[NTLUG:Discuss] Re: Buisness software -- GNUCash, SQL-Ledger, Quasar Accounting, Compiere

[Bryan J. Smith]

On Thu, 2004-08-05 at 23:44, Wayne Patterson wrote:
> Hello,
> I've been looking for some software to run a "small"  home business. I 
> am trying to do foundry work and need something to handle the usual stuff.
> Like  inventory, accounting, work orders, and shop maintenance, bla bla 
> bla. Does any body know of any thing like this that I wont have to 
> sacrifice my first born for?
> I mean it just me, so payroll will not be a  problem. ;)

That's good, because that's the gotcha with Freedomware.

It's one thing to produce the software for GAAP-style.
But it's a whole other thing to integrate the tax tables, withholdings
and all the little federal+state+local codes into an application.

That's where Freedomware won't muster to non-Freedomware (e.g.,
Standardware, Commerceware or Hostageware) _until_ there is some sort of
unified Standardware file format that _all_ entities (governments,
banks, etc...) will use.

In other words, Freedomware doesn't come with CPA-level research like
non-Freedomware does.  ;-ppp

> And of course it has to be for Linux,

Of course.

The bonus is that _all_ the major implementations are designed for
_multiuser_ client/server operation.

Seen far to many companies toast their Quicken DBs because they were
sharing out over a share, and God knows 95%+ of the piss-poor designed
"vertical apps" out there use MS Access and use peer-to-peer locking
(aka Jet).

<rant>
I remember one company I was at that paid $10K for a Windows
peer-to-peer solution, whereas I argued we should go with a low-end,
$25K ERP solution for Linux from a vendor.  I lost on cost.

Well, after we paid the $15K for the dedicated NT server hardware so we
could run it "safely" on a MS SQL Server (in addition to the $10K for
the software), another $15K in add-on modules (that the ERP solution
included) and the over $10K in support calls for corrupted Access tables
(even when put into MS SQL!), I don't think I had to say "I told you
so."
</rant>

> I could care less if they support anything else. Everything I found
> has been from 2 to 100 thousand dollars or more. I am all most to the
> point of just trying to use GNU cash but I quiver at the thought.

GNUCash used to be just a Quicken equivalent (without the tax/investment
support).  Now it's a Quickbooks equivalent too (without the, again,
tax/code/payroll support) too.  It's not any more GAAP compliant than
Quickbooks -- i.e., _not_ GAAP compliant -- but it's not bad.  The best
thing is that you can use PostgreSQL as your backend -- sweet!
  http://www.gnucash.org  

I previously used SQL Ledger to run my Florida Sub-S from May 2001 to
September 2002.  It is a PerlDB coded backend with PostgreSQL as the
store, and Apache (or its own httpd) as the web front-end.  It works
great and the ability for my accountant to come in on a non-standard SSL
port and see my data "real-time" (instead of trying to send him a
Quickbooks file and working out the "which version do you have?" BS ;-)
worked great!  You can keep track of inventory, build "assemblies" from
"parts," etc...  Not GAAP either, but not bad.  It's the most
"international" I've seen and works well for most.
  http://www.sql-ledger.org/  

More on the non-Freedomware end you have Linux Canada's Quasar
Accounting.  They have a "free beer" 1-user install with many options. 
It is the "most snappy" I've seen -- backend is written C++ using either
Firebird SQL (free) or a Sybase SQL (commercial option for those that
want SQL support) as the store, and the front-end is native C++/Qt,
either Linux or Windows.  Their highlight is the $200 "point-of-sale"
(POS) integration, which is a Linux-based register (no Windows option
for the POS).  The interface of the GL/AP/AR/etc... is simple but sweet.
And the pricing is very reasonable (if you don't mind Commerceware).
  http://www.quasaraccounting.com/  

At the "higher-end" of the ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems is Compiere.  Although
Compiere is Freedomware, it relies on Oracle SQL.  Now you can get a
free "5 or so 'developer' license" for Oracle, but that's not legal for
production deployment.  Compiere's efforts to offer PostgreSQL seem to
have stalled because of 2 feature Oracle SQL does radically different. 
But the front-end is Java-based, so it runs on just about any client.
  http://www.compiere.org/  

I'm sure there are others.  These are just the four (4) I am presenting
at the August meeting of LEAP-CF ( http://www.leap-cf.org ) in Orlando
on Thursday, August 19th.

IN A NUTSHELL ...

As much as I'm about Freedomware, the Quasar Accounting system is just
"let's get started now."  The base package is _cake_ to install and
"just get using."  It's "free beer" on the premise that you'll like it
and come back for more.  It can't hurt to try it (read the first
paragraph here), and it's _definitely_ the type of "company/support" you
are looking for "affordable" retail POS terminals using Linux:  
  http://www.quasaraccounting.com/prices.html  

Otherwise, SQL-Ledger isn't too bad to setup.  I mention it because I've
used it before.  All you need is basic HS-level bookkeeping 101 and
you're set.  My accountant was impressed enough.

I'm ignorant on the GNUCash "business accounting" features, but many
people swear by it.  I'm going to get familar with this week with it for
the presentation.  I'm considering Sub-S'ing again, so I need to decide
what I'm going to use as well.

> Are there any people on the list running any type of business software 
> of this nature or close to it?

Again, I ran SQL-Ledger from May 2001 to September 2002.  I wanted a
double-entry system in a traditional GL/AP/AR/etc... setup, and even
back then the inventorying, assemblies and invoicing were great (despite
using HTML, it comes out good!).  Now they've added a whole slew of
features since those older releases, so if you have the patience to get
the PostgreSQL backend and other setup going, it's "good enough" for
most.

But I'm still evaluating the GNUCash+PostgreSQL option too.  I want to
see if it's more "native."  The web interface requirement is not bad
with SQL-Ledger, but it can be a bit slow for entering a lot of data
(again, not bad, but not ideal).

> Any help would be greatly appreciated!
> Thanks, wayne

I'm probably going to be in the same boat as you soon enough.  I've got
enough 1099s this year that it would be just be easier to incorporate.

-- Bryan

P.S.  Don't knock running old DOS accounting applications either.  Using
XDOSEmu with DR-DOS 7.03 or 8.0 is a _great_ way to run these old apps
over a network, without the corruption mess of oplocks to SMB shares (or
other issues even if you run Samba and can disable oplocks on a
per-share basis) for multiple users.  I know, I've replaced aging
"Multiuser DOS/Terminal" setups with a _single_ Linux/XDOSEmu server,
and maintained DOS file integrity/locking because the application was
running _all_ XDOSEmu sessions on the _same_ box to the _same_ files.
Much, much _more_native_ than using Windows-SMB shares.


-- 
Engineers scoff at me because I have IT certifications
 IT Pros scoff at me because I am a degreed engineer
    I see and understand both of their viewpoints
  Unfortunately Engineers and IT Pros only see in me
       what they dislike about the other trade
------------------------------------------------------
Bryan J. Smith                      b.j.smith at ieee.org