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Personal Finance Software for Unix?

pstreck asks: "I'm trying to find the best personal finance software for Unix. I've been using Quicken for a while, but unfortuantlly it won't run under Wine. I've tried gnucash but it just isn't up to par with what Quicken offers. What do you guys use?" While the free software versions may not quite be up to par with the current commercial offerings, it won't always be the case. The turning point can start now, of course. What finance software are you using now, what features do you like and what features do you think these software packages need?

98 of 306 comments (clear)

  1. Re:The superior linux finance application. by Space+cowboy · · Score: 2

    Funny, I was about to moderate you down for just posting a blatant advert as a "response" when I remembered 'sc' was a spreadsheet program...

    Simon

    --
    Physicists get Hadrons!
  2. Re:The superior linux finance application. by ikitat · · Score: 3, Informative

    sc is a older curses based spreadsheet program for unix.

  3. generally... by dollargonzo · · Score: 2, Interesting

    most people and businesses are using finance applications where a simple paper record or a digital one would MORE than suffice. you have a number of records, they are stored, once every year / quarter or whenever u do your finances you tally them up, and sit down for a day or so and calculate everything. the thing about finance applications is that in general, it takes more time for people to USE them then to just do it by hand. people have forgotten how to do simple maths :-(

    now not only do they not know how to use a pencil and paper, they cant even use a CALCULATOR! they need special software to do EVERYTHING for them

    QED

    --
    BSD is for people who love UNIX. Linux is for those who hate Microsoft.
  4. Personal Finance Tools == Tools of Terror by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    It's no wonder the submitter posits the question, "Are there any personal finance tools for Linux" -- he's obviously involved in fundraising efforts for terrorist organizations like Al Qaeda. He mungs his e-mail address (got something to hide ``pstreck''), uses Linux (free downloadable from the 'net, no audit trail or software license with personal contact information).

    I urge the Right Honourable President George Washington Bush to pass a bill outlawing the use of Linux as tools of terror.

    Thank you for your support.

  5. It would really help... by xonker · · Score: 2, Interesting

    if you would have specified what it is that Gnucash won't do that Quicken does. "Isn't up to par..." doesn't really cut it. I've used Gnucash a little bit, and it seems to have everything that I would want - but my personal finances aren't so complicated that I can't manage them in my check register and savings book. I'm not really disciplined enough to enter every little thing into Gnucash often enough to make it worthwhile. My personal theory of finance is to earn way more money than I spend and always have enough in the bank to cover purchases, and not to have to rely on credit cards.

    If there are specific features you're looking for, you should have mentioned them. Right now this is just another in a series of useless "Ask Slashdot" questions that indicate the poster didn't do any footwork on their own or even think very hard about the question.

  6. Do you really need it? by Trekologer · · Score: 2

    I tried Quicken and thought that it was a little overkill for what I wanted to use it for. I only need to keep a register of what my account ballances are and want to be able to quickly and easily look up how much money I have and enter new transactions with the same ease. So, I ditched the personal finance software and fired up my favorite spreadsheet application. All I needed to do was to set up the worksheet so that the first collumn was the check number, the second was the date, the third the payee, the fourth the amount of the transaction, and the fifth my ending balance. The balance is taken from adding (or subtracting) the amount of the transaction from the ending balance of the line from above. Very simple and I don't need to wade through the excess features that I don't want or need.

    Personal finance software brings several tool together into one package. But most of those you can easily recreate with other software.

  7. freshmeat had a feature on this a while ago by SkyIce · · Score: 3, Informative
  8. Re:I want by HawkinsD · · Score: 2, Interesting
    An open-source version of Quicken or MS Money might address something that I hate about both of them: the constant advertising. It's annoying to be "warned" by MS Money: "Warning! You haven't registered to receive free money-saving offers!" "Click here to save on life insurance!"

    I'd feel better if I were running a bootleg copy. But I stupidly paid retail for it.

    --
    Never attribute to malice that which can be explained by mere idiocy.
  9. Checkfree for dos? by thogard · · Score: 2

    I've been using ChecFree's old DOS program under dosemu for a number of years. Its even is happy calling the old compuserve data network to transfer payments.

    I've been using the program since about '92 or so and its quite happy except for a few stupid questions about thinking the date is set very far ahead and a few y2k sorting bugs.

    I looked into the data format of the file and it looks very easy so if someone is looking at writing a program that talks to chcekfree, I might be able to dig up the code that decodes their packets. They build a small file and then xmodem it off to some connecion on the old CIS network so its not big on security but at least it works unlike my banks payment system (which uses some new shiny interface to the same backend and might just use the same CIS interface)

  10. Re:online banking by JDeFontes · · Score: 2, Informative
  11. Re:Not applicable to /. by brondsem · · Score: 2, Insightful
    Doesn't this question assume that we have money? Considering the huge numbers of high school and college students on slashdot, that seems like an unfounded assumption.
    The amount of money is irrelevant. I'm a college student and I have a part-time job, tuition payments, an investment fund, a bank account, car insurance payments and taxes to keep track of.
    --
    "a quote" -me
  12. Applications? by saintlupus · · Score: 2

    What do you guys use?

    A Pilot fine point pen and my checkbook.

    Hah! Finally being poor is advantageous and saves me hassle!

    --saint

  13. Re:The superior linux finance application. by NoMoreNicksLeft · · Score: 2

    Now I'm confused... what else would it be? Quicken, MS Money... I just can't think of any commercial crap that has those initials. Fill me in?

  14. I just guess. by desierto · · Score: 2

    And when the debt collectors call I say I'm not in but I will take a message. My suggestion for the pman is that he make a healthy contribution to the GNUCASH project, this will both simplify his financial situation and encourage improvements to the source code.

  15. Re:The superior linux finance application. by Space+cowboy · · Score: 2

    Your initials?

    The point was that it was hard to tell what you were saying - a couple of blank lines before the ad would probably help...

