diff --git a/README b/README index 572301c8ec..85ec52cf10 100644 --- a/README +++ b/README @@ -1,10 +1,10 @@ -*-text-*- ************ DEVELOPMENT RELEASE ****************** -The version 1.3.x series of gnucash are experimental development +The version 1.3.x series of GnuCash are experimental development releases. They may or may not work. Use at your own risk. -The last stable, production version was xacc-1.2.0 +The last stable, production version was gnucash-1.2.0 The next stable, production version will be gnucash-1.4.x ############################################## @@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ Features include: - An easy-to-use interface. If you can use the register in the back of your checkbook, you can use GnuCash. Type directly into the register, - tab between fields, and use quickfill to + tab between fields, and use quick-fill to automatically complete the transaction. - Reconcile window with running reconciled and cleared balances makes reconciliation easy. @@ -34,10 +34,10 @@ Features include: currencies are supported and can be bought and sold (traded). Currency movements between accounts are fully balanced when double-entry is enabled. - (Some aspects of mutiple currency support are not + (Some aspects of multiple currency support are not fully implemented.) - Quicken File Import: Import Quicken QIF style files. - QIF files are automtically merged to eliminate + QIF files are automatically merged to eliminate duplicate transactions. - Reports: Display Balance Sheet, Profit&Loss, Portfolio Valuation, or print them as HTML. @@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ Features include: into one master account (e.g. Assets). - Split Transactions: A single transaction can be split into several pieces to record taxes, fees, and - other compund entries. + other compound entries. - Double Entry: When enabled, every transaction must debit one account and credit another by an equal amount. This ensures that the "books balance": that the @@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ Features include: portfolio of many stocks, by showing all transactions in that portfolio. - Written in C with embedded scheme support via Guile. - - Perl support is optionally available for standalone scripting via SWIG. + - Perl support is optionally available for stand-alone scripting via SWIG. - File access is locked in a network-safe fashion, preventing accidental damage if several users attempt to access the same file, even if the file is NFS-mounted. @@ -81,28 +81,71 @@ Home Page: ---------- http://gnucash.org/ -Origianl X-Accountant home page: +Original X-Accountant home page: http://www.cs.hmc.edu/~rclark/xacc -Precomipled binaries: +Precompiled binaries: ftp://ftp.ultra.net/pub/eugene/RPMS/i386/ Development versions: -http://linas.org/linux/xacc/ +http://linas.org/linux/gnucash/ Running: -------- Only the Motif version of GnuCash is currently functional. The Gnome version -will give you a taste for Gnome, but most functions will not work. The qt -version doesn't compile, most functions are missing. See below for OS's other -than Linux/*BSD support. +will give you a taste for Gnome, and is coming along fine, but is probably not +stable enough for regular use. The qt/kde version doesn't compile, most +functions are missing. See below for OS's other than Linux/*BSD support. + +The following packages are required to be installed to run the gnucash +Motif binary: + +guile -- Provides main extension language infrastructure. + This is used extensively in gnucash for initialization & startup. + Require version 1.3 or later (or build 1998.08.18 or 1998.09.10 or later) ... + ftp://ftp.gnucash.org/pub/gnucash/extra_libs/TAR/guile-core-19980818.tar.gz + guile-core-19980818-1.i386.rpm works + guile-1.3.1-1 from redhat.com/pub/rawhide works ... + +Motif or Lesstif -- + Either a commercial Motif, or the free software clone Lesstif is + needed. If you use a commercial version of Motif (widely available + for roughly 50 USD), be sure to get a version compatible with your + glibc and libXt version. Lesstif mostly works, but there have been + problems. Here's our experience: + + Lesstif 0.81 works + Lesstif 0.82 broken + Lesstif 0.83 works ... but get fast blinking cursor ... + Lesstif 0.86.0 is reported to work + Lesstif 0.86.5 crashes. + Lesstif 0.86.9 works ... but some menus come out 2 pixels high.