configure: require GDAL version 3.7+

[nilason]

• make the version 3.7 the minimal requirement of GDAL support.
• remove GDAL pre-3.7 specific code

Closes #6629

[echoix]

This PR should be noted in a release highlight (for maintainers
at least)

[nilason]

This PR should be noted in a release highlight (for maintainers at least)

That may well be done (although packagers will probably not be affected by this).

If there are no objections, I will shortly merge this PR.

[metzm]

I think I have introduced most of these #if GDAL_VERSION_* clauses and I am very happy to see them removed!
Thanks a lot!

[nilason]

I think I have introduced most of these #if GDAL_VERSION_* clauses and I am very happy to see them removed! Thanks a lot!

Wait till you see the PR for PROJ :) !

[metzm]

I think I have introduced most of these #if GDAL_VERSION_* clauses and I am very happy to see them removed! Thanks a lot!

Wait till you see the PR for PROJ :) !

I guess you will also take care of the old datum transformation options from Proj4 times to convert to WGS84?

How about the #ifdef HAVE_OGR clauses? GDAL/OGR is now a dependency.

[nilason]

How about the #ifdef HAVE_OGR clauses? GDAL/OGR is now a dependency.

You’re right, gdal-config --ogr-enabled has been hardcoded to yes since 2.4.4, and OGR was de facto required part of GDAL longer than that. I’ll clean up that too. Thanks!

[nilason]

I made significant changes removing HAVE_OGR and HAVE_GDAL (and friends), please take a new good look.

[echoix]

Just gave a quick look and read through. Will some similar changes be needed in the addons-repo? (Supporting before and after this PR)

[nilason]

Thanks @echoix.

I didn't feel good with the handling of GRASS_VECTOR_OGR in v.external{.out}, now I believe to have it right with added commit.

[petrasovaa]

Do we need to switch to ubuntu 24.04 in addons CI?
https://github.com/OSGeo/grass-addons/blob/grass8/.github/workflows/ci.yml

Addons CI fails:
https://github.com/OSGeo/grass-addons/actions/runs/19932951479/job/57149728424

[nilason]

Do we need to switch to ubuntu 24.04 in addons CI? https://github.com/OSGeo/grass-addons/blob/grass8/.github/workflows/ci.yml

Addons CI fails: https://github.com/OSGeo/grass-addons/actions/runs/19932951479/job/57149728424

Yes, I believe we need to.

[nilason]

Do we need to switch to ubuntu 24.04 in addons CI? https://github.com/OSGeo/grass-addons/blob/grass8/.github/workflows/ci.yml
Addons CI fails: https://github.com/OSGeo/grass-addons/actions/runs/19932951479/job/57149728424

Yes, I believe we need to.

At least if we want to run with GRASS core main.

[nilason]

Just for reference: Ubuntu Jammy comes with GRASS 7.8.7 (and GDAL 3.4.1 and PROJ 8.2.1), i.e. very old software. GRASS 8.4 will run on Jammy, but it shouldn’t be the least common denominator.