    Simon

    --
    Physicists get Hadrons!
  16. Re:Well, personally... by joib · · Score: 2

    In fact I can. With PostgreSQL and python.

    *Dons asbestos kit*

    ;-)

    In an unrelated note, I think gnucash 1.6.x has support for MySQL and PostgreSQL, in case flat files don't cut it.

  17. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  18. Quicken on Unix by smack.addict · · Score: 2

    I run Quicken on Unix. I use Mac OS X.

    1. Re:Quicken on Unix by smack.addict · · Score: 2

      It's native.

  19. Re:I want by gosand · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I use GnuCash, and it has the ability to import QIF files (Quicken). I don't use it, so I can't comment on how well it works.

    But it sounds to me like you are looking for a convenience. If the only reason you aren't using GnuCash is because you can't directly link to all those sources (401k, bank, CC), then it would seem that you are just a little lazy. Can't you just manually enter it? Yeah, I know, computers make things easier, and once you get used to them (lazy) then it is harder to do things for yourself. But I suppose that is why Windows is so popular.

    --

    My beliefs do not require that you agree with them.

  20. Re:Well, personally... by vkg · · Score: 2



    Ha!!! Postgres is TOO SLOW to compute my AWESOME WEALTH!

    Python? The CONSTANT INSERTION OF "L" BEHIND MY DOLLARS OFFENDS!

    Fie!

  21. Re:Well, personally... by rtaylor · · Score: 2

    Slow maybe (then again -- maybe not), but it'll guarentee that you don't lose track of your funds when making transfers from one account to another asumming you use it right ;)

    --
    Rod Taylor
  22. Best personal finance software... by rtaylor · · Score: 2

    is what the bank typically gives you at the end of each month. Thats right. I use my credit card for almost everything.

    When tax time, submissions for refunds from my employer, etc. come around I simply photocopy my statement, black out the lines they shouldn't see. For the truely paranoid photocopy it again (so you can read through the page).

    The only item that doesn't appear on that statement is rent. But if I could, I'd do that too.

    --
    Rod Taylor
  23. Re:Well, personally... by liquidsin · · Score: 2

    If he can't figure out his finances without software, what makes you think he could figure out perl?

    --
    do not read this line twice.
  24. Oracle Small Business Suite Works Well by thrice · · Score: 2, Informative

    Oracle Small Business Suite, powered by NetLedger, works well from Linux based browsers.

    They provide a complete small business package which includes accounting, sfa, cms, employee expenses, time and billing, scheduling and clandars, online file cabinets, payroll, online bill payment, web store/site, and customer care features in their product.

    See them @ Oracle Small Business Suite

  25. Re:I want by finkployd · · Score: 2, Redundant

    If the only reason you aren't using GnuCash is because you can't directly link to all those sources (401k, bank, CC), then it would seem that you are just a little lazy. Can't you just manually enter it?

    Why use GnuCash at all? Why not just manually write down your finances in in your checkbook and do the math in your head? This is exactly the type of thing that Quicken is good for, eliminating worthless "grunt work" like manually entering numbers.

    Yeah, I know, computers make things easier, and once you get used to them (lazy) then it is harder to do things for yourself.

    I have no fear that I will someday forget how to manually enter numbers into a computer.
    You use GnuCash, I use Quicken. Both of us use a computer to do our math and bookeeping for us, the only difference is I don't have to type it in. I completly fail to see the point of your arguement unless you are against both GnuCash and Quicken...

    Finkployd

  26. Give KMyMoney2 a try by EconomyGuy · · Score: 2, Informative

    I found this a couple of weeks ago in the Debian package archives. If your not running Debian, it can be downloaded from sourceforge. Overall the program is looking to be real solid. Its still in development in a lot of ways, but from my brief experiements, it looks like it has lots of nifty features and a very good ledger system.

    --
    Only 120 characters... who can summarize their entire world understanding in 120 characters?!
  27. I hate it when I forget to close an html tag by finkployd · · Score: 5, Informative

    If the only reason you aren't using GnuCash is because you can't directly link to all those sources (401k, bank, CC), then it would seem that you are just a little lazy. Can't you just manually enter it?

    Why use GnuCash at all? Why not just manually write down your finances in in your checkbook and do the math in your head? This is exactly the type of thing that Quicken is good for, eliminating worthless "grunt work" like manually entering numbers.

    Yeah, I know, computers make things easier, and once you get used to them (lazy) then it is harder to do things for yourself.

    I have no fear that I will someday forget how to manually enter numbers into a computer.
    You use GnuCash, I use Quicken. Both of us use a computer to do our math and bookeeping for us, the only difference is I don't have to type it in. I completly fail to see the point of your arguement unless you are against both GnuCash and Quicken...

    Finkployd

    1. Re:I hate it when I forget to close an html tag by Surak · · Score: 2

      Why use GnuCash at all? Why not just manually write down your finances in in your checkbook and do the math in your head? This is exactly the type of thing that Quicken is good for, eliminating worthless "grunt work" like manually entering numbers.

      Having been a Quicken user since version 2.0 (no that's not a typo, that's really version 2.0), I can tell you that Quicken didn't always do all this direct linking stuff.

      So to answer your question, 'Why use GnuCash at all?' Because it does do all the reporting functions so that you can make a sensible budget, because it does make reconciliation a LOT easier, and because it helps you fill out your taxes easier. (Which is another point in favor of Quicken, it has links to TurboTax :).

      So you could say GnuCash is where Quicken used to be and is playing catchup. The latest versions of Quicken are nice, but not entirely a necessity. Personally, I'd rather do a little extra typing using an application that I have the source code to and can modify and recompile to my whims than a closed-source program like Quicken, even with all of its extras. (Which is precisely why I stopped using Quicken the minute GnuCash got to a usuable state).

      That's of course my choice... you made your choice already. But you asked why, so I told you. :)

    2. Re:I hate it when I forget to close an html tag by Surak · · Score: 2

      Replying to myself yes...

