QGIS SAGA NextGen Docker Container

A containerized environment for geospatial analysis combining QGIS with SAGA GIS processing capabilities through the NextGen provider plugin.

Overview

This Docker container provides a complete headless geospatial processing environment featuring:

• QGIS with Python bindings (PyQGIS)
• SAGA GIS compiled from source
• SAGA NextGen Provider Plugin for seamless integration
• JupyterLab for interactive analysis

Features

Core Components

• QGIS 3.x via conda-forge with full processing capabilities
• SAGA GIS 9.3.2 compiled from source for optimal performance
• Processing SAGA NextGen Provider plugin for modern SAGA integration
• JupyterLab environment on port 8888
• Headless operation suitable for server deployments

Quick Start

Build the Container

docker build -t qgis-saga-nextgen .

Run with JupyterLab

docker run -p 8888:8888 -v $(pwd)/data:/workspace qgis-saga-nextgen

Access JupyterLab at http://localhost:8888

Container Architecture

Directory Structure

/opt/conda/envs/pygile/    # QGIS installation
/opt/saga/                 # SAGA GIS binaries
/workspace/                # Working directory (mount point)
/workspace/output/         # Processing results

Key Technologies

• Base Image: condaforge/mambaforge:24.9.0-0
• QGIS: Installed via conda-forge
• SAGA: Compiled from source with cmake
• Python Environment: Conda environment named 'pygile'

Configuration

SAGA NextGen Setup

The container automatically configures:

• SAGA folder path: /opt/saga
• Plugin activation via QgsSettings
• Algorithm discovery and parameter mapping

Environment Variables

• QT_QPA_PLATFORM=offscreen for headless operation
• QGIS_PREFIX_PATH pointing to conda environment
• Processing provider paths

Plugin Integration

The container solves the challenge of using SAGA NextGen in headless environments by:

• Direct provider loading: from processing_saga_nextgen.processing.provider import SagaNextGenAlgorithmProvider
• QgsSettings configuration for SAGA path
• Automatic algorithm discovery and parameter mapping

Performance Optimizations

• Compiled SAGA for optimal speed
• Conda-based package management
• Efficient memory usage for large DEMs

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. "Application path not initialized": Normal warning, doesn't affect functionality

Verification

# Check SAGA installation
import subprocess
subprocess.run(['/opt/saga/bin/saga_cmd', '--version'])

# Verify plugin loading
registry = QgsApplication.processingRegistry()
providers = [p.id() for p in registry.providers()]
print('sagang' in providers)  # Should return True

Contributing

This container is designed for:

• Geospatial researchers requiring reproducible environments
• Organizations needing scalable terrain analysis
• Developers building geospatial processing pipelines

License

Container configuration is open source. Underlying software licenses:

• QGIS: GPL v2
• SAGA GIS: GPL v2+
• SAGA NextGen Provider: GPL v2

Citation

If you use this container in research, please cite:

• QGIS Development Team
• SAGA GIS Development Team
• Processing SAGA NextGen Provider (north-road/qgis-processing-saga-nextgen)

---

Built for containerized geospatial analysis with modern SAGA integration