[Freegis-list] Translator for ESRI geodatabase format

[Bill Thoen]

Is there anyone working on an open source translator for ESRI's 
geodatabase format, or is there a tool out there already that can read 
this format? It appears to be an Access file with embedded OLE objects 
(Shape files, etc.) but unless you have the proper licensed ArcGIS 9.1 
components on your computer you can't extract the shape files.

Seeing as I'm too cheap to want to purchase several thousand dollars 
worth of ESRI software just to translate GIS data into what I use, I'd 
sure like to hear that there's something available. If not, is there 
anyone able to do this and willing to open source a translator, if I can 
find enough funding to make it worth their while?

- Bill Thoen
  GISnet -- www.gisnet.com