sql-ledger-users

Re: [SL] Can't Access "System/Chart of Accounts" Menu

[Corporate U. <und...@gm...>]

On 11/8/06, Jeff Vian <jv...@ch...> wrote:
> The manual provides a lot of detailed information on the inner workings
> of the system with a lot of how-tos built in..  Buy it, it is cheap in
> the long run.

 Been lurking here a while and an SL user for a bit.  I don't agree, cheap
is not what I would call it. I bought the manual and wasn't very happy with
it. It's not horrible, but certainly not worth 190 bucks. Definitely not new
user friendly - far too terse in most places and goes into details about
things I don't need to know about. It's the sorta thing one would expect
from free software that came with a free manual. Not something you would
expect to be the core of the business model. I found a GNUCash manual to
help me learn some accounting stuff from
http://www.object-refinery.com/gnucash/index.html. I found this to be better
written and more useful for a beginner.

My $0.02.

UC.

Re: [SL] Can't Access "System/Chart of Accounts" Menu

[Mark B. <ma...@ga...>]

On Thu, Nov 09, 2006 at 07:05:14AM -0700, Bill Thoen wrote:
> On Thu, Nov 09, 2006 at 07:50:51AM +0100, Paul Tammes wrote:
> > You could start out by reading the faq, as well as the readme
> > info in the tarball.  Although not exactly a step to step
> > howto, it should enable one to install and log into
> > SQL-Ledger.  The fact one starts at /login.pl instead of
> > /admin.pl suggests to me that neither info was fully read..
> 
> Well, I *have* read the README, several times, and I've looked
> at the FAQ.  I've also scanned the archives and seen that
> "getting started" with SL is a common problem. Since I didn't
> find the answer to my question in those references, I thought
> I'd try the mailing list. 

Ok, I guess you need to read _and understand_ the README.  

It's not a trivial setup.

Postgres permissions are probably the most common error
(different distros have different philosophies).  Although that
doesn't sound like your issue.

Also, distros deal with Perl packages differently.  Fortunately
most have the modules you need packaged so you should not have to
mess with CPAN.

You have to setup Apache to run CGI properly.  

Finally, the file permissions have to be correct in the proper
directories.  For example, the menu file is generated from a
file--are you sure the file permissions in your sql-ledger dir
are correct?

There's only so much you can do to make all these steps simple.

> And I still don't know why I can't access items in the chart of
> accounts after running login.pl short of directly going into
> psql and fooling around with the chart table.

Manually editing SQL entries is always the wrong answer when
working with a good app.  ;)

Is there any info in your apache logs that is relevant?

> The README, if you recall, says to start at admin.pl to set up
> a user. It sure looks to me that this is also where you enable
> or disable menus for the user you are currently modifying. Once
> you set up the user, then you run the program by starting
> login.pl. I've made the user an Administrator and all the menus
> are checked, but when I login as that user I can't view or edit
> any chart of accounts items and I don't know why. Am I doing
> the right steps or is there something else I need to fully
> read?

Something is messed up in your install.  By default, a user see's
all menu items.

I would suggest at a minimum dropping the Postgres DB and
creating a new db with admin.pl.

All the info you need really is in the README.

> Regarding buying the manual, I recognize that you're not just
> paying $190 for a PDF file; you're also supporting all the
> development that goes into the software. But I don't consider
> supporting Open Source a charity, either. The whole system --
> software and documentation -- has got to allow me to get things
> done. It's a little disturbing to hear here such emphatic
> confirmation of my suspicions about the usefulness of the
> manual. I'm moving from several years of using QuickBooks and
> my business is relatively simple, so I don't need training in
> book keeping or software that does much more than basic
> business accounting. But I do need enough help from a manual to
> actually understand how to use software beyond operating the
> controls in a data entry form.

The manual does it's job--that is, explain what the app does: for
example departments, projects, timecards, inventory control, part
transfers, logic customizations, latex templates, etc, etc.  It's
useful to have when you want to start using a new feature in the
app.