(?) + Lesstif 0.87.0: broken (missing symbols for XmeDrawShadows, etc.) + Lesstif 0.88.1 works + +XmHTML -- Provides HTML display capabilities. Used for Help Dialogues, Reports. + Require version 1.1.4 or later + http://www.llp.fu-berlin.de/lsoft/F/5/XMHTML.html + http://www.xs4all.nl/~ripley/XmHTML/XmHTML.html + ftp://ftp.ultra.net/pub/eugene/RPMS/i386/XmHTML-1.1.5-1.i386.rpm + ftp://ftp.ultra.net/pub/eugene/SRPMS/XmHTML-1.1.5-1.src.rpm + + Note: some precompiled versions of XmHTML have been compiled with + Motif. When used with most precompiled versions of Lesstif, you + will get a "undefined symbol XmeDrawShadows" error. There are several + solutions; the simplest is probably to download the XmHTML source + package and compile it yourself. + +libpng -- portable network graphics library. Any version. +libjpeg -- JPEG image handling library. Any version. +libz -- compression library. Any version. +xpm -- X Pixmap extension. Any version. + To be able to use certain features of GnuCash, such as reports and network stock price downloads, you must have the following packages -below installed (in addition to the packages you need to install in -order to build GnuCash. See "Building & Installing" below for more -details). RPM's for most of these can be found at -http://rufus.w3.org/linux/ +below installed (in addition to those listed above). +RPM's for most of these can be found at http://rufus.w3.org/linux/ slib -- scheme libraries for guile. Need version slib2c0 or later. perl -- Almost any version of perl5 should work. I run perl-5.004 @@ -117,26 +160,14 @@ perl-HTML/HTML-Parser-2.20 off the net. You can pick up RPMS at ftp://ftp.gnucash.org/pub/gnucash/binaries/RPMS http://rufus.w3.org/linux/RPM/PByName.html - http://linas.org/linux/xacc (last resort) + http://linas.org/linux/gnucash (last resort) or sources at http://www.cpan.org/CPAN.html -The binary-only distribution of GnuCash comes with several executables: -one has Motif statically linked in, and another has Motif linked in dynamically. -The motif dynamic-link version requires that either motif or lesstif be -installed. Motif is a commercial product available form several vendors for -approx $50. Lesstif is an open source clone available for free. Note that -not all version of lesstif work with Gnucash: thhe the note below. -The binary-only distribution includes two binary files: 'gnucash.bin' -and 'gnucash-static.bin'. The former requires a Motif shared library; -the latter has Motif statically linked in. If you have Motif, -then just run xacc. If you do not have Motif, then copy -'gnucash-static.bin' to 'gnucash.bin'. Invocation: ----------- - You can start GnuCash at the command-line, with "gnucash" or "gnucash ", where is a GnuCash account file. Sample accounts can be found in "data" subdirectory. *.dat files are GnuCash @@ -171,25 +202,6 @@ GnuCash responds to the following environment variables: GNC_DEBUG - enable debugging output. This allows you to turn on debugging earlier in the startup process than you can with --debug. -Important Note: ---------------- -Core dumps have been reported when using various -versions of lesstif. Some versions work, others don't. -Lesstif 0.81: works -Lesstif 0.82: broken -Lesstif 0.86.0: works -Lesstif 0.86.5: broken -Lesstif 0.86.9 works -Lesstif 0.87.0: works -Lesstif 0.88.1: works - -Note: some versions of XmHTML have been compiled with Motif, and these -need XmeDrawShadows to link and run. However, this is an undefined symbol -in most versions of lesstif. Solution: download XmHTML source and -compile/install it. - -These core dumps do not occur with RedHat Motif (or other commercial -versions of Motif). Other Tools ----------- @@ -201,65 +213,20 @@ here). Building & Installing: ---------------------- -These steps does not apply to binary distributions; only to -source distributions. +These steps does not apply to binary distributions; only to source distributions. Prior to building GnuCash, you will have to obtain and install the following packages: libtool -- Used to build our internal version of g-wrap which handles our guile C wrappers. Available at ftp://ftp.gnu.org/gnu. - RPM's and debs are widely available with most disributions. + RPM's and debs are widely available with most distributions. nana -- Used to provide a debugging infrastructure. Any version should work. http://www.fsf.org/software/nana/nana.html http://www.cs.ntu.edu.au/homepages/pjm/nana-home/ SWIG -- Used to autogenerate perl wrappers. available at www.swig.org need 1.1p5 or later ... -guile -- Provides main extension language infrastructure. - This is used extensively in gnucash for initialization & startup. - need version 