      2.0 for DOS, that is. :)

      I'm typing this really really slow to avoid the stupid 2 minute rule, btw.

    3. Re:I hate it when I forget to close an html tag by sconeu · · Score: 2

      2.0 for DOS, that is. :)

      <AOL>
      Me Too! :-)
      </AOL>

      There's another reason... so what if it doesn't link your accounts, it does the ONE THING that computers are good at... MATH! Checkbook reconciliation became soooooooo much easier when I didn't have to worry about errors in kitchen arithmetic...

      --
      General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
    4. Re:I hate it when I forget to close an html tag by finkployd · · Score: 2

      I'm not saying I have decided to never use GnuCash, It is just that right now I cannot justify it. All it would probably take is Quicken pissing me off just a little more or GnuCash getting a little better and I'll probably switch. I'm of the belief that OSS is a better development model for most applications and will eventually win out in the end, just that GnuCash isn't quite there yet. It HAS however improved at a much faster rate than I remember Quicken doing.

      Actually, this seems true with most OSS software, I remember not too long ago AbiWord and OpenOffice (well, StarOffice) were complete crap. Look how far they have come in such a short time. I don't remember Word moving that fast :)

      Finkployd

    5. Re:I hate it when I forget to close an html tag by mobiGeek · · Score: 2
      it does the ONE THING that computers are good at... MATH

      Argh! It's NOT math...it's arithmetic.

      Most of us stopped calling spelling "english" when we were in grade 5. Why do people still call arithmetic "math" ??

      --

      ...Beware the IDEs of Microsoft...

    6. Re:I hate it when I forget to close an html tag by RJM · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Most of us stopped calling spelling "english" when we were in grade 5. Why do people still call arithmetic "math" ??

      Because I took Advanced Mathematics 1 and 2 in high school? Because I took MATH 166, MATH 167, MATH 266, MATH 267, MATH 312, and MATH 314 in college?

    7. Re:I hate it when I forget to close an html tag by Paul+Komarek · · Score: 2

      That's the nicest thing I've heard in a long time, enough to make a mathematician cry with joy. A sharp line between arithmetic (more-or-less algorithms for basic computation) and mathematics (thinking about what the hell you are doing).

      Furthermore, computers are absolutely lousy at both. Sure they can compute with integers and approximations to floating point numbers, but the limits are appalling. Or maybe I'm just bitter, because I have to fight these stupid limits every day to get my work done (I'm a math/cs grad student studying AI).

      -Paul Komarek

    8. Re:I hate it when I forget to close an html tag by Paul+Komarek · · Score: 2

      Your TI-89 has some mediocre numerical algorithms (I'm not insulting anyone -- simply, we tested their algorithms on the TI-89 and TI-92) for approximating the answers to some problems (notably absent was a good solver for eigenvalues and eigenvectors, at least not between 1994-1997). Of course, some of the newer TI calculators (and some of the older HP calculators...) have symbolic processing software which can, as the name suggests, do some limited symbolic processing -- you can think of this as logical arithmetic.

      At any rate, the calculator is doing arithmetic. If you're thinking about solving a problem while using the calculator to reduce your arithmetic load, then you might be doing math (or engineering, or physics, or ...). If you're using the calculator to avoid doing homework, then you're probably cheating. =-)

      Even automated theorem proving algorithms aren't really doing math. What they do is a *LOT* of very simple deduction. We're still a long ways from (non-biological) thinking machines, in my opinion. Not everyone would agree with me, of course.

      -Paul Komarek

    9. Re:I hate it when I forget to close an html tag by hawk · · Score: 2
      >>2.0 for DOS, that is. :)


      > Me Too! :-)


      Newbies!


      I started with the original version of checkfree. What a disaster--it sent payments to the wrong place more than once (I got a call from the wall street journal asking why I'd sent them a $500 check. Fortunately, it came in time to pay the office rent manually!).


      Then I got quicken. I think I skipped version 2 of quicken and upgraded to 3, but it's been a lon time . . .


      My taxes got to the point where it became easier to use a spreadsheet than to wait for final versions of the tax programs that imported from quicken. Eventually, I dropped back entirely to pen, paper, and spreadsheet. I'm sure I *could* run my old versions of quicken on one of my old macs (assuming I find both), at last if I lied about the dates, but my finances just aren't complicated enough to bother any more.


      hawk

    10. Re:I hate it when I forget to close an html tag by Surak · · Score: 2


      Newbies!
      I started with the original version of checkfree. What a disaster--it sent payments to the wrong place more than once (I got a call from the wall street journal asking why I'd sent them a $500 check. Fortunately, it came in time to pay the office rent manually!).


      Just who are you calling a newbie? Why do you think I never used Checkfree? :-P

    11. Re:I hate it when I forget to close an html tag by scrytch · · Score: 2

      Most of us stopped calling spelling "english" when we were in grade 5. Why do people still call arithmetic "math" ??

      Most of us stopped caring when we got laid.

      --
      I've finally had it: until slashdot gets article moderation, I am not coming back.
    12. Re:I hate it when I forget to close an html tag by hawk · · Score: 2
      was it still around in the time of Quicken 2.0? I vaguely want to say they threw in the towel on their own software and only worked through other programs, but it's been 10 years . . .


      hawk

    13. Re:I hate it when I forget to close an html tag by Surak · · Score: 2

      was it still around in the time of Quicken 2.0? I vaguely want to say they threw in the towel on their own software and only worked through other programs, but it's been 10 years . . .

      prior to quicken 2.0 I used a program of my own devising, written in Turbo Pascal, that I called CHKBOOK. It was getting too difficult and time consuming to maintain CHKBOOK when Quicken 2.0 came out, so I saw Quicken 2.0 as an easy way out. I never actually realized that personal finance software would gain in such popularity, because I figured most people would just do it with a spreadsheet, hence I never sought to have CHKBOOK published. I was not yet enlightened about things like the GPL, and I wasn't going to publish it as shareware because I had no way to support it.

