thelinuxlink.net

I've listened to the last couple of shows and when financial software comes up you don't mention the BEST linux financial software out there, Moneydance. This is a java based package that runs on anything. It is miles ahead of kmoney, gcash, or anything else I've seen. It does electronic bill pay, online interaction, you name it.

Please mention it next time you talk about financial packages.

http://www.moneydance.com

Yeah we mentioned it the last 2 episodes. The first time Dan got it confused with mymoney. He later corrected himself.

It was all those tripels. That belgian ale will kick your ass.

I must have missed the correction, sometimes the girlfriend comes in and distracts me while I'm listening to you guys. Keep up the great shows.

Isnt moneydance proprietary, I dunno I thought I saw it on the mandriva repositories. But had some issues with dependencies.

From what I can tell, you do have to pay for MoneyDance (after a trial period).

Now, it's not that I mind paying for good software (I contribute to KDE and the distros I use as much as I can), but what I don't like when you're not allowed to do what you want with the software once you've pay for it.

I don't know what the policy is of the MoneyDance writers, but if they're going to tell me that I can't use the license I buy on more than one PC or refuse me "fair use" rights... then I'm not interested.

And since there's viable alternatives that do keep my freedoms in-tact, then it's a simple decision.

I come at things from almost the opposite direction here. I'm happy to have people design things to run on linux. I don't care if I have the source code to everything I run. I want to use linux as my OS, and if there's more good software (and sorry, none of the free money management stuff really flies - I need something my wife can/would use) for me to use, then I'm happy as a clam. Well, to a certain extent. at least. I do worry about apps like those "phoning home" etc - something that I love not having to think about with linux. But sometimes the free alternatives just aren't there yet.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that to me, as long as I trust the source, I'm glad to have the option to run non-free software. I like free, but I'm not RMS by any stretch of the imagination. I also have no problem with paying for software. Back when distros still came in boxes with manuals, I generally bought the boxed sets. I remember being confused about debian's refusal to package their software that way. It irks the hell out of me to read/hear people say "PAY for F/OSS??? Are you kidding me???" I'm entering a period of my life where I'm going to have basically zero spare cash - I have a second kid on the way, and I make much less than Dann does. I'm still going to try to give $5 or $10 here and there.

Actually I am very keen int0 using m0neydance, is just that wouldn't be better t0 get used t0 Kmym0ney/gnucash. I mean I have been there bef0re but I just d0n't want t0 have a mentality 0f 'I cant learn'.

I mean if y0ur wife learn how t0 use it, and it still doesnt fly because 0f technical pr0blems I will agree.

But the 0ld criying 0f I can't use it because is n0t XYZ. Well I think that will always happen because I d0nt see FL0SS wanting t0 be always label as a cl0ne s0ftware.

The first show I spoke about Moneydance I screwed up and called it MyMoney. I think I corrected my self the show after.

Moneydance has been the only financial software to successfully import the files from my online bank. To me, that is a plus. Now if only I kept better financial records (or had records to really keep track of- Money comes in, Money goes right back out again).

Commercial, closed software can be a troubling choice. While I for one am not opposed to commercial, closed software, I would much rather have an open alternative. I have no problem paying for software. What I do find that I neglect to do is pay for some of the software I use. Too often I find that I am willing to consider shelling out a few bucks for an application like Moneydance while on the same token not sending some sort of support to applications I use on a regular basis. As we get back on track financially, that is something I would like to start doing.

I don't want to go out on a limb an demand that everyone start paying for some of the software they use on Linux, but one of the arguements I hear for some commercial companies not support linux is that the Linux community expects the software to be free. Free as in free-beer more so than free-speech.

dann wrote: I don't want to go out on a limb an demand that everyone start paying for some of the software they use on Linux, but one of the arguements I hear for some commercial companies not support linux is that the Linux community expects the software to be free. Free as in free-beer more so than free-speech.

I kn0w als0 a tonz of windows user that expect free as in bittorrent that.

My c0unter c0mentary will be that leaving m0ney issue 0n the side. Y0u can supp0rt free alternatives like GNUCash and KMym0ney by simply using it and filling 0ut good bug reports. If n0t plainly hiring a developer t0 impr0ve it (assuming y0u use it t0 manage y0ur business).

The main advantages I have seen ab0ut free alternatives is that I get an indirect financial/acc0unting/b00keeping tips by emerging myself int0 this c0mmunities. Since m0st 0f the pe0ple using it are acc0untants, financial guys 0r just pe0ple that have s0me financial dicipline. S0 I have learned ab0ut budgeting and the d0uble entry meth0d acc0unt.

I have used quicken and is really hard t0 actually get int0 this level 0f c0mmunity/advice unless y0u shell 0ut t0p bucks f0r membership and c0urses.