[GNC] Guidance request.

[Adrien Monteleone]

James,

I’ll tackle a few of those for you. (not necessarily by your same point list)

First - 2.4 is several versions old. You’ll need to first install something from 2.6 (the next major version after 2.4), open your data file with it, and perform Check & Repair. Repeat this for one of the 3.x releases. (version number scheme changed w/3.x) Then do so again with 4.x. Always work on or with a backup data file of course.

Second - You asked about a 4.0 beta, that is 3.906 which is a testing release, but is effectively (per the announcement) a release-candidate barring any major issues.

Third - For documentation, there is a Help and a Tutorial & Concepts guide on the website, along with a Wiki. The wiki fills in some gaps in the official documentation and has some use-case advice. (as well as detailed instructions for building on Linux) You can install/build the two official docs on linux. See the build instructions on the wiki for more info. (they come with the Win version package, and I thought Mac as well, but I’ve never been able to get them to open from the app on Mac. I just visit the web version if I need them.)

Fourth - Syncing is being done by some users via their own file server or a 3rd party like Drop Box. Note, there is no mechanism in place to prevent 2 people from opening the same data file at the same time other than a warning dialog. But if you’re the only one accessing it and you just want to make it portable but in one physical place, then that shouldn’t be an issue. Maybe look over a few threads here about doing this first, at least to see if there are any hiccups or issues to be aware of.

Fifth - Backups are of course, on your own. Certainly rsync would work. I personally use BackInTime on my Linux systems. I like that it is somewhat similar to TimeMachine on my Mac which I prefer over other solutions I’ve tried through the years. Of course, rsync is a bit more ‘do it yourself’ but if you are running Gentoo, I don’t expect that to be a roadblock. I once played with Bacula but found it to be way too much for what I needed.

I’m not familiar with the GnuCash for Android app, and I’ve seen list threads discussing that it appears to be stalled or abandoned. You’d have to find their community and developers. It is a separate project from GnuCash.

Hope some of that helps,

Regards,
Adrien

> On Jun 22, 2020 w26d174, at 5:32 PM, james via gnucash-user <gnucash-user at gnucash.org> wrote:
> 
> 
> Hello,
> 
> So I successfully used gnucash for a small S-corp,
> from 2012, thru 2017(September).
> 
> Then several concurrent/random illnesses sidelined my gnucash usage. The small s corp trudged along and I did manage to get tax returns file (both S and personal) but the 100-200 transactions per year where not entered after July 2017.
> 
> After years, I'm mostly healthy and ready to
> compile the latest version of gnucash on gentoo (actually 3.8b-r1 ) is already installed and looking at me, to enter data.
> 
> 
> So, I'd like to set it up on postgresql and wait until version 4.0 is at least released in beta. keeping copies
> on at least (2) distinct linux systems is required, and a  way (methodology) to sync one to another is very important.
> 
> I'd be greatly appreciative for info on how to input the data from 2012-2017, as I believe it was a 2.4 version of gnucash to gnucash 4.0+. The old 2012 lappy still runs, so I can boot it up, when the times is at hand to migrate that old data to the system running 4.0+.
> 
> Once I do that,  move the old data, into gnucash 4.0+, I'd then manually input the data for years 2017 (august forward) and 2018 and 2019 and 2020.
> 
> The company just had a credit card, a checkbook (few written) and me accessing the data via gnucash.
> 
> 1. Suggested docs/guides to read
> 
> 2. upload the old data (2012-2017) lappy to lappy and test.
> 
> 3.Setup/use OFX with a bank and directly download data into GNUcash.
> 
> 4. Eventually input/correct 2020 data under the new 4.0* version.
> 
> 5. have some sorts of rigorous backup system, to a different computer (options?/suggestions?). rsync by drive to remote drive ?
> 
> Anything else anyone can suggest?
> 
> Oh, my phone is Android 9 but looking at an Android 20+
> in a few months... (unlocked stacks). A discussion on Security for gnucash on Android would be most welcome. Or a place to read about Gnucash security issue on both linux/android.
> 
> All discussion and suggestions are welcome.