1.3 or later (or build 1998.08.18 or 1998.09.10 or later) ... - ftp://ftp.gnucash.org/pub/gnucash/extra_libs/TAR/guile-core-19980818.tar.gz - guile-core-19980818-1.i386.rpm works - guile-1.3.1-1 from redhat.com/pub/rawhide works ... -eperl -- embeddedPerl needed for Reports. The menu item "Reports" will not - work witout this. - version eperl-2.2.14 works well with perl 5.00404 - http://www.engelschall.com/sw/eperl/ - ftp://ftp.ultra.net/pub/eugene/RPMS/i386/eperl-2.2.14-1.i386.rpm - -Motif or Lesstif -- - Lesstif 0.81 works - Lesstif 0.82 broken - Lesstif 0.83 works ... but get fast blinking cursor ... - Lesstif 0.86.0 is reported to work - Lesstif 0.86.5 crashes. - Lesstif 0.86.9 works ... but some menus come out 2 pixels high. - Lesstif 0.87.0: broken (missing symbols for XmeDrawShadows, etc.) - Commercial Motif seems to work, but beware old libXm's - combined with new glibc's, - -XmHTML -- Provides HTML display capabilities. Used for Help Dialogues, Reports. - version 1.1.4 or later - http://www.llp.fu-berlin.de/lsoft/F/5/XMHTML.html - http://www.xs4all.nl/~ripley/XmHTML/XmHTML.html - ftp://ftp.ultra.net/pub/eugene/RPMS/i386/XmHTML-1.1.5-1.i386.rpm - ftp://ftp.ultra.net/pub/eugene/SRPMS/XmHTML-1.1.5-1.src.rpm - -libpng -- portable network graphics library -libjpeg -- JPEG image handling library -libz -- compression library -xpm -- X Pixmap extension - -perl-LWP/libwww-perl-5.36 -perl-HTML/HTML-0.6 -perl-HTML/HTML-Parser-2.20 - -- these perl modules are used to fetch stock & mutual fund quotes - off the net. You can pick up RPMS at - http://rufus.w3.org/linux/RPM/PByName.html - http://linas.org/linux/xacc (last resort) - or sources at - http://www.cpan.org/CPAN.html Normally, to build and install GnuCash, all you have to do is: @@ -268,14 +235,13 @@ Normally, to build and install GnuCash, all you have to do is: # make install To build French or German language versions, or to enable European date -handling, you will need to examine & modify the contents of the /include -directory. +handling, you will need to examine & modify the language setup in the +/include/messages.h file. You can build Motif, Gnome, and Qt versions. Currently, the Motif version is the most stable, bug-free, correct, and feature rich. The gtk/gnome -version compiles and is being actively developed, but will take a while to -reach the stibility level of the motif version. The Qt version may not -compile. +version compiles and is being actively developed, is not yet at the stability +level of the Motif version. The Qt version may not compile. Depending on your make target, you'll produce: @@ -285,6 +251,11 @@ Depending on your make target, you'll produce: gnucash.gnome.static gnucash.qt +The 'static' version statically link in the libraries that GnuCash uses. +For example, gnucash.motif.static is handy when compiling against a +commercial version of Motif, and distributing this version to the +general public. + Whichever one you produce last ends up the target of a local gnucash.bin symlink, so that you can always run the local ./gnucash script to see the last flavor that you built. The ./gnucash script @@ -335,7 +306,7 @@ to that location. This feature is mostly useful for package builders, but it shouldn't hurt anyone else. Only the location of startup.scm is hardcoded into the -binary, and even that can be overriden with --startup-file on the +binary, and even that can be overridden with --startup-file on the command line. The other defaults are now in startup.scm. path-defaults.h is now gone. The startup file setting is in gnucash.h, generated from gnucash.h.in. @@ -360,8 +331,8 @@ Unixware 7 -- Intel SCO OpenServer 5.0.4 -- Intel Solaris -- Sparc -See ftp://ftp.gnucash.org/pub/xacc (high-bandwdith) -or http://linas.org/linux/xacc (slowwww ) +See ftp://ftp.gnucash.org/pub/xacc (high-bandwidth) +or http://linas.org/linux/gnucash (slow-www ) for precompiled binaries for these platforms @@ -415,7 +386,7 @@ Linas Vepstas liked what he saw: the GUI was slick, the code was documented and well structured, and it was all GPL'ed. And so he re-wrote it: adding cell-widgets to XbaeMatrix, so that the combobox and arrows would make an even slicker GUI, rewrote the - X-Accountant internals to add double-entry, an account heirarchy, + X-Accountant internals to add double-entry, an account hierarchy, split out a transaction mini-engine, add support for stocks, and spiff up the help menus. This was version 1.0 as of January 1998. Since then, for version 1.1, the engine was expanded & refined, and the