      I actually tried Quicken 1.0 and it didn't do all the categorizing stuff yet so it wasn't any good for what I wanted it for.

  28. My advice - avoid these programs in general by Ars-Fartsica · · Score: 3, Insightful
    On a somewhat related note, I have found that most people who purchase these programs want to decrease expenditures, feeling that if they organize their expenses, they will reduce them.

    In general I have found this not to be the case. If you simply want a category breakdown, your credit card should already provide it - mine does. Otherwise, a simple check of your accounts once a week should give you a simple idea of how your spending is going.

    Simply put, the only way to reduce expenditures is to not buy things. Also, watch for monthly fees you start incurring for this service or that - these monthly fees constitute a huge drain on most people's cash, and our economy is moving more and more to a rental model where it will be hugely important to control recurring service fees.

    Added to which, most banks charge for the pleasure of automagically syncing Quicken with your account (although you can still manually update Quicken with a download file for free with most banks). So you could be losing money while trying to save it.

    1. Re:My advice - avoid these programs in general by zulux · · Score: 2

      I have found that most people who purchase these programs want to decrease expenditures

      Good post! Let me add:

      In general, if you're alreay not wasting money, it's better to focus on inceasing revenue rather than cutting expenses down to the bone. You can only cut expenses down to $0 - but your income, potentially, has no limit. I find it easier to make money, than to ferret out an extra penny by farting around with my expenses. YMMV.

      --

      Moneyed corporations, non-working 'poor' and criminal prisoners are turning productive citizens into tax-slaves.

    2. Re:My advice - avoid these programs in general by horza · · Score: 3, Funny

      Otherwise, a simple check of your accounts once a week should give you a simple idea of how your spending is going.

      So you are suggesting that instead of debugging his financial source line by line, he should do some run-time analysis using profiling? I suggest optimising some of those tight loops, for instance repeated withdrawals from the cash machine on a Friday night. I'd also run TrussFinance to locate any cash leaks, for example that AOL subscription they told you they had cancelled. I wouldn't, however, use a step-by-step debugger as this can be embarrassing for company in restaurants.

      Phillip.

    3. Re:My advice - avoid these programs in general by sheldon · · Score: 2

      I would definately have to disagree with nearly everything said with the exception of "the only way to reduce expenditures is to not buy things."

      I've been using Quicken/Money since 1994 and as a result on any given day I know exactly how much money I have in any one of my accounts, how much I owe on any one of my lines of credit, as well as a general estimate of what bills I will be expecting to pay over the next several weeks. It's nice to have an estimated loan payoff figure at your fingertips without having to call the bank.

      This allows me to forcast and budget appropriately.

      While I don't do the automagically syncing thing(I do prefer to enter transactions by hand), I am subscribed to my banks online banking and bill pay service. This is $6.95 a month, but considering that the service allows me to schedule payments to be sent for any bill I might have, the convenience more than pays for itself. On top of that is the cost savings of no longer having to buy checks, as well as no longer having to buy stamps. When you figure that it costs about 45 cents to mail a check(cost of stamp + cost of check)... sending 15 bills in a month using the automated service breaks even.

      Furthermore I no longer have late fees on credit cards because the bill is sitting in my pocket while I wait to find some time to hit the post office to buy a bloody stamp.

      While Quicken/Money is not going to be a substitute for good financial management, the automation that they provide makes the job a hell of a lot easier. I highly recommend either of these packages.

    4. Re:My advice - avoid these programs in general by sheldon · · Score: 2

      "I know all of this as well - my online bank does all of this for me. "

      Only if all of your accounts are with one bank. While I do have credit card, checking and savings with one bank... my car loan is handled by someone else, my mortgage is handled by another bank, I have 401k with Fidelity, IRAs with Putnam, annuities with TIAA-CREF and so forth. All of these have online access as well, but it's nice to pull it all together.

      "You don't need Quicken to do this kind of thing. Maybe in 1994 you did."

      In 1994 we didn't have online access, and so you were limited to whatever information your last statement said, or what you could obtain with automated phone systems.

      In 2002 you still need Quicken/Money if you want to pull all the divergent pieces of data together.

      "That was all I was really saying."

      That's not what I read.

    5. Re:My advice - avoid these programs in general by geekoid · · Score: 2

      Clearly a person with no children.
      Tracking expenditures is the first step to financial stability.
      the second step is understanding where the money goes.
      having something right in front of you that allows you to look at your history with a click of the mouse is a very helpfull tool, especially if your trying to teach finance to your kids.
      I use washington Mutuals online service. Its free and my checking accounts are free. Plus if I use an atm, it show up on there online system in just a few minutes.

      --
      The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
  29. Re:GnuCash by Locutus · · Score: 2
    If you want to use a Quick[something] product for a business, use Quickbooks. That's what it's there for.


    But they won't port to Linux and it supposedly doesn't run under Wine....

    LoB

    --
    "Anyone who stands out in the middle of a road looks like roadkill to me." --Linus
  30. Re:Not applicable to /. by peddrenth · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Use just a text file like everyone else. That also makes it easier to encrypt if you don't have PGPDisk (it's all in the one file).

    Use Gnumeric to do your calculations (and always have a worksheet open when you're on the phone to your bank to write notes in) but it's a lot easier to find things if you put the results back into the text file when you're finished.

    The alternative (one spreadsheet for each thing) looks pretty for a while, until the next time you change software and find that copies of OpenOffice or Excel at university or on your windows partition can't read them.

    This sort of data is what the "platform independance" argument is all about (c.f. Peru). It's stuff you'll still need to access long after your current software, computer, and operating system no longer exist. Need I even say that proprietry accounting software is out of the question.

  31. Re:I want by yota · · Score: 2, Insightful
    I want the ability to link up to my bank, credit card companies, morgage companies, retirement fund, etc. and download the latest data like I can with Quicken.

