Re: [GNC] Simple Update Question

[Adrien Monteleone]

If I recall correctly, the official policy is to support:

1. The last major GnuCash release,

2. On the oldest officially supported OS release.

This doesn't mean older versions won't work, (some people are still in 
2.6.x land!) or that newer versions won't necessarily work on older OS 
versions.


Since MS finally gave up the ghost for consumers on Win7, so did the 
GnuCash team. This doesn't mean 4.x (or newer) won't run on Win7 unless 
a dev specifically says so. (which may be included in various release 
notes) But if you try this and something doesn't work, you'll likely be 
directed to update your OS or roll back to a still supported GnuCash 
version for that old OS. (always keep backups!)


Regards,
Adrien

On 8/3/21 6:55 AM, Greg Feneis wrote:

Sharon,

The risk of updating GnuCash to the most recent version on a Windows 7
computer is pretty small compared to your continued use of Windows 7.

Microsoft stopped supporting Windows 7 about a year and a half ago.

  You should avoid using Windows 7 for anything of consequence.  Perhaps
things like offline games and distributed computing roles such as the
Folding at Home project would be OK.


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Re: [GNC] Simple Update Question

[Greg Feneis]

Sharon,

The risk of updating GnuCash to the most recent version on a Windows 7
computer is pretty small compared to your continued use of Windows 7.

Microsoft stopped supporting Windows 7 about a year and a half ago.

 You should avoid using Windows 7 for anything of consequence.  Perhaps
things like offline games and distributed computing roles such as the
Folding at Home project would be OK.

Kind regards, Greg Feneis
(Pixel 3)


On Mon, Aug 2, 2021, 20:47 Peter West  wrote:

> Hi Sharon,
>
> I’m CC this to the list, as I cannot answer it.
>
> Peter
> —
> Peter West
> p...@ehealth.id.au
> But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not
> be afraid.”
>
> > On 2 Aug 2021, at 3:09 pm, sc  wrote:
> >
> > Many thanks to Peter and Alan and Geoff for your responses to my
> question.  So I am now persuaded that it would be wise to upgrade my
> GnuCash 3.8.
> >
> > I am using Windows 7 Home Premium on my Toshiba laptop computer. On the
> GnuCash website, it says Version 4.6 is for Windows 8/10.  Uh oh, I wonder
> if this means my Windows 7 is too old.
> > For Windows 7 it says Version 3.11.  Maybe I'm not all that outdated
> after all.
> >
> > Am I right in thinking Version 3.11 is the best this computer can
> handle?
> >
> > Again, thank you for responding.   Sharon
> >
> > On 7/28/2021 2:27 AM, Peter West wrote:
> >> Hi Sharon,
> >>
> >> Open source software is different from commercial software in that
> there is no contract, implied or otherwise, to support your use of one
> particular version of the software. Even with commercial software, there
> are limits to support, as you would have found if you you were running, say
> Microsoft XP, as your operating system. If commercial companies cannot
> maintain support for older versions beyond a few years, so much the less
> can open source.
> >>
> >> 3.8 will continue to do what 3.8 does. But if you attempt something new
> at some time in the future, and run into a problem, when you report it you
> are likely to be told that the problem was fixed in 4.x (or 5.x) and you
> should upgrade. The longer you leave it, the more likely you are to have
> upgrade problems. If your problem has not been seen before, and if it is
> found to exist in the latest version, it is not going to be fixed in 3.8,
> and you will have to live with it.
> >>
> >> All in all, it’s a good idea to keep up to date with updates. If you
> are receiving notices of updates, just keep an eye on the list for the
> following 3 or 4 weeks. Problems with the update process and with normal
> usage will surface in that time frame. After a month or so without reported
> problems, you can be confident of the update.
> >>
> >> Peter
> >> —
> >> Peter West
> >> p...@ehealth.id.au 
> >> “Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their
> Father.”
> >>
> >>> On 28 Jul 2021, at 1:23 am, sc  sc...@impulse.net>> wrote:
> >>>
> >>> Hello.
> >>>
> >>> I successfully transferred from Quicken to GnuCash years ago, with no
> troubles.  I'm a home user, nothing complex.
> >>>
> >>> Is there any reason I should upgrade from Version 3.8?  Are the
> changes mostly for business folks or are there changes that a home user
> would enjoy?
> >>>
> >>> Sharon
> >>>
> >>> ___
> >>> gnucash-user mailing list
> >>> gnucash-user@gnucash.org 
> >>> To update your subscription preferences or to unsubscribe:
> >>> https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user <
> https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user>
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> https://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Mailing_Lists <
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> >>
> >
>
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[GNC] Simple Update Question

