Sharing Database - Windows/XP (RESTATED)

[Geert Janssens]

On Friday 23 April 2010, Phillip Richcreek wrote:
> Thanks to all who have replied to this so far. The thread is getting a
> bit tangled, so I'd like to restate the question, incorporating
> information that was elicited by and/or stated from your responses and
> my subsequent replies. If anyone has any further suggestion, I'd
> appreciate it.
> 
> SUMMARY
> o Windowx/XP. Two computers on a wireless network
> o Want to share GnuCash accounts database
> o Can open the database OK on the computer where the database physically
>  resides o Cannot open the database on the other computer. Get unable to
>  obtain lock message
> 
> As of now, when I try to open the database from the HP computer,
> whether the database is open on DELL or not, I get the warning message
> "GnuCash could not obtain the lock for \\Dell-8250-den\network shared
> files\GnuCash\Account Database" At that point, I respond that I would
> like to have read-only access and GnuCash opens the database. From the
> accounts and data that are displayed, I can see that it is looking at
> the correct database.
> 
Isn't there an option to ignore the lock file and open the file anyway as 
read/write ? If so, what happens if you select that one ?

> The DELL system has granted "full control" permission (W/XP
> terminology) for the Account Database directory to all users on both
> DELL and HP. (In this context all users means, not specific,
> individual users, but all users as a group.) I've verified that I can
> write a new file,  update an existing file, and create a new
> directory, from HP into the directory on the DELL system.
> 
> I'd be interested in knowing the details of the lock or open that is
> failing that prompts GnuCash to issue the unable to obtain lock
> message. I do see a .LCK file in "\\Dell-8250-den\network shared
> files\GnuCash\", the directory where the database lives, when DELL has
> the database open, but it is not there after the DELL GnuCash process
> has ended and when HP tries to open the database. One individual
> pointed out that, at UNIX, there is also a .LNK file involved. I don't
> see any such file in my case. Could there be some other directory that
> I'm aware of? If there is another, I would probably need to grant
> "full control" access to that directory as well.
> 
This is a strange problem. I tried to reproduce your situation. When I access 
a gnucash file over the network (also both WinXP machines), this works without 
a problem.

Just a thought: if you reboot both computers, and then try to open the file on 
HP first (without first opening it on DELL), do you also get the error ?

> One individual pointed out that there is a bug report at
> https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=352491 that may be related
> to this issue. From what I can tell, that is a different issue.
> 
I agree, I don't think this issue is directly related.

Geert