number 1.

When finished, you should have a GRASS self-contained release package in c:\temp\GRASS-Release-Package.

3. Remove OSGeo4W Traces from Package

Open c:\temp\GRASS-Release-Package\msys\msys.bat and remove lines 11-16.

At the end of line 88 change: 

--login -i
To: 
--login -c "%*"

4. Install NSIS (2.38)

Download the NSIS installer

Install to c:\DevTools

5. Install NSIS: Untgz Plugin (1.0.15)

Download the NSIS Untgz Plugin

Unzip to c:\DevTools\Plugins\

Copy c:\DevTools\Plugins\untgz\untgz.dll to c:\DevTools\Plugins\

6. Create the WinGRASS Installer

Open the the file c:\temp\GRASS-Installer.nsi.

At line 13 set the DEMOLOCATION_PATH varibale to the demolocation folder in the source tree. For example, c:\msys\local\src\grass-6.4.0RC4\demolocation

At line 18 set the INSTALLER_TYPE variable to "Release", then, at lines 24-26, set the RELEASE_VERSION_NUMBER, the RELEASE_SVN_REVISION and the RELEASE_BINARY_REVISION variables.

Finally, right click on the file c:\temp\GRASS-Installer.nsi and select Compile NSIS Script.

When finished, you should have the WinGRASS release installer in c:\temp.

Credits and Contacts

The GRASS MSYS Environment and the GRASS Packager and Installer scripts were created by Marco Pasetti, and updated for use on the osgeo4w tree by Colin Nielsen

To contact them, e-mail to: GRASS Development Mailing List (http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/grass-dev).

Last edited by Colin Nielsen on 06 April 2009.