    Has anybody tried to run Quicken with WINE? How does it work?

    Adding Quicken support to CrossOver Office could make it more interessant since there's no equivalent in Linux. Anybody from CodeWeavers here?

    Andrea

  32. Re:Quicken runs on UNIX by Alexander · · Score: 3, Funny

    Well, first off, my reply wasn't to you, unless you're the original poster using another user account. If you are the original poster, then what x86 UNIX are you using, a SCO UNIX, ____BSD, Solaris? An ancient copy of NeXTStep?

    Second, please re-read my post. The sentence you quote was written specifically to circumvent inane comments like yours. I've read enough of /. do anticipate the disappointingly average responses like the above (indeed, if you check the user # I'm more than a half-million users before you bothered to register - If I had a nickel for every two bit response posted here....)

    It was suggested that the individual take a look at the OS X platform "at some point in the future", not "run out and drop down $1200 for a used g4 based powerbook right now just so you can run Quicken and Steve Jobs rules!" Hopefully, the omission of blatant pro-Apple/RISC drivel in my post, with a soft suggestion that indeed these apps are running under the platform in question (UNIX, not Linux) was designed to temper such soft-trolling that amounts to "OS X isn't Linux" and "It doesn't run on x86", both of which quickly devolve into how cheaply the supposedly enterprising geek can build a dual athalon monster machine for the price of an Apple platform that runs comparable GNU software to the commercial application in question (which makes one wonder how many actually have performed this platform gymnastic they're so quick to advocate).

    As far as answering your post, either it's a whining piece of self-answering troll, or you somehow believe that I'm privy to the OS X product roadmap. I tend towards the former, which actually suggests that you're actually unhappy with your platform (x86) choice and the commitment you made in that investment, or you wouldn't have wasted the electrons complaining. My guess is "don't hold your breath" for an x86 port. If you really want the breadth of applications and UNIX that OS X offers, then you'll likely need to save several hundred bucks for a used powerbook (Which would be an answer to your "space" issues. If you can't afford the footprint of a laptop, you need to invest in more real estate, not a new platform).

    --
    "oohhh... I didn't know Schopenhauer was a philosopher!" ..."uhhh yeah, he's the one that begins with
  33. Re:One hitch by stevey · · Score: 3, Informative

    The code was big ? LOL!

    I've been meaning to get organized and look at putting my finances, mortgage, bills, etc online - I keep them all for years so I'd be able to see where my money goes
    After reading this I decided to download GNUCash - imagine my suprize: 15Mb!

    root@hell:/home/skx# apt-get install gnucash
    Reading Package Lists... Done
    Building Dependency Tree... Done
    The following extra packages will be installed:
    bonobo defoma dialog gs gs-common gsfonts guile-common guile1.4
    guile1.4-slib libbonobo2 libdate-manip-perl libdigest-md5-perl libefs1
    libfinance-quote-perl libgal19 libgdk-pixbuf-gnome2 libghttp1 libgimpprint1
    libgnomeprint-bin libgnomeprint-data libgnomeprint15 libgtkhtml20 libguile9
    libguppi16 libgwrapguile1 libhtml-parser-perl libhtml-tableextract-perl
    libhtml-tagset-perl libhtml-tree-perl libltdl3 libmime-base64-perl liboaf0
    liburi-perl libwww-perl libzvt2 oaf slib
    The following NEW packages will be installed:
    bonobo defoma dialog gnucash gs gs-common gsfonts guile-common guile1.4
    guile1.4-slib libbonobo2 libdate-manip-perl libdigest-md5-perl libefs1
    libfinance-quote-perl libgal19 libgdk-pixbuf-gnome2 libghttp1 libgimpprint1
    libgnomeprint-bin libgnomeprint-data libgnomeprint15 libgtkhtml20 libguile9
    libguppi16 libgwrapguile1 libhtml-parser-perl libhtml-tableextract-perl
    libhtml-tagset-perl libhtml-tree-perl libltdl3 libmime-base64-perl liboaf0
    liburi-perl libwww-perl libzvt2 oaf slib
    0 packages upgraded, 38 newly installed, 0 to remove and 1 not upgraded.
    Need to get 15.7MB of archives. After unpacking 47.2MB will be used.
    Do you want to continue? [Y/n] n
    Abort.

  34. Re:Pro's & Con's of Grumbling by Fat+Casper · · Score: 2
    On the one hand...

    I'm with you. You can find anything in the world via google, as the first few posts in an Ask Slashdot usually tell everyone, but that doesn't always help. Discussion, experiences, insights. Getting the feel of the /. attitude on something. It makes it a little more of a community.

    --
    I spent a year in Iraq looking for WMD and all I found was this lousy sig.
  35. It's not initials by Christopher+B.+Brown · · Score: 2
    sc is the full name of the program.

    It was probably posted on comp.sources.unix or some such place back in the mid-80s.

    Sc is not a product of National Semiconductor. It is supplied as is with
    no warranty, express or implied, as a service to Usenet readers.
    --
    If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.
    1. Re:It's not initials by NoMoreNicksLeft · · Score: 2

      Of course it is.

      What I couldn't figure, is why the one guy almost modded it down, and then several afterwards actually did so. At first, I thought it might be some abbreviation for windows software I wasn't aware of (which would make it flamebait). Crackmoderation again.

    2. Re:It's not initials by Ian+Wolf · · Score: 2

      Probably because when you look at your post you hardly notice the sc because you sig is slapping them in the face.

      You should have added a little more information in there, maybe even a link.

      Or were you simply focusing on speed in hopes of a first post?

      --
      "The words of the prophets are written on the Slashdot walls."
  36. up to par by h4x0r-3l337 · · Score: 2, Interesting
    While the free software versions may not quite be up to par with the current commercial offerings, it won't always be the case.

