A quick search shows that this has been requested before, but not for a while. Please consider adding Quantum GIS to the stable - QGIS is open source (GNU Public License) and runs great off a thumbdrive. Well it used to at any rate. Recent versions are not so happy (and probably older versions were never properly portable).
Release notes for the current version (1.6) explain how it can be made portable (see http://www.qgis.org/en/about-qgis/qgis-releases.html):
"•Added --configpath option that overrides the default path (~/.qgis) for user configuration and forces QSettings to use this directory, too. This allows users to e.g. carry QGIS installation on a flash drive together with all plugins and settings."
I'm sure this means something to someone!
For more info please see: http://www.qgis.org
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I'll give this a go
I tried it a couple of days ago and it runs several batch files after installation so I stopped working on it as I dont have the time atm to figure out what they do.
"What about Love?" - "Overrated. Biochemically no different than eating large quantities of chocolate." - Al Pacino in The Devils Advocate
I neither don't know what it means but I've tried to run QGIS coping the previous installed windows directory on a flashdrive and editing the file
..\Quantum GIS Copiapo\apps\qgis\bin\qgis.bat
like this:
--
@echo off
set DRV_LTR=%~d0
SET OSGEO4W_ROOT=%DRV_LTR%\PortableApps\Quantum GIS Copiapo\
call "%OSGEO4W_ROOT%"\bin\o4w_env.bat
call "%OSGEO4W_ROOT%"\bin\gdal17.bat
call "%OSGEO4W_ROOT%"\bin\grass-env.bat
@echo off
path %PATH%;%GISBASE%\bin
start "Quantum GIS" /B "%OSGEO4W_ROOT%"\apps\qgis\bin\qgis.exe %*
--
May be you could use the "--configpath" option somewhere
Next?
I've done something similar up until now, but it still creates the .qgis folder in your user directory - and plug-ins still get installed there too.
Very interesting idea to add QGIS to PortableApps!
But I see a few problems luring around the corner: I am in what some call the Third World.
Speed is one concern; the graphics may load real slow when this is run from a USB stick, or a not-so-fast computer, of which we have plenty here.
Then, QGIS creates socalled project files that contain a mention of the path where to look for data (files). Potentially, those are on the USB stick in a portable world. Not sure, but could this create irritations when the thumb drive is renamed?
This is a remarkable application. Its high quality.
There aren't anything similar to supply geographical information.
You could also consider adding gvSIG. It's another good open source gis application.
There is a portable version at
http://www.gvsig.org/web/plugins/downloads/gvsig-1-11-portable
I've seen the possibility to have QGis as portable apps, there is a project to integrated it as portableapps?
Concerning the speed, I use an portable hard drive, and all applications have the same speed compare to my computer. I tried with usb key, but it's to slow!
I tried out Quantum GIS and ended up really liking it! For a non-daily gis user, it's pretty intuitive. I began reading how-to articles and scraped up enough info to put together launch scripts to make it portable for QGis Lisboa v1.8 (Seems to be working)
What was done?
*Some QGis batch files needed to modified.
*I also created some AutoIT compilable scripts for the Portable Apps launcher program.
Instructions and scripts are available as a download on my SourceForge site.
http://cyclatron.users.sourceforge.net/menuitem-howto-soft-alterations/7...
I've done the usual trick of installing ver 2.4.0 on my home computer then just transferring the program folder to my USB stick and running it at work without administrative permissions and it works great! Slow starting up (expected) but once underway it works very well. I just wish there was a proper portable version.