But it is not an accounting manual.

m

Re: [SL] Can't Access "System/Chart of Accounts" Menu

[Rich S. <rsh...@ap...>]

On Thu, 9 Nov 2006, Mark Bucciarelli wrote:

> But it is not an accounting manual.

   Nor does it cover the myriad business and business environments in which
SL is applied. It cannot cover all cases.

Rich

-- 
Richard B. Shepard, Ph.D.               |    The Environmental Permitting
Applied Ecosystem Services, Inc.(TM)    |            Accelerator
<http://www.appl-ecosys.com>     Voice: 503-667-4517      Fax: 503-667-8863

Re: [SL] Can't Access "System/Chart of Accounts" Menu

[Dieter S. <dsi...@sq...>]

If you need an accounting primer pick up a book and learn how to do
accounting. The reference manual does not teach accounting, period.

-- 
Dieter Simader       http://www.sql-ledger.com   Tel: (780) 472-8161
DWS Systems Inc.        Accounting Software      Fax: (780) 478-5281
============== On a clear disk you can seek forever ================


On Thu, 9 Nov 2006, Corporate Underground wrote:

> On 11/8/06, Jeff Vian <jv...@ch...> wrote:
> > The manual provides a lot of detailed information on the inner workings
> > of the system with a lot of how-tos built in..  Buy it, it is cheap in
> > the long run.
>
>  Been lurking here a while and an SL user for a bit.  I don't agree, cheap
> is not what I would call it. I bought the manual and wasn't very happy with
> it. It's not horrible, but certainly not worth 190 bucks. Definitely not new
> user friendly - far too terse in most places and goes into details about
> things I don't need to know about. It's the sorta thing one would expect
> from free software that came with a free manual. Not something you would
> expect to be the core of the business model. I found a GNUCash manual to
> help me learn some accounting stuff from
> http://www.object-refinery.com/gnucash/index.html. I found this to be better
> written and more useful for a beginner.
>
> My $0.02.
>
> UC.
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>

Re: [SL] Can't Access "System/Chart of Accounts" Menu

[Chuck A. S. A. <ch...@sm...>]

Hi Just adding my 50 cents

My Organisation Linux/SuSE shop)has been using SL for @ 18 Months and
also our spin off Company that is in the private sector (Window Shop) in
anger and I also run on both SL systems a test SL and live SL that I use
to update and test thus run pg_dump -v mycompany > /tmp/livemycompany
then pg_dump testmycompany -e < /tmp/livemycomany.

So when I am testing the test SL I get the Office Admin to run a few
things as a dry run and thus the live site is replicated and also
backup'd

I update both SL test and live, monthly without a hitch we paid are dues
to Dieter 
and on a few occasions on setting up of our accountancy system seeked
Dieter support which we paid for and got. Also used the SL manual to
setup our templates etc etc and found them informative and very useful
to say the least.

I DO NOT NO A THING ABOUT ACCOUNTANCY But I do know Linux, Apache and
Postgresql which is all I need to know to run my tasks.

If there is a issue like everyone else is to solve it by using the tools
available, SL Paid Support, Manual, Goooogle, and mailing lists/forums.
If not find a better accountancy software which is updated regularly if
you want too.

To the rest of SL users keep up the good work as the mailing list sorted
a few teething issues before running like dream (touch wood).

Cheers

On Thu, 2006-11-09 at 07:24 -0700, Dieter Simader wrote:
> If you need an accounting primer pick up a book and learn how to do
> accounting. The reference manual does not teach accounting, period.
> 
-- 
Unix/ Linux Systems Administrator
Chuck Amadi
The Surgical Material Testing Laboratory (SMTL), 
Princess of Wales Hospital 
Coity Road 
Bridgend, 
United Kingdom, CF31 1RQ.
Email chuck.smtl.co.uk
Tel: +44 1656 752820 
Fax: +44 1656 752830