    Yes it will. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but writing software like that is BORING. Take a look at the best open source software out there and you'll see that it is "interesting" software: operating systems, window managers, development tools. Financial software is the kind of boring crud that nobody writes for fun, and so something like GNU cash will progress until the easy features are done, and then the authors will realize they don't want to spend any more time on such an uninteresting piece of software, and they will move on to something more interesting. Some software is just so utterly uninteresting or unprestigious that nobody works on it for fun, you have to PAY them to work on it.

  37. 15MB aint sh*t. by barneyfoo · · Score: 2, Funny

    Are you some poor mofo from bangladesh? Jesus christ, that 47MB of uncrompressed space is just too damned much!!

    Wait.

    I know.

    I'll erase that Chumbawumba album I got and then hated.

    # du -s Chumbawamba\ -\ Tubthumper/
    61589 Chumbawamba - Tubthumper

    1. Re:15MB aint sh*t. by stevey · · Score: 2

      Sure they're not expensive; but I've got better things to spend my cash on .. If I want sexy computers I use the ones at work ;)

  38. I use gnucash for my business by defile · · Score: 2

    I've never used finance software before, but when I started my business I knew I needed some way to keep track of finances. I've been using gnucash and it seems to fit the bill. Although I don't know if I'm missing anything by not using Quicken or whatever.

    I think people need an actual understanding of accounting to use gnucash, whereas with Quicken you can just answer all of the pretty questions. I've talked to some people who use Quicken to manage their finances and they really don't get accounting at all.

    What am I missing by only using gnucash?

  39. Re:Check out MoneyDance by Craig+Maloney · · Score: 2
    Too bad the primary developer left the MoneyDance project a while back. AppGen is currently debating on the future of the project as we speak, and has been rather mute on what they're planning.

    But I second that MoneyDance has been a good product up until this point, with the notable exception of the Java headache it imposes. I'm still looking for a decent way to take my data from MoneyDance and input it into something like GnuCash, but haven't had much luck with it.

  40. Re:I want by mike_the_kid · · Score: 3, Insightful

    In MS Money 2002, under Tools / Options, there is a checkbox in the "Display" set of options on the default options page called "Turn off sponsorship and shopping links." If you do go onto some of the MSN services, such as the home finder, you will see some ads, but if you wait 5 seconds, they go away. Checking "Turn off sponsorship and shopping links" removes all ads and special offers from the core program, as far as I can tell.

    --
    Troll Like a Champion Today
  41. Re:*Grumble* by pstreck · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Well i did do research before a posted the question. and i never ran across Chritopher Browne's page in my searches. I went through the typical routes, google, freshmeat, sf. And i didnt find anything that was up to par. I had been using GNUCash for about 3 months and found it seriously lacking. So stop your grumbling, and thanks for the link.

    --

    Later,
    Phil
  42. Reports by n3bulous · · Score: 2

    Reporting is what makes these programs useful. I've used Quicken in the past to generate reports to see where money is going and whatnot and then compare between months and years.

    The real problem is entering the data, and not all banks record enough information about the transaction. When you download the data, the transactions might report the company processing the transaction for the company you actually purchased from.

    --
    "The area of penetration will no doubt be sensitive." ~ Spock
  43. Mac OS X costs $800 by yerricde · · Score: 2

    I run Quicken on Unix. I use Mac OS X.

    So you use Mac OS X. That operating system may implement most of the Single UNIX Spec, but I don't see it listed as a UNIX system.

    Either way, I don't see "go out and buy a Mac" as a cost-effective solution to the personal finance software problem. The original poster (pstreck) mentioned Wine, implying that (s)he used an x86 computer. For the price of Mac OS X (and its $799 hardware key), pstreck could just go out and buy a hard drive and a copy of Windows XP Professional and install Quicken on that.

    --
    Will I retire or break 10K?
  44. Re:One hitch by Triskaidekaphobia · · Score: 2, Interesting

    see they're using the word 'Druid' instead of 'Wizard'

    And that is why free software is failing on the desktop; if each package uses different terms for the same functionality is it any wonder that users are put off.

    Bitch about Microsoft, logo-requirements and usability guidelines all you like, but if software written to those standards is usable by people without much computer knowledge then it is going to be used.

  45. Best thing about Perl by roie_m · · Score: 2, Funny

    You're practically guaranteed a huge amount of $.

  46. Again, there are copywrite/trademark issues by rakeswell · · Score: 2, Interesting
    see they're using the word 'Druid' instead of 'Wizard'

    And that is why free software is failing on the desktop; if each package uses different terms for the same functionality is it any wonder that users are put off.

    I work for an online brokerage firm, and a new feature slated to me rolled out is a "trading wizard". That's a generic enough term, you'd guess. Guess again.

    We had to figure out a different name for it as the term has been trademarked/copywritten by another firm.

    I don't know if this is the case here, but in addition to product differentiation, it's a good strategy to call a feature something other than the generic term that might first come to mind -- an open source project really can't afford lawsuits.

    --
    All one has to do is hit the right keys at the right time and the instrument plays itself. - Johann Sebastian Bach
  47. How to run Quicken on Unix by guanxi · · Score: 2

    You can run Quicken; you just need the right shell.

  48. IMHO: Quicken is poorly developed software. by Futurepower(R) · · Score: 2


    I used the latest version of Quicken that came with TurboTax. I was amazed at how undeveloped the software was. There were numerous ways that it could have been improved. Maybe the company is preserving some shortcomings so that it can make money on later upgrades.

    Plus, the company believes that you are a fair target for numerous money-making schemes.

    That's why I like open source software. It's not adversarial. I don't want to play games with stupid people who believe that I am stupider than they are.

  49. Overkill, what's that? by quantum+bit · · Score: 2

    I use SQL-Ledger :)

  50. Re:GnuCash by cduffy · · Score: 2

    Quickbooks runs under WINE. At least, it has before (over a year ago!).

