Build packages for ArcheOS - Intro

One day it can happen, joining the #archeos IRC channel, to meet ORNis, alachis & C. and start learning how to build Debian package. That day I was in the channel to say hello and seeking help for some issue, and what happened to me after is logged in this wiki page.

It seems that I was in the right place at the right time, while the ArcheOS developers team was planning "the first ArcheOS Open Learning Day", and I was planning to help them in my unemployed time... :)

It seems that one of the "new year good intentions" was (is) to teach some volunteers to build Debian packages because Theodoric (ArcheOS 5.0 release) needs more developers and maintainers than the poor and only ORNis... :)

Building Debian packages can be very hard, so we decided to start the IRC tutorial with a less difficult software like Rectification, an abandoned module from e-foto  photogrammetry suit. At the moment the wiki page is just a log of that IRC meeting, but in the near future I want to complete the tutorial and build more packages.

So, invited by +Luca Bezzi, I agreed to write this post
* first of all, to thank +Romain Janvier;
* then to share my first experience with git-buildpackage;
* and finally to re-invite you to join the #archeos IRC channel, because good things happen.

Thanks,
Dome

Data sharing (Vervò webgis)

One of the main topics during the workshop in Ferrara concerned "open data", and particularly we talked about the problems in data sharing. It looks like that in the last years the the situation did not change very much (at least in Italy): archaeological discussion and research inside the scientific community are still slowed by the difficulties of official institutions in data release (for many different reasons, not least of which a general climate of suspicion between archaeologists).
Anyway, according to our past experiences, we have to say that we were quite lucky, finding often (in our institutional partners) people who did not underestimate the problem and allowed us to share archaeological data in specific project. The media we normally chose for this purpose is the webgis.
The image belows regards one of this projects, oriented to archaeological research and conservation in a small area (the territory of Vervò, in north-west Trentino, Italy).

 
The webgis was developed in 2009 by Giuseppe Naponiello using entirely Free and Open Source Software (soon Giuseppe will write a post with more technical information about it); the data come from the research of Alessandro Bezzi and are released with a Creative Commons license. The project was possible thanks to Dr. Nicoletta Pisu of the "Soprintendenza per i Beni Librari Archivistici e ArcheoLogici di Trento".
Actually you can visulize the webgis here.

Gnewarchaeology, a successful workshop

Just a fast report from the workshop "Gnewarchaeology" in Ferrara (see the previous post): the meeting was a success, both for the quality of the presentations and for the discussion. It was a good chance to share ideas and remark the importance to use FLOSS in archaeological research. Soon we will upload our slides. In the meantime we want to thank the organizers (especially Domenico Giusti) for the great job they did.

GNewgnewarchaeology

Good news from University of Ferrara! A new workshop about Free/Libre and Open Source Software in archaeology will take place on the 13th – 14th October 2011. More info on the official website. It will be a good oppotunity to meet and exchange experiences and informations. See you there!

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