Installation on XP.

[Robert Eldon Taylor]

John Layman wrote:
> I run GNUcash on Windows, and, yes, you can relocate those files from the
> user folder to Application Data.  The key is to add a HOME= setting to the
> file:
> 
> C:/Program Files/gnucash/etc/gnucash/environment
> 
> Below is the configuration setting from my XP system:
> 
> HOME=C:/Documents and Settings/John/Application Data/Gnucash
> 
> Initially, you'll have to manually create that directory and move the files
> over to it.  Thereafter, just remember that your changed environment file
> will be overwritten by a software update.  Each time you update to a new
> version of GNUcash, you'll need to add the HOME= setting to the environment
> file prior to launching the application.
Thanks for the help, John.  This did work without problems.  But it is 
a shame they don't put the files in the proper place in the first 
place.  It looks messy and makes me reluctant to recommend to the sort 
of innocents I have in mind.

> 
> 
> On a completely different note:
> 
> Hey, man!  It is phenomenal to find an accountant with your attitude about
> software.  For every accountant who uses Iomega software because his clients
> do, I'm betting there are thousands of clients who use it only because their
> accountant insists on it.
> 
I guess I will take this as a compliment.  My only attitude about 
accounting software is that it not be mistaken for an accounting 
system.  I used to do this with pen and paper and an adding machine. 
No one would refer to those as an "accounting system".  I have nothing 
against quicken, which I have used since quicken 3.  But I do have a 
bone to pick with Intuit which manipulates people's ignorance to 
encourage them to think that buying a copy of quickbooks makes you an 
accountant.  I think I already mentioned Gnucash's excellent tutorial 
which actually explains basic accounting principles.  Intuit has 
nothing like that.

Regards, Bob Taylor



> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: gnucash-user-bounces+john.layman=laymanandlayman.com at gnucash.org
> [mailto:gnucash-user-bounces+john.layman=laymanandlayman.com at gnucash.org] On
> Behalf Of Robert Eldon Taylor
> Sent: Tuesday, August 23, 2011 10:52 AM
> To: gnucash-user at gnucash.org
> Subject: Installation on XP.
> 
> Regards to All,
> 
> I am a public accountant which means, unfortunately, I must use quickbooks
> and quicken, because my clients do.  But many clients don't need to be
> spending money on accounting systems which are changed for absolutely no
> reason other than to generate revenue for the vendor, so for some time I
> have looked for a simple, basic and free accounting
> system to recommend to such people.   Googling around I found GnuCash
> which, though free, is neither simple nor basic.  I installed it on an old
> machine to play with and have been very impressed.
> 
> One of the most impressive features is the excellent tutorial and concepts
> guide which I am recommending to clients who are innocent of any accounting
> concepts.
> 
> Also impressive is this user group.
> 
> I did run into one problem which I would like to resolve before installing
> on my own machine or recommending to someone else.  I am using windows XP.
> When gnucash installed in made a very mess of the user-name folder (i.e.
> C:\Documents and Settings\RTaylor), putting all sorts of files and
> subdirectories, (e.g. .gconf, .gnome2, etc.) directly into the user-name
> folder instead of setting up a gnucash folder in the Application Data folder
> (e.g. C:\Documents and Settings\RTaylor\Application Data\Mozilla).
> After playing with the product a bit, and being rather impressed, I
> uninstalled and deleted all the files and folders which gnucash had
> installed and reinstalled from scratch making sure that there was no option
> to tell it where to install.  But maybe there is some option I missed.
> 
> To clarify the problem, in Windows the user-name folder is like the root
> directory on the old single user dos systems.  First rule - put nothing in
> the root directory.  Many users, probably most, are unaware of the problem,
> but I have hundreds of programs installed on my system.  If they all behaved
> like this there would be thousands of entries in the user-name folder
> instead of only twenty-six.
> 
> I am hoping there is a simple way around this problem.
> 
> Best Wishes,
> 
> Bob Taylor, EA.
> R. E. Taylor, Taxes and Accounting
> 
> General Accounting, US and State Taxes, for small business and individuals.
> 
> 
>