  51. Re:Use Crossover Office by karlbowden · · Score: 2, Informative

    I can also use Quicken with the latest snapshot of WINE

  52. How about web-based services? by aquarian · · Score: 2

    What about web-based services, like Netledger, Quicken online, or e-Peachtree? The downside is the cost, starting at $10/month. But you can access them from any net-connected computer with a decent web browser.

  53. Tracking does save by nuggz · · Score: 3, Informative

    I disagree, knowing that I spent $400 last month on junk food DOES help me save money.

    Knowing where/how you spend your money is the first step on spending less.

  54. Re:I want by IGnatius+T+Foobar · · Score: 2
    I want the ability to link up to my bank, credit card companies, morgage companies, retirement fund, etc.
    That's one degree of separation. That's business with... oops, sorry. :)

    --
    Tired of FB/Google censorship? Visit UNCENSORED!
  55. Re:Not applicable to /. by ostrich2 · · Score: 2, Informative

    Try QHacc. It uses plain text files to store everything. It's not too shabby, if I do say so myself. (I'm the author, of course.)

  56. Keep it simple - use CBB by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    I came to Linux directly from the MS-DOS world, where Quicken 7.0 for DOS handled all my account tracking and balancing needs. I found Check Book Balancer (CBB) to be the equivalent Linux program. Simple. Straightforward. Keeps all your accounts balanced. Reads QIF and writes a simple text output that's great for grepping.

    If you need features along the lines of online banking, mortgage finance calculators, etc. -- then go to the web. If you need the features of a business bookkeeping package, cbb won't fit the bill. But otherwise, do yourself a favor and keep it simple. Use CBB.

  57. Re:I want by Archie+Steel · · Score: 2

    This shouldn't take too long: Quicken already works with Codeweaver's Crossover Office - except for the Internet connectivity bit. I have been told this is on their priority list, since so many people have been asking for it...

    --

    Reminder: find a new sig
  58. Quasar Accounting Software! by N3P1u5U17r4 · · Score: 2, Informative

    Try this Canadian software companies product called Quasar:

    http://www.linuxcanada.com/quasar.html

    I've installed on my Mandrake box but haven't really used it much yet.

    --
    You're Just Jealous Because The Voices Are Talking To Me.
  59. My experiences with trying GnuCash by Laplace · · Score: 3, Insightful

    At one point I tried to install and use GNUCash as my personal finance manager. The first problem that I ran in to was dependency hell. The program relies on tens of libraries. I went through quite a few ./configure --> download dependency --> install dependency --> ./configure until I was able to finally produce a build.

    Now, GNUCash works on a double entry accounting system. That means every time you take money away from one account it goes into another, and vice versa. In some sense, it depends upon the idea that money just can appear out of nowhere, and it just can't disappear into the void. Supposedly it is a very powerful system of accounting. However, the problem that I ran in to was setting my accounts up. I have several different debts (student loans), and several different investments (401K, personal investments), as well as the balances in my checking and savings accounts. I just couldn't figure out how to reasonably set up my initial finances, let alone creating special accounts for things like payroll and taxes. I have a degree in Mathematics, but GNUCash tries to be a serious accounting program. Quicken and the like are different, and single entry accounting is much easier for a beginner to use. Apparently it is much easier to lie, cheat, and make mistakes with single accounting systems.

    I finally settled on just keeping a sort of ledger. Pen and paper. I track spending in my budget with it, my current checking account levels, and I update the value of my savings and investments from time to time. It serves me well and keeps my finances on track, which is all I really need. It is also very portable, which makes it easier to account for things like grocery bills and ATM withdrawls.

    What GNUCash really needs is a _good_ step by step tutorial on how to set the software up, and I'm not refering to the ./configure dependency hell.

    --
    The middle mind speaks!
  60. Re:One hitch by wdr1 · · Score: 2

    OFX seems like a good offering, but problematic. Why not offer users a choice of how to sync their data with financial institutions?

    It wouldn't be too difficult to simulate a user logging in and screen scape the needed data. It's be pretty easy to do in Perl actually, where there are already a ton of moudules doing some similiar. Granted it's a bit hackey, but for cases where the FI won't cooperate with the Gnucash project and set up OFX, it's preferable to having nothing.

    The Gnucash project is also in a good position to define an abstract class for how the interface to each institution should work. Then different programmers could go about implementing that class for different institutions. (Much like how DBI or ODBC establishes an generic database interface each database drivers handles the specific for each type of db.)

    Anyway, my two cents.

    -Bill

    --
    SlashSig Karma: Excellent (mostly affected by moderatio
  61. dual boot by I+Want+GNU! · · Score: 2

    If you have WINE that indicates that you have a Windows license. Why not just use a dual boot with Windoze? Agreed, Micro$oft is highly evil and Linux should be used in most cases, but this is just one case where it makes more sense to use Windows than Linux. When you have specialty software that is high quality and the vendors aren't informed enough to port their programs to real OS's, if you want the software you should use the OS.

    Better yet, vote with your money. Don't buy Quicken, because it only works on a crappy OS.

    1. Re:dual boot by slim · · Score: 2

      If you have WINE that indicates that you have a Windows license.

      Early on, you needed bits from a real Windows installation to get WINE to work. Last time I looked, you could get many Windows applications to run in WINE without any part of real Windows. Remember, WINE is a reimplementation of the Windows API, not an emulator under which Windows runs.

      So, no, running WINE doesn't imply that you have a Windows license, nor that you should have one.

  62. Money by jadenjahner · · Score: 2, Informative

    MS Money works via Wine also. It is not the best, but it does work. GnuCash still needs refinement. You'd think Intuit would release a Linux version of Quicken.

  63. Re:I want by Paul+Komarek · · Score: 2

    I download all of my financial data and import it into Gnucash without any problems, using that broken Quicken format (QIF). Granted, it takes *two whole steps*: 1) download, 2) import.

    Maybe I'm just lucky, though.

