Slashdot Mirror

I used it long ago (or rather, my mom claimed she wanted some genealogy software but practically never used it after I installed her and showed her how to use it) and decided to go check it out and the marketing is just poor. Like the top new feature being described now is "gramplets". After clicking my way down to the actual screenshot, I get this. A phyton shell, a blank calendar, a bit of meaningless statistics and logs and perhaps the only semi-useful looking gramplet is the Surname cloud. It looks much more like an early proof-of-concept, which is probably what it is. You don't have to sell very hard to impress more than this...

Same here. Anyone wanting to try Gramps on windows should download the portableapps.com version so you don't have to bother with installing the dependencies. http://gramps-project.org/wiki/index.php?title=Download

The nephew left out one of the largest strengths of Ubuntu when showing it to your aunt.

The fact that you can easilly install a large amount of Free Software using the add/remove programs menu.

I did some Googling, and turned up some Free genealogy Software called GRAMPS. I don't know if it's in the ubuntu software respositories, but it probably is. If not, there are Ubuntu debs on the page. So, as for the genealogy software, she wouldn't have to have gone to the store to start with, and she wouldn't have had that problem.

As for the scanner and digital cameras, it's unfortunate that the cameras she ended up getting didn't work with Ubuntu. It's often frustrating for me to buy certain kinds of hardware myself, and I run the slightly more mainstream Mac OS X. (As good as Ubuntu is, and I think it's definitely better than Windows, I still prefer Mac OS X.) But, the point it, there *are* scanners and digital cameras out there that work with Linux. And had she bought a Dell with Ubuntu on it (which this article is about), you bet she'd probably be able to call them to ask about compatible hardware.

In the end, I'd say the fault was with the nephew for not educating your aunt with two simple facts:

- It's Ubuntu, and you can actually find lots of software to do what you want to do using the add/remove programs program, which is a better way to find software than going to your local computer store and hope they have Linux software.

- It's Ubuntu which means you have to make sure any hardware you buy will work with your system.

In the end though, I have to agree with the point you were making -- Ubuntu preinstalled on a Dell will probably cause some more support calls to Dell -- calls that wouldn't have been made were the computer preinstalled with Windows.

However -- Ubuntu preinstalled might also lead to *less* support calls, because of less problems with spyware, malware, adware, crapware and viruses.

Though, I guess you could argue that's a negative for Dell too. No more buying another computer after a year, and throwing away the old one because it's infested with crapware. Why should Dell rock the boat? >:-)

See eg http://www.nabble.com/%22bug-report%22-tf4373448.h tml, it clearly lists:
Gramps version: 2.3.6-1 LANG: fr_FR.UTF-8OS: LinuxDistribution: 2.6.17-14mdv".

My search a while ago to find a more recent package turned up empty, so source installation it is for these people if the bug is solved in a more recent version. Our info on the wiki: http://www.gramps-project.org/wiki/index.php?title =Installation#Upgrading_to_the_latest_version gives the latest info we got from a user, but I don't think it is correct, and although we have a lot of users on Mandriva we tell to upgrade, none apparently get back to us on where to find alternative packages, or can write up an upgrade process (removing old version, installing source, correct path). I feel save recommending Ubuntu/Fedora/Suse: download install, and yes, I know it is the community that provides those packages, but that is just it, isn't it?

Also note the install path:
/home/mandrake/rpm/tmp/gramps-2.2.6-1mdv2007.1-bui ldroot/usr/share/gramps/GrampsDb/_GrampsBSDDB.py
I have seen that alot recently. This looks a strange path to me as a linux user, but then, I don't know the Mandriva system anymore.

Sorry you take this bad, but as an application developer, not a distro maker, I want my users to use the latest version instead of reporting old bugs to me. It's free after all, and having always the option of using the latest version is actually the one big benefit that linux offers. The requirement of constant upgrading the OS to get new versions or do source install otherwise, just doesn't work for the normal PC user.

6) Family tree software (same question)

Web based,

Geneaweb http://gw.geneanet.org/

  For your personal computer,

GRAMPS http://gramps-project.org/

  hope this helps.

Very interesting thought. I occasionally pass along thoughts to the developer's of GRAMPS, I wonder how an existing/traditional app could be modified toward's this better methodology without stranding any of the traditional users.

A lot of what you are looking for has already been figured out by others who do not want to be locked into a single format, vendor, or system. There are many geneology programs out there, such as Gramps or Brothers Keeper who use a standardized file format, GEDCOM, that allows information stored in those specific programs to be transferred to other programs. This allows for easy upgrades in software, as well as the possibility of moving from one package to another as the information can be archived to the GEDCOM file, and then read in again once the new software has been installed.

As for hardware and other software, I would suggest you use what is familiar to you, or is compatible to the software package you have chosen.