[GNC] Locked out of gnucash

[Adrien Monteleone]

> On Nov 18, 2019 w47d322, at 9:17 AM, D via gnucash-user <gnucash-user at gnucash.org> wrote:
> 
> 
> 
> On November 18, 2019, at 8:02 PM, Derek Atkins <derek at ihtfp.com> wrote:
> 
>> Hi,
>> I think I have a suggestion for some better wording.  See below.
>> How about:
>> The data file is currently in use.  Most likely this means that the data
>> file was not cleanly closed (due to a crash) after it was last opened.
>> If you are sure that it is not currently in use by you or another user,
>> click "Open Anyway".  Otherwise, click one of the other options.
> 
> The problem with this wording is that the first sentence is directly contradicted by the second. 
> 
> It would actually be more accurate to say:
> 
> There is a lock file in the system for the requested data file, which means either that you are running another instance of Gnucash with this file, or that the file was not properly closed previously (for example, due to a crash). 
> 
> If you are sure that it is not currently in use by you or another user, click "Open Anyway".  Otherwise, cancel or open the file in read only mode. 
> 
> [I am working from memory here. I don't recall the exact options. However, I really dislike the "click one of the other options" wording. Far better to list them IMHO]
> 
> But once we're this far into the weeds, I think you're going to lose most users anyways.
> 
>> Note to devs: does it make sense to put the gnucash PID into the lock
>> file and then check to see if that PID is currently running?  That could
>> help detect whether there is a current process or a crash/unclean
>> shutdown?
> 
> Again, if user A has a data file open, user B shouldn't also open the file. I don't see how a check for Gnucash instances could work to prevent precisely this problem, since my machine won't have any Gnucash instances running--but the file IS being used. 

I agree, using the PID won’t work, because although GnuCash is not (yet) a multi-user app, some people do use it from various machines with the file stored on a network. A PID check won’t mean anything to one machine when that PID belongs to a different machine.

Regards,
Adrien