[GNC] Is it possible to run one GNUcash database with 2 different programs?

[Deva PS]

Megan,

Short answer is yes. Many on this list use dropbox to share the datafile across devices, so you can certainly access your Gnucash datafile from your home PC as well as your travel laptop. Just ensure that when you boot up, dropbox completes syncing your files and folders before you launch Gnucash, otherwise you may end up with concurrency issues.

If you want your reports to work, then you also need to copy over the relevant folders (see wiki or Help->About for configuration locations).

F:Q not being there on the laptop version shouldn’t be an issue, so enjoy your travels…

Cheers.

> On 26 Oct 2025, at 9:30 PM, gnucash-user-request at gnucash.org wrote:
> 
> Message: 4
> Date: Sun, 26 Oct 2025 15:40:52 +1100
> From: Megan Tilley <megan.tilley at gmail.com <mailto:megan.tilley at gmail.com>>
> To: Gnucash Users <gnucash-user at gnucash.org <mailto:gnucash-user at gnucash.org>>
> Subject: [GNC] Is it possible to run one GNUcash database with 2
> 	different programs?
> Message-ID:
> 	<CAHmXj8dt5+Ke+Q58hmAJCeN9QkmMgtDbEZ12=0XzSwkAQR=7jg at mail.gmail.com <mailto:CAHmXj8dt5+Ke+Q58hmAJCeN9QkmMgtDbEZ12=0XzSwkAQR=7jg at mail.gmail.com>>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
> 
> I use Dropbox for all my important data.
> I have one instance of GNUcash installed on one machine. This is the
> Version 5.13 and Finance::Quote 1.66.
> 
> I am about to go travelling, and my question is: can I run another instance
> of GNUcash on my travel laptop without including F::Q?
> By that, I mean that I install GC without the F::Q addition.
> 
> I only want to track my travel expenses and do not need to update my
> investments while travelling, so I thought I could have a second GC
> accessing the 'datafile' synced on Dropbox.
> 
> When I return home, my travel laptop is turned off, and I would hope the
> syncing of the travel laptop while travelling would sync with DB, and I
> could then access the updated data on my usual main computer.
> 
> Thanks!
> Megan in Sydney
> 
> *GnuCash -- **Version: 5.13 -- **Build ID: 5.12+(2025-06-28) -- *
> *Finance::Quote: *1.66  (2025-10-02)
> 
> *Windows 10 Home -- **Version: 22H2 -- **OS Build: 19045.5011*
>