Genealogy Software For Linux?

srhuston asks: "After quite a bit of searching, I found a few genealogy programs for Linux that are still vaporware, but nothing that looked quite good and/or recent. Ideally I'd like to find something with a MySQL backend, and various frontends (Web-based, X11, console). Does anyone know of a software package that maybe I missed, or is this something I should attempt to write myself (with a little help from my friends)?" While there are a few programs available on Freshmeat I don't see one that offers operation using various front ends like the poster requested. How difficult would it be to modify one of the existing offerings to satisfy this requirement?

Comments

Why MySQL?

[Moonwick]

A database backend is incredible overkill for something like this. Unless you're planning to make some massive web-based, multiuser beast, be satisfied with just storing data in files.

Re:Why MySQL?

[srhuston]

When you start to use the same DB system for more than one project the benefits of storing even silly little things in a DB start to show.

That's what I was thinking, which is why I thought of something with a [My|Postgre|m]SQL backend. Yes, it'd be a bit overkill for the average hobbyist, but for more massive projects, or when you already use it for MP3s, address books, and various other things, it might be more worthwhile.

Re:Why MySQL?

[tzanger]

A database backend is incredible overkill for something like this.

I'd generally agree with you on this, but then I look at my own system and disagree.

I run PostgreSQL which is neither here nor there in this discussion, but the point I am trying to get back to making is that yes it's silly to use a fancy DB system for something like this but when you then also realize that I use the same DB to store more than that. I store info from my knowledgebase, vehicle maintenance log, family journals, MP3 database and a variety of other small projects within various tables on the same database system. The advantage starts to become clear when you realize that a single perl module (DBI::Pg) gets me access to any of this data and it's all (hopefully) stored in an efficent manner. I don't have to worry about parsing the text files differently or doing anything special to back them up. When you start to use the same DB system for more than one project the benefits of storing even silly little things in a DB start to show.

It's late, but I think it's kind of like realizing that 16k cluster sizes on the old FAT16 systems becomes much less hassle than when you partition and format to keep nice 4k or smaller clusters but then need 400M of room only to find that you ahve 50 here, 100 there, 75 somewhere else, etc... I long ago became bored of that and now use a nice LVM. I don't ever have to worry about running out of room or having to make a /usr1, /usr2, /usr3, etc. Same kind of thing with the database way of storing things that really don't need it.

Re:Some genealogy requirements are heavy duty

[XoXus]

I definitely agree. My grandmother recently did some genealogical research of our family history, and (originally doing it on paper) came up with a list of around 200 names. She started using Reunion (for windows), and it made her job a lot easier, esp. with respect to generating the charts. IIRC, Reunion used a bundled program called "Charts Plus" that did nice family-tree hierarchies.

Some genealogy requirements are heavy duty

[DBCooper]

For most genealogy hobbyists very simple software is probably adequate. For the serious researcher, however, I would think that a real database backend would be a good idea. We're talking storing a lot of data, possibly including some multimedia, about thousands of individuals. Demand for such a product would probably be pretty light, but I'd certainly be interested.

FWIW, the top genealogy software for Windows is probably The Master Genealogist which is a first-rate research tool. I can't imagine using anything but a real database for this stuff.

GeneWeb

[SEWilco]

GeneWeb has a web interface (usable with or without HTTP server). It has its own database, and as the example database has 70,000 people (try looking up a member of royalty), capacity should not be a problem. You'll have to decide if the features match your needs.

SWIFT

[grammar nazi]

There's a program that was started at Sourceforge. It is SWIFT, Slashcode With an Interactive Family Tree.

The purpose of this software was to have a family news website that allowed family members to go and edit the genealogy part of the site.

If you email the guy in charge of that project, he can tell you about the Perl Genaelogy package that he was going to integrate with Slashcode, I forgot what it was called, but he had investigated several candidates and decided upon one.

The SWIFT Homepage.