[flywire]

> *I successfully transferred from Quicken to GnuCash years ago, with no 
> troubles.  I'm a home user, nothing complex.
*>>* Is there any reason I should upgrade from Version 3.8?  Are the
changes mostly for business folks or are there changes that a home
user would enjoy?*


It's continual improvement. After all, there are no hitching rails for
the horse anymore.

https://gnucash.org/news.phtml then Older Announcements [link] at the bottom.
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Re: [GNC] Simple Update Question

[Peter West]

Hi Sharon,

I’m CC this to the list, as I cannot answer it.

Peter
—
Peter West
p...@ehealth.id.au
But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be 
afraid.”

> On 2 Aug 2021, at 3:09 pm, sc  wrote:
> 
> Many thanks to Peter and Alan and Geoff for your responses to my question.  
> So I am now persuaded that it would be wise to upgrade my GnuCash 3.8.
> 
> I am using Windows 7 Home Premium on my Toshiba laptop computer. On the 
> GnuCash website, it says Version 4.6 is for Windows 8/10.  Uh oh, I wonder if 
> this means my Windows 7 is too old.
> For Windows 7 it says Version 3.11.  Maybe I'm not all that outdated after 
> all.
> 
> Am I right in thinking Version 3.11 is the best this computer can handle? 
> 
> Again, thank you for responding.   Sharon
> 
> On 7/28/2021 2:27 AM, Peter West wrote:
>> Hi Sharon,
>> 
>> Open source software is different from commercial software in that there is 
>> no contract, implied or otherwise, to support your use of one particular 
>> version of the software. Even with commercial software, there are limits to 
>> support, as you would have found if you you were running, say Microsoft XP, 
>> as your operating system. If commercial companies cannot maintain support 
>> for older versions beyond a few years, so much the less can open source.
>> 
>> 3.8 will continue to do what 3.8 does. But if you attempt something new at 
>> some time in the future, and run into a problem, when you report it you are 
>> likely to be told that the problem was fixed in 4.x (or 5.x) and you should 
>> upgrade. The longer you leave it, the more likely you are to have upgrade 
>> problems. If your problem has not been seen before, and if it is found to 
>> exist in the latest version, it is not going to be fixed in 3.8, and you 
>> will have to live with it.
>> 
>> All in all, it’s a good idea to keep up to date with updates. If you are 
>> receiving notices of updates, just keep an eye on the list for the following 
>> 3 or 4 weeks. Problems with the update process and with normal usage will 
>> surface in that time frame. After a month or so without reported problems, 
>> you can be confident of the update.
>> 
>> Peter
>> —
>> Peter West
>> p...@ehealth.id.au 
>> “Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.”
>> 
>>> On 28 Jul 2021, at 1:23 am, sc >> > wrote:
>>> 
>>> Hello.
>>> 
>>> I successfully transferred from Quicken to GnuCash years ago, with no 
>>> troubles.  I'm a home user, nothing complex.
>>> 
>>> Is there any reason I should upgrade from Version 3.8?  Are the changes 
>>> mostly for business folks or are there changes that a home user would enjoy?
>>> 
>>> Sharon
>>> 
>>> ___
>>> gnucash-user mailing list
>>> gnucash-user@gnucash.org 
>>> To update your subscription preferences or to unsubscribe:
>>> https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user 
>>> 
>>> If you are using Nabble or Gmane, please see 
>>> https://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Mailing_Lists 
>>>  for more information.
>>> -
>>> Please remember to CC this list on all your replies.
>>> You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All.
>> 
> 

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Re: [GNC] Simple Update Question

[Stan Brown]

On 2021-07-27 23:13, Geoff wrote:
> IMHO the biggest benefit you will get by upgrading is the reduced data
> entry work on transactions when choosing an account by being able to
> type in any part of an account name.
> 
> To illustrate, consider this account:
> Expenses:Personal:Shoes
> 
> At present, you need to type something like "Ex:Pe:Sh" to get a match.
> With this new feature, you only need to type "sho" or "oes".  Doesn't
> seem like much on paper, but in practice it is a huge convenience.

