Open Source GIS Program Comes To OS X

SierraMaps.com has released a new Geographic Information Systems (GIS) application for Mac OS X, GRASS 5.0b11. GRASS (Geographic Resources Analysis Support System) is a full featured Open Source GIS program, and the GRASS 5.0 installer automatically configures an X-Widow Server on OS X, or installs the command line version, bringing yet another wonderful Open Source title to Mac OS X. According to SierraMaps.com:

SierraMaps.com (TM) releases GRASS 5.0 beta 11 GIS for Mac OS X CD.

By simply double-clicking on the package, the state-of-the-art, open-source GRASS (Geographic Resources Analysis Support System), a complete GIS (geographic information system) will be installed in minutes. The CD installs and configures GRASS GIS with all of the programs and libraries required to run the graphical-user-interface within Mac OS Xis Aqua interface (XFree86 4.0.3, XAqua 0.5, Tcl/Tk libraries and applications, wish 8.0 and GRASS 5.0 beta 11), optionally GRASS GIS with a command-line interface.

The installation program also installs complete documentation (in both PDF and HTML formats), tutorials with sample data, and a mirror of the official GRASS web site. The only other complete competing GIS on the market fully-configured can cost more than US$20,000 and does not run on Macintoshes.

The CD comes with limited-technical support to help get a system up and running should the user experience any difficulty installing GRASS GIS. SierraMaps will no longer offer free tech support for installation of GRASS 5.0 for Mac OS X that we ported, because this CD prevents those questions.

GRASS 5.0b11 is available for US$25. You can find more information, including some of the programis features, at the SierraMaps.com Web site.