Getting started

[Kevin Reid]

On Sat, Mar 31, 2018 at 1:40 PM, Jonathan Ames <jnthn.ames at gmail.com> wrote:

> I have asked these questions previously, but haven’t understood the
> answers. I have basically no experience with non-commercial software,
> and/or may be otherwise unworthy to use Gnucash.
>
> - I want to use Gnucash for both personal and business purposes. I am
> typing now on Mac/Sierra; I am wondering if I can access the same Gnucash
> accounts from my Windows 10 computer at my office, assuming program is
> placed in cloud (e.g., iCloud, Google Drive). Not simultaneously, though
> perhaps several times/day from each. To date, the windows computer comes
> back with 'file not found’, though I’ve installed on both.
>

It doesn't matter where the program is installed. GnuCash's data is treated
as a document — you get to choose where to save it. Save it to a folder
that's synced with your cloud storage, then on the other computer open it
from that location.


- I started setting up on the Mac — and generated a huge number of log
> files; … They are covering my (Mac) desktop, and/or spreading like wildfire
> in ‘All My Files’. Is this the price one pays for free software — i.e.,
> having to constantly clean up?


The log files are there as part of GnuCash's backups in case the main file
is damaged or the program crashes. GnuCash will automatically delete old
ones so they won't accumulate forever. But you should, when you save your
file, *save it in a folder you create just for GnuCash*, so that you don't
have to look at them on your desktop or anywhere.

(To get them out of All My Files, you'll have to go to your *System
Preferences → Spotlight → Privacy* and add that folder to the list of
exclusions. I think that should work, anyway — I haven't tried that.)

What you should do to clean up now is: quit GnuCash, find the main file
(the one with the shortest name) on your desktop (or just select all of
them), move it into a *new empty folder for the purpose* in your
cloud-synced folder, then launch GnuCash (it will not find the file because
you moved it), and select *File → Open* and open the file from the new
location you moved it to.



> Also, are these files important to save, or can they be deleted?


They can be deleted, but if something else goes wrong at the same time you
have fewer options for recovery. GnuCash will delete older files
automatically.


Samples below.
>

Be warned that by sending these files you have shared some of your
financial information — the log files contain transactions you have entered.