It _is_ a huge convenience, but it's not completely new. I have that
feature in release 2.6.19.

I believe that happened automatically after I checked (ticked) "Only
display leaf account names" in Edit » Preferences » Register Defaults.

-- 
Stan Brown
Tehachapi, CA, USA
https://BrownMath.com
https://OakRoadSystems.com
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Re: [GNC] Simple Update Question

[Glenn Fowler]

In addition, there are many bug fixes, improvements, and features added.
For example a big one is attachments. Take a look at what has changed over
time: https://www.gnucash.org/news.phtml

On Wed, Jul 28, 2021 at 1:22 AM William Prescott 
wrote:

> One reason to update regularly, is that someday one may have to update.
> And it is generally easier to update from one version to the next than it
> is to do an update that skips lots of versions. Data formats change and
> each version will support converting from the previous format but probably
> not converting from a format multiple versions previous.
>
> Why might one have to update? Maybe computer hardware changes and the old
> version will no longer run on modern hardware. Security enhancements. New
> features you may want.
>
> The downside of updating is that it may disrupt what one is used to.
> Sometimes it is an inconvenience, sometimes more of a disruption if
> something no longer works.
>
> Will
>
> On 2021 Jul 27, at 07-27 10:23:39, sc  wrote:
>
> Hello.
>
> I successfully transferred from Quicken to GnuCash years ago, with no
> troubles.  I'm a home user, nothing complex.
>
> Is there any reason I should upgrade from Version 3.8?  Are the changes
> mostly for business folks or are there changes that a home user would enjoy?
>
> Sharon
>
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Re: [GNC] Simple Update Question

[Alan A Holmes]

Hi Sharon,

Like you I'm a home user with nothing complex. I've been using GnuCash for 2.5 
years, having previously used Quicken. As Quicken stopped supporting their UK 
version in the late 1990's the version I was using was a Y2000 compliant 
version they provided to all known UK customers. Though the Y2000 continued to 
work once installed it became harder and harder to re-install and get working 
when I bought a new PC or had to rebuild my PC. One good reason to keep up to 
date with versions if possible.

Your PC's operating system will/should get regular security patches/updates. At 
some point it's possible that a security patch/update could stop an older 
version of an application working. Another good reason to keep an application 
up to date if possible.

I worked in IT for 40 years so I tend to be a bit pedantic with security 
patches/updates and new versions of applications and install them fairly 
quickly after they become available. However for a home user of GnuCash who's 
not an IT expert I would probably advise to update to the latest version 3-4 
weeks after it becomes available, as this will allow any obvious to be 
recognised and reported. Version 4.6 was released at the end of June, so now 
would be an ideal time to update.
However you didn't mention what OS and version of OS you're using, I'm guessing 
Windows because of the mention of Quicken. It may be that Version 3.8 is the 
version made available with/for your OS, and to update may not be a simple 
process. Let us know,  and someone will be able to advise appropriately.

Going back several months Adrien Monteleone posted a comprehensive workflow for 
upgrading the version of GnuCash, with all the steps necessary to enable 
recovery in case there's a problem. I've quickly searched the archive of post 
and not found it yet, but I'm sure someone might be able to put their finger on 
it quickly.


Alan A Holmes

-Original Message-
From: gnucash-user  
On Behalf Of sc
Sent: 27 July 2021 16:24
To: gnucash-user@gnucash.org
Subject: [GNC] Simple Update Question

Hello.

I successfully transferred from Quicken to GnuCash years ago, with no troubles. 
 I'm a home user, nothing complex.

Is there any reason I should upgrade from Version 3.8?  Are the changes mostly 
for business folks or are there changes that a home user would enjoy?

