help

[Mike or Penny Novack]

As indicated this really is a matter of operating system, how hardware 
is being used, and precisely what sort of access is required.

For example:  IF ----

a) What is wanted is that a remote bookkeeper/account be able to keep 
the books but at any time the business owner needs to be able to look at 
them (but NOT enter any transactions). This is not as difficult a 
problem as multiple users all able to write to the data (one write, 
multiple read, does not require a dbm capable application-- aka 
"database manager")

b) The business has a computer that is kept up and running and under an 
operating system that allows for multiple simultaneous users.

In that case, no particular problem. Both bookkeeper and business owner 
can log into the computer (possibly BOTH from remote locations). Gnucash 
runs on this computer.

The business owner does NOT directly open gnucash. Instead runs a 
script. The script checks if the gnucash data file is currently in use 
and warns accordingly. If proceeding makes a COPY of the data file and 
calls gnucash to open that copy. Nothing is needed to prevent the 
business owner from making changes as changes to this copy do not affect 
the actual data. The business owner looking at the data doesn't keep the 
bookkeeper/accountant from working.

The REAL problem is for businesses too small to have their own servers 
up and running 7x24. That's why people are talking about the cloud, etc. 
People more knowledgeable about exactly how that works can comment on 
how what I described would change (it is just "b" and the scheme doesn't 
REALLY depend on who owns the computer on which actually running -- I'm 
just used to large businesses where they would)/

Michael