Jerry It may pay to set up a Fovourites link in Nemo (File Explorer on Linux MInt) to your data file. For backups creating a bash script which backs up the data file and all the config locations in the list on Help About and does a restore if you need to. I don't have one setup at the moment but will give it a try sometime in the next week or so. You can then setup a cron job to automatically run the backup script at whatever period is suitable.
I backup locally to an NAS which is on my LAN which is easier than keeping track of USB sticks. It in turn gets backed up to a cloud server. I am attaching a draft partially completedscript to backup both the GnuCash Data file and the user preference and configuration data. It assumes that the data file is located in a separate directory of its own and not just in a general directory like documents as GnuCash generates sessional backup and log files in whatever location the data file is. Putting the data file in its own directory/folder keeps these sessional backup and log files in the same directory. This makes backups easier as you just backup the contents of the whoile directory. The script just needs the path to the directory with the data file in it and it will backup all the contents which is useful if you have a data file corruption while using GnuCash. It also backs up the GNC_DATA_HOME and GNC_CONFIG_HOME locations which contain things like the data-file meta data, user preferences eand custom stored reports which will restore a bit of the look and feel. At present there is no restore and only the option to store all data is currently implemented. there are two variables at the start of the script which can be set to the paths for the folder containing the data file and the location with the data file - this is what you would point to a USB stick. It is using rsync to copy the files which is useful for backing up to remote locations on a LAN for example but that has not yet been tested. I have used to to backup the data file and config files to a USB stick on my system. The command to do that is ./GnuCashBackup.sh backup "$HOME/Dropbox/Gnucash/Personal" "/media/david/USB STICK/" entered form a terminal set to the directory in which the script resides. The first argument is the path to the folder Personal which contains my GnuCash data file and the second is to a USB stick. On Sat, 2026-02-21 at 16:06 -0600, Jerry Criswell (JC) wrote: > Thank you so much Maf. Turns out I saved the file in the Documents > folder so it would be easy to find. Don't ever get old. It's a pain > in > the ass and you can't remember anything. Also, thank you to all the > others who tried to help. > > JC > > > On 2/21/26 1:42 PM, Maf. King wrote: > > Hi Jerry, > > T > > If you do not know in which folder path you have saved your data > > file..... > > > > Go to the file menu. Put the mouse cursor over the No.1 entry in > > the "recent > > files" section towards the bottom of the menu. You _should_ see > > the full path > > of the current data file in the status bar at the bottom of the GC > > window. > > > > See attached screenshot. > > (Note. My data files still use the extension .xac ... most folks > > use the more > > "recent" .gnucash extension Yes. I'm a creature of habit and have > > been using > > GC that long. 3 chars is more than enough, and X rules too..... > > :-} IYKYK ) > > > > HTH, > > Maf. > > > > > > > > On Saturday, 21 February 2026 17:30:01 GMT Jerry Criswell (JC) > > wrote: > > > I, too, am having trouble finding files. I backed up .gnucash a > > > while > > > back and now I can't find it to save my life. It is buried > > > somewhere > > > deep in Linux Mint 22.3. I went to the wiki and tried its > > > suggestion to > > > try and find GSETTINGS. It said go to /org/gnucash. I don't have > > > an org > > > directory under either Home or file system. To me that means the > > > wiki > > > is unusable. Where are all the files I need to save on my > > > system? > > > > > > JC > > > > > > On 2/20/26 11:25 AM, Adrien Monteleone wrote: > > > > Joseph, > > > > > > > > The process is much simpler than you are making it out to be. > > > > > > > > See the Wiki here: > > > > > > > > https://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/FAQ#Q:_I_just_got_a_new_computer._What_shoul > > > > d_I_copy_over_from_my_old_one.3F > > > > > > > > > > > > At a minimum, just copy over the book file ending in ".gnucash" > > > > > > > > Though as the wiki entry above notes, you probably also want to > > > > copy > > > > over configurations and saved reports as well. That wiki link > > > > will > > > > lead you to the right steps to take. > > > > > > > > Regards, > > > > Adrien > > > > > > > > On 2/20/26 11:06 AM, Joseph Hymel via gnucash-user wrote: > > > > > Hello,I need help as the subject line states. I am not a > > > > > computer > > > > > tech guy and am really the accounting guy using Gnucash. I > > > > > installed > > > > > 5.12 on my Win 11 laptop. I then exported to CSV files from > > > > > my 5.12 > > > > > on Win 10 desktop the following: Account Register, Account > > > > > Tree, and > > > > > Account Transactions. I next exported Accounts to whatever > > > > > file type > > > > > it is. I assumed I could then open 5.12 on my Win 11 laptop > > > > > and > > > > > import same files. That did not happen as planned. > > > > > I have years of work in my 5.12 Win 10 machine that must be > > > > > able to > > > > > be salvaged for the Win 11 instance of 5.12. Please help me > > > > > recreate > > > > > it on the Win 11 laptop. I also have numerous reports that I > > > > > have > > > > > created. > _______________________________________________ > gnucash-user mailing list > [email protected] > To update your subscription preferences or to unsubscribe: > https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user > ----- > Please remember to CC this list on all your replies. > You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All. -- David Cousens
GnuCashBackup.sh
Description: application/shellscript
_______________________________________________ gnucash-user mailing list [email protected] To update your subscription preferences or to unsubscribe: https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user ----- Please remember to CC this list on all your replies. You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All.