Sharon

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Re: [GNC] Simple Update Question

[Peter West]

Hi Sharon,

Open source software is different from commercial software in that there is no 
contract, implied or otherwise, to support your use of one particular version 
of the software. Even with commercial software, there are limits to support, as 
you would have found if you you were running, say Microsoft XP, as your 
operating system. If commercial companies cannot maintain support for older 
versions beyond a few years, so much the less can open source.

3.8 will continue to do what 3.8 does. But if you attempt something new at some 
time in the future, and run into a problem, when you report it you are likely 
to be told that the problem was fixed in 4.x (or 5.x) and you should upgrade. 
The longer you leave it, the more likely you are to have upgrade problems. If 
your problem has not been seen before, and if it is found to exist in the 
latest version, it is not going to be fixed in 3.8, and you will have to live 
with it.

All in all, it’s a good idea to keep up to date with updates. If you are 
receiving notices of updates, just keep an eye on the list for the following 3 
or 4 weeks. Problems with the update process and with normal usage will surface 
in that time frame. After a month or so without reported problems, you can be 
confident of the update.

Peter
—
Peter West
p...@ehealth.id.au
“Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.”

> On 28 Jul 2021, at 1:23 am, sc  wrote:
> 
> Hello.
> 
> I successfully transferred from Quicken to GnuCash years ago, with no 
> troubles.  I'm a home user, nothing complex.
> 
> Is there any reason I should upgrade from Version 3.8?  Are the changes 
> mostly for business folks or are there changes that a home user would enjoy?
> 
> Sharon
> 
> ___
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Re: [GNC] Simple Update Question

[William Prescott]

One reason to update regularly, is that someday one may have to update. And it 
is generally easier to update from one version to the next than it is to do an 
update that skips lots of versions. Data formats change and each version will 
support converting from the previous format but probably not converting from a 
format multiple versions previous.

Why might one have to update? Maybe computer hardware changes and the old 
version will no longer run on modern hardware. Security enhancements. New 
features you may want.

The downside of updating is that it may disrupt what one is used to. Sometimes 
it is an inconvenience, sometimes more of a disruption if something no longer 
works.

Will

On 2021 Jul 27, at 07-27 10:23:39, sc  wrote:

Hello.

I successfully transferred from Quicken to GnuCash years ago, with no troubles. 
 I'm a home user, nothing complex.

Is there any reason I should upgrade from Version 3.8?  Are the changes mostly 
for business folks or are there changes that a home user would enjoy?

Sharon

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Re: [GNC] Simple Update Question

[Geoff]

Hi Sharon

IMHO the biggest benefit you will get by upgrading is the reduced data 
entry work on transactions when choosing an account by being able to 
type in any part of an account name.


To illustrate, consider this account:
Expenses:Personal:Shoes

At present, you need to type something like "Ex:Pe:Sh" to get a match. 
With this new feature, you only need to type "sho" or "oes".  Doesn't 
seem like much on paper, but in practice it is a huge convenience.


This terrific feature was introduce in release 4.0:

"New type-ahead search added to sequential search when selecting an 
account in the register: Instead of typing the first few characters of a 
top level account, the separator, the first few characters of the next 
level account and so on you may instead type a few characters of any 
part of a full account name and the drop-list will be filtered to 
contain only matching accounts. Once you have a small enough list you 
can use the arrow keys to select the account that you want."


https://www.gnucash.org/news.phtml


Also I find that the Multicolumn versions of the Balance Sheet & Income 
Statement are quite useful, but I can't remember when they were 
released.  I am currently using release 4.4, and they are under the 
Reports / Experimental menu.



Regards

Geoff
=

On 28/07/2021 1:23 am, sc wrote:

Hello.

I successfully transferred from Quicken to GnuCash years ago, with no 
troubles.  I'm a home user, nothing complex.


Is there any reason I should upgrade from Version 3.8?  Are the changes 
mostly for business folks or are there changes that a home user would 
enjoy?


Sharon

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[GNC] Simple Update Question

[sc]

Hello.

I successfully transferred from Quicken to GnuCash years ago, with no 
troubles.  I'm a home user, nothing complex.


Is there any reason I should upgrade from Version 3.8?  Are the changes 
mostly for business folks or are there changes that a home user would enjoy?


Sharon

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