MapServer: Help adding data and setting up WMS

Question

I am trying to use MapServer to set up and run a WMS server hosting data that I have in a set of shapefiles.

I have started by installing MS4W (since I thought it would be simple) and have downloaded the british_isles.shp.zip form here:

http://download.geofabrik.de/openstreetmap/europe/

I have now followed the documentation on MapServer twice and I still cannot see where it tells me how to do anything I need.

The WMS page just goes on about mapfiles but doesn't explain how to add the data or how to point the WMS at the data, the data section doesn't tell you how to get the data in to the server, you just follow a bunch of links that don't give you any information.

This map server configuration when finish will need to be as simple to re-set up as possible, since it will be needed on several separate machines.

I would really love a simple tutorial of how to take a shp file and get in running through MapServer as WMS server, and possibly cache the tiles for performance enhancement.

Can anyone please point me at the resource I need to achieve this or help me with the steps I need to take?

Regards,

Me x

Answer 1

Try this tutorial from OS-Geo?

Hints

• You control MapServer through the MAP file. It is a text file - you must edit it in a text editor.
• To "add data", define a LAYER in the MAP file which refers to the shapefile.
• To "point the WMS at the data", just add WMS support in the MAP file.
• Your WMS URL is made up of the path to MapServer on your server, and the path to your MAP file.