Accessing Data from External Clients (QGIS)

Install QGIS Desktop

• Open the Ubuntu Software app

  

• Click CTRL + F and search for qgis; click on the QGIS Desktop icon

  

• Click on INSTALL and wait for the process to finish

  

• Once the app has been installed, open it by clicking on the icon

  

Connect through BASIC Auth

This is the easiest way to connect the client to GeoNode:

- Pros: very easy to configure
- Cons: it uses always a fixed user and you need to change it anytime if you want to switch it

• Let’s add a VECTORIAL layer accessible to test_user1 to the client; click on Layer > Add Layer > Add WFS Layer...

  

• Create a New Connection

  

• Provide a name, e.g. GeoNode WFS and the following URL:

  • http://localhost/gs/ows

  

  IMPORTANT: It is mandatory to pass through the GeoNode proxy /gs/ instead of hitting the GeoServer endpoint directly

• If the client asks for a NEW master password you can just provide anyone, e.g. geonode

  

• Switch to Basic authentication, provide the test_user1 credentials and click on Convert to configuration

  

• Make sure the converted configuration is selected and click on Detect in order to verify that it works; click on OK when finished

  

Connect through OAuth2

This is the easiest way to connect the client to GeoNode:

- Pros: difficult to configure
- Cons: it redirects to GeoNode to authenticate, so you can use any login provided by GeoNode

• We need to prepare GeoNode first; as an admin go to the Admin Dashboard and look for Django OAuth Toolkit > Applications

  

• Edit the GeoServer one

  

• Add the following URL to the Redirect URIs section and take note of the Client ID and Client Secret keys:

  • Copy the Client ID / Client Secret

  

  • Add Redirect URIs and Save: http://127.0.0.1:7070/qgis-client

  

• Let’s add a VECTORIAL layer accessible to test_user1 to the client; click on Layer > Add Layer > Add WFS Layer...

  

• Add a new OAuth2 Authentication config and fill the fields as follows:

  • Name: Provide any name you want e.g. GeoNode OAuth2

  • Grant Flow: Authorization Code

  • Request URL: http://localhost/o/authorize/ (the / at the end is IMPORTANT!)

  • Token URL: http://localhost/o/token/ (the / at the end is IMPORTANT!)

  • Refresh token URL: http://localhost/o/token/ (the / at the end is IMPORTANT!)

  • Client ID / Client Secret: The ones above

  • Scope: openid write

  • Token session: True

  • Access method: Header

  • Token header: empty (it is important you leave this param empty)

  • Save

  

• Make sure the new configuration is selected and click on Detect in order to verify that it works; click on OK when finished

  

• The client will open automatically a browser session, if you are not logged in, sign in with test_user1

  

• The window below means that the authetnication process was successfull; you can safely close it and go back to the client

  

Attach Layer to the Project

• Once the connection has been configured and saved, whatever it is, go back to the WFS panel, select the connection you just created and click on Connect

  

• If everything goes weel, you should be able to see the server offering; it will list all the layers the user has access to

  

• Select the Test Layer and click on Add

  

• QGIS will create a new project with the layer already loaded and centered to the map

  

Editing Contents: Values

• Enable Editing Mode on QGIS and click on the Info button

  

• Click over the geometry to edit and, on the right panel, expand and click on the link Edit feature form

  

• That will show a small form with the values, change few ofthem and click on OK button

  

• A small floppy disk button will pop near the editing one meaning that there are some pending changes to be committed to the server; click on it in order to persist the changes

  

• At a successfull commit, the floppy disk button will be disabled again

Editing Contents: Geometries

• Enable Editing Mode on QGIS and click on the Info button

  

• Click on the Vertex Tool and enable it; from now on by moving over a geometry you will be able to modify its vertices

  

• Once happy with the changes, save them like we have done previously on the values

  

• With this specific layer most probably you will get an error on the bounding box extension; this is caused by the native projection of the layer and the QGIS not being able to correctly manage the dateline

  

• It is still possible to edit the layer from GeoNode directly, however in order to fix this issue easily, we will convert the layer into a Mercator Projected one.

We will pass through the database in order to perform such operation. In the next section we will see how to re-project and store and a DB table a layer and then push it back to GeoNode.

Next Section: Advanced layers publishing and management