    -Paul Komarek

  64. Re:Quicken = Personal Finances by M.+Silver · · Score: 2

    Quickbooks does corporate/business accounting. If you want double-entry accounting, buy Quickbooks. You don't need the Pro version for real estate and most small businesses.

    Has that changed in the last few years? ISTR my CPA sister ranting about people who used Quickbooks (not merely Quicken, definitely Quickbooks) instead of a real double-entry system like Peachtree.

    --

    Slashdot's token middle-aged housewife
  65. Expertise by m_evanchik · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The real expertise in a program like quicken is not on the programming end. Balancing books is a pretty trivial algorithm.

    Where the real value of Quicken lies in the financial and legal expertise that it describes. For this they need the expertise of accountants and lawyers and economists etc..

    If you want to develop a good open-source personal finance program, you need to find some good accountants (and tax lawyers, and financial advisers, etc) to help out in distilling their expertise, working with the programmers.

    And because laws and finance are such ever-changing areas, especially at the margins, constant updating is necessary.

    One big hurdle with open-source financial programs (please keep responding flames articulate) is a lack of accountability as well. When I buy turbotax, I know there is a company behind it that must take some responsibility with the program. Just for that reason, a good lawyer or accountant may be hesitant to contribute on open-source. If the software fucks up, he may be professionally liable.

    I do wish at least a polished proprietary financial and tax software were available on Linux. My guess is that Linux just doesn't have the market penetration yet to justify the port.

    Because of the need for updates, I even think that proprietary software might have some viability on a limited, non-transfereable, open source basis.

    I haven't tried gnucash, but if intuit came out with quicken and turbotax for Linux, I would be one step closer to wiping my windows partition. Incidentally, I still wouldn't buy the linux version right away, because I still need the windows partition for other things, and my windows quicken works fine.

  66. Re:Check out MoneyDance by Hanzie · · Score: 2

    If you're going to go the rich dad - poor dad route of accounting, you'll probably have to go single-entry cash basis accounting.

    On the bright side, get an accounting package worked up that will handle stuff the same way, and Kiosaki would probably be willing to cross license their name and marketing power with your program.

    Matter of fact, shouldn't be too hard to tweak double entry book keeping to do the same. Have to think about it some more.

    hanzie

    --
    ********* sig: If you don't like the law, get filthy stinking rich, and buy a better one.
  67. Re: [OT] *Grumble* by jsse · · Score: 2

    because it's not really said by Voltaire. I put his name regardlessly but I got bashed, so I took it out. I don't have the link for this piece of information for the moment, but you can do a google search for it. You'll be amazed how many words has been put on Voltaire's mouth by someone else. :)

  68. it's called a spreadsheet . . . by hawk · · Score: 2
    Monthly income and expenses, a column for each month. Mine goes out for about 5 years into the future, but could easily do 50 . . .


    hawk

  69. Re:Check out MoneyDance by Oztun · · Score: 2

    If his friend agreed to pay $10,000 for the car in the near future, the car is a $10,000 asset.

  70. Re:online banking by Deven · · Score: 2

    Due to some sort of brain damage, www.ofx.net returns a redirect to "http://ofx/default.asp". On some browsers (Galeon, in this case), this ends up going to www.ofx.com instead. Until the OFX website fixes that link, try this one...

    --

    Deven

    "Simple things should be simple, and complex things should be possible." - Alan Kay

  71. Re:I want by evilpenguin · · Score: 2

    I run Quicken 2000 under Wine. I do not use the Internet features. They require installation of real IE and the install program for that doesn't work under Wine. I run Quicken on a wine-only (no real Windows software installed at all) setup. There a problems with some dialog boxes because of font mapping problems. You can set fonts in the wine config file, but I haven't bothered. An AC seemed to think you were asking about QuickBooks (QB), but QB is not Quicken.

    Quicken 2000 probably runs perfectly under Wine if you have real Windows DLLs. Since real Windows DLLs means you really have Windows, you may as well run it under Windows instead of making yourself crazy.

    Wine is getting better and more solid literally every day. I use anonymous CVS and update it every few days.

    So, if you must have Quicken and must not have Windows, you can run it under wine, but it doesn't run everything, and it doesn't run perfectly. If you really need it all, you're stuck with Windows.

  72. Re:Why I don't like Quicken by Krieger · · Score: 2

    I actually uninstalled the most recent version of Quicken. Up until this last year they had my business as I would purchase a copy of Quicken Deluxe with Turbotax Deluxe so I could do my taxes. I was burned on the fact that I *had* to register for a Quicken.com account so that I could download stockquotes etc, to keep my 401(k) and investments up to date, despite the fact that I didn't need to in the previous years version. I sent a couple bitchy emails to Quicken, but am certain that I got ignored. I'm tempted to backtrack to Quicken 98 or 99 because that was before they integrated IE, which does seem to have slowed it does seriously.

  73. Quicken *does* work under WINE by JCMay · · Score: 2

    I use Quicken Deluxe 99 every week with Wine. It works fine (except for printing; I've not got that working yet).

    I use the CodeWeavers Red Carpet release on my RedHat 7.1 machine (obviously, uses the Ximian Gnome desktop). I *have* had problems in the past with it not working well, but since I got the Red Carpet build it's been excellent, not a single crash.

  74. Re:Why I don't like Quicken by geekoid · · Score: 2

    Oh My Lord, they charge for software? whatm next, cats and dogs sleeping together?! ahhhh.
    sheesh.
    But hey, you got to stick to your principles.
    Or do you?

    --
    The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
  75. Re:Quicken runs on UNIX by geekoid · · Score: 2

    I wisj I had a nickle for every person who thinks there opinion is better because they happened to be doing something sooner.
    My user number is lower so I know what I'm doing attitude is really crappy, its right up there with "I've been playing DnD for 26 year, so you better listen to me".
    It reminds me of a line from "Better off dead":
    "I've been going to this high school for 5 years, and I'm no dummy"

    --
    The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect