How I can get a wms-Layer from mapserver like we do with a geoserver?

Question

My question is not very clear but I will try to explain it.. When we call a wms layer from geoserver in Qgis for example we write http://adresse/geoserver/wms? and we find all layers which we have published.. I'd like to do the same: write a mapserver_adresse and get layers which I publish with mapserver (I do not want to write the mapfile name in the adresse).. Is-it possible and where I should start? Thanks

Tom-db Tom-db · Accepted Answer · 2015-03-13T20:13:06

You have to write a script in the same location in which is the executable mapserv. In this script you set the variable MS_MAPFILE=/path/your/mapfile and than execute mapserv.

On Linux this would look so:

#! /bin/bash
export MS_MAPFILE=/path/your/mapfile
./mapserv

Do not forget the #! /bin/bash, otherwise mapserver will refuse to work.

Save this script in the same location where is mapserv and make it executable, i.e:

chmod +x /usr/lib/cgi-bin/your_script

Now you can use it as a wms server in qgis with this address:

http://address/cgi-bin/your_script?

If you want to hide the "cgi-bin" part as well, can do it with apache.

See also all other environment variables which are recognized by mapserver:

https://trac.osgeo.org/mapserver/wiki/EnvironmentVariables

On Windows with Apache you can do the same using a SetEnvIf Directive like:

SetEnvIf Request_URI "/cgi-bin/exemplars/BGS_Bedrock_Geology/wms" MS_map file=/ms4w/apps/cookbookExemplars/BGS_Bedrock_Raster_Map/onegeology.map

How I can get a wms-Layer from mapserver like we do with a geoserver?

1 Answers