../../_images/logo_qgis_mapserver.png

QGIS Server Quickstart

QGIS Server provides a web map service (WMS) based on libraries from the QGIS desktop application.

This Quick Start describes how to:

  • update an existing QGIS project and render it with QGIS Server

  • create a new QGIS project and open the WMS directly in a browser

Start GeoExt viewer

OSGeoLive contains an example of web map viewer based on the GeoExt Javascript framework and using QGIS Server for rendering the map.

  1. Click Geospatial ‣ Desktop GIS ‣ QGIS Desktop. You should see a browser window with a web map viewer showing a world map.

../../_images/qgis_mapserver_browser.jpg

Alternatively, you can access the application using a browser through http://localhost/qgis_server

Edit QGIS project

We will now change the map styling using QGIS.

  1. Click Geospatial ‣ Desktop GIS ‣ QGIS Desktop

  2. Choose Project ‣ Open from the menu bar.

  3. Select QGIS-NaturalEarth-Example.qgs and press Open.

    • You should see the same world map rendered by QGIS. We will now change river styling and look at the result in the web map viewer.

  4. Double click ne_10m_rivers_lake_centerlines in the Layers tree.

  5. Change the color in Outline Options to a different blue tone.

  6. Press OK. Rivers are now rendered in a new color.

  7. Save the project with Project ‣ Save.

  8. Reopen the web browser.

  9. Zoom in. You will now see rivers rendered in the same new color.

Create a new QGIS project

  1. Reopen QGIS.

  2. Choose Project ‣ New.

  3. Click Layer ‣ Add Layer ‣ Add Vector Layer.

  4. Browse to dataset /home/user/data/natural_earth2/ne_10m_admin_0_countries.shp.

  5. Press Open. You should see all world countries.

  6. Save the project with Project ‣ Save.

  7. Use file name /home/user/world.qgz and press Save.

  8. Open the WMS URL. You should see all world countries, this time rendered by QGIS Server.

What next?

To learn more about QGIS Server, a good starting point is the QGIS Server Guide.

Documentation:

Quick start for Server Installation on Debian/Ubuntu:

QGIS Web Client: