[GNC] XML vs SQL data integrity question

[GWB]

Have used sqlite3, postgresql, and xml on various machines (Windows 7,
Ubuntu, FreeBSD).  Windows 7 (with extended service for malware) does
fine with xml, but I have not had a problem with the sql backends.
sqlite was easier to set up as a backend than postgres, but postgres
(from other uses as a db) is probably the most powerful db you can use
as a backend.  But for gnucash, it's probably overkill.  Postgres is
also more complicated, and I haven't needed anything more than sqlite,
which is less complicated, handled well by most modern OS's, and just
seems to work.  But I'm guessing Postgres can do things with queries,
reporting and data manipulation that sqlite cannot.  If you do that
sort of thing, use Postgres.

Haven't gotten to Windows 10 or the latest Mac OS yet.  That's just a
matter of time, though.  Older versions of Ubuntu (16 and under)
seemed to have hiccups with the sql backend, so I suggest trying xml
when the OS is older.  My .xml file is probably getting too large
(about 65 megs) so at some point a sql backend will be necessary.  I
can say the xml files have usually (in my experience) taken
considerably longer to load and save, but that is expected.

If you go from gnucash 2 to 3, save several different versions if you
can (gnucash 2 gives you xml, mysql, sqlite3, postgres for "save as").
Or just do that on occasion anyway in addition to regular backups.

If Windows 10 isn't stable, then find some kind of install that is.
You probably need Windows for a lot of things, but try running a
virtualbox vm with Ubuntu or Windows 7 for gnucash.  You could boot
into Ubuntu and use Windows 10 as a virtual guest (that's what I do
most o the time, and it works quite well).  But as the other replies
point out, you need to fix the "hiccuping" sooner rather than later.
My guess is that Windows 10 (like just about all of the earlier
Windows releases) is fixable, but Microsoft takes it time doing that.

Gordon

On Thu, May 7, 2020 at 4:29 PM David Cousens <davidcousens at bigpond.com> wrote:
>
> Stu
>
> Have you trie Unison File synchronizer (https://www.cis.upenn.edu/~bcpierce/unison/) to synchronize the user stored
> data. Runs on UniX Windows MacOSX and uses SSH. It can be run with  a cron job on Linux or scheduled in Windows to keep
> machines on a network synchronized. I only run it manually but it keeps all my userfiles synched onseveral unixboxes and
> selected files to a Windows 10.
>
> David Cousens
>
>
>
>
> On Thu, 2020-05-07 at 11:37 -0400, Stu Perlman wrote:
> > I'm running MySQL for a GNC backend.  I switched about 4 months ago.  So
> > far, so good and I love the ability to have direct access to mostly
> > normalized data whenever I want.
> > Every so often, if I leave my computer idle for a long time I'll get a
> > failed to save to database error if GNC was left running - but that's my
> > only complaint.
> >
> > I am running GNC and MySQL on my Windows 10 system.  I recently set up an
> > Ubuntu system to see if I like that better than Windows for a personal
> > computer.  I have been able to access the GNC db from Ubuntu across my
> > home network, again trouble-free.  Running GNC on either Windows or Ubuntu
> > has been seamless as far as the data goes.  If I were going to keep both
> > environments around for the long term, I would probably want to figure out
> > how to share the non-database stuff between the two such as saved report
> > configurations, preferences, etc ...
> >
> > Good luck!
> >
> > On Thu, May 7, 2020 at 1:10 AM Jeff <beastmaster126 at hotmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > > This has probably been discussed here before but; I'm going ask anyway.
> > > Which do most people find more reliable with GNC, SQL or the default
> > > XML?  And are there any features I would lose other than the rollback
> > > ability with SQL?
> > >
> > > I'm getting tired of having to track down account and report issues
> > > every time Windoze 10 hiccups.  I use the default XML, uncompressed.
> > > One set of books has been corrupted several times, I'm assuming when
> > > Windoze just simply kills the GNC program out of the blue.  I have
> > > another set of books for a business that so far, knock on wood,  the
> > > only problem is sometimes various buttons have to be selected multiple
> > > times to work then all of the windows open in GNC blur while processing
> > > then go back to normal display.
> > >
> > > My computers are all networked and dual boot Windoze and Ubuntu, so I
> > > would need SQL on both sides if I switch over.  I'm leaning towards
> > > PostgreSQL (pro's, con's?  Suggestions?).
> > >
> > > --
> > > --JEffrey Black M.B.A.
> > >
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> --
> Dr David R Cousens
> B.Sc, M.Prof. Acc., Ph.D., G.C.Ed
>
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