database backend (and: Privacy and passwords)

[Eric Anopolsky]

Hi all,

I ran across the following paragraph searching for information about
encryption support in Gnucash:

"However, there are a number of developers currently working very hard on
adding the option of using a database of your choice as the backend for
GnuCash (rather than an XML file). When these efforts are completed, it
should be fairly simple to integrate any encryption and password protection
functionality provided by the database software."

I hope this will remain just an option. Each MythTV user who I have
asked has said that setting up the mandatory RDBMS to run the
application significantly raises the level of technical skill required
and is an irritation even for experienced users.

------------------------------------------------

On the original topic, I've recently been forced to use Quickbooks. (I'm
helping out some friends and they need their QB-using accountant to be
able to read the files I'm creating.) I've noticed that in addition to
password (encryption?) capabilities, QB has a feature that allows the
file to be made "read-only" after a certain date. I can only guess at
how this is implemented, but if I were going to implement a feature like
this, I would use digital signatures to detect tampering.

Do people actually use this feature?

If so, that would indicate a need for more than just encryption. I've
recently managed to scrape together some time to work on FOSS, and
improving the integration of cryptography in the Linux desktop is in my
top ten list of fun projects.

Please let me know if this feature would be valuable (in addition to
encryption).

Cheers,
Eric


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