Menu
▾
▴
#561 Using Task Coach if not being updated?
Hello, I have been looking for a straightforward open source task and project manager, A couple weeks ago I came across Task Coach and began using it, and I like it. However, I am concerned about relying for such a core need as this on software that is no longer in development (since 2019). I would like to know what the advisability and risks of this are. And if there are recommended alternatives that are similar, if you don't recommend using Task Coach.
Thanks very much,
Juliana Barnet
I wish I had an easy answer. I still use Task Coach, I do hesitate to recommend it, I don't have a satisfying replacement, and I don't want to recommend proprietary software.
I've moved toward keeping more of my notes in plain text files, but for tasks and reminders, I still use Task Coach.
There are lots of other task-organizing tools. I'm just not aware of any that do quite what Task Coach does. Someone showed up recently and did more than zero toward trying to spark progress on maintaining Task Coach, but it's a big challenge to see it through.
Okay, I did a quick review of options, still unsure but:
https://tasks.org/ is actually closer to Task Coach than most. It is Android-only though, and I'd want a regular desktop program. Still, looks active, has things like start-date vs due-date and supports time, not just date. I see a lot of things still missing (e.g. dependencies (prerequisites), but maybe they will get added. It has a ton of open issues… I might actually recommend this to people as worth considering at least.
https://www.condution.com/ is at least actively developed and cross-platform, looks like a clunky Electron app, it seems relatively early stage, clunky but workable, can't fully recommend at this time without a lot of qualifications, nothing like Task Coach really.
There's lots of crazy no-code web-based AI etc. fancy schmancy stuff like https://www.appflowy.io/ which might be something
Or very heavy team-focused web stuff like https://taiga.io/ or the project management tools for tickets and such in various software-development platforms…
Overall, everything now seems either heavy and web-focused or "minimalist" and lacking in much power. Tasks.org is a clear exception because it has powerful tooling without feeling heavy and clunky, and it is by far the closest I've seen to "this could replace Task Coach if it were ported to desktop and had various features added over time that it is currently missing"
I would be happy to hear about other options. There might be good choices that are proprietary, but I resist using and recommending proprietary software. (Still curious to know about it but not going to spend lots of time investigating today).
You could use Task Coach anyway, but that definitely has risks and downsides. It does function though, at least for me. My wish would be for Task Coach to be reimplemented or for Tasks.org to add features and desktop version. I am doubtful that Task Coach as is could readily get back on track with development.
Last edit: Aaron Wolf 2023-11-29
update: I made a more thorough review of tasks.org vs Task Coach and posted it as a discussion here:
https://github.com/tasks/tasks/discussions/2660
In short, if you are willing to use Android, this is close enough to recommend. If you want desktop, I have yet to find a comparable replacement.
Hi Aaron,
Thanks very much for your prompt and thorough reply. It seems like there is
no really satisfactory alternative, at least until Task.org develops a
desktop version. I have tried a couple fancy-schmancy ones, which, aside
from being proprietary, I find overly loaded with bells and whistles, and
also with privacy/security issues.
Do you know why they stopped developing and supporting Task Coach? I tried
to join the mailing list but it apparently no longer exists.
The fact that you still use Task Coach is reassuring. Do you have any
security concerns with it because it's not being updated? And have you
noticed bugs that are not being fixed?
Thanks!
Juliana
On Wed, Nov 29, 2023 at 6:54 PM Aaron Wolf wolftune@users.sourceforge.net
wrote:
Related
Support Requests: #561
I have no security concerns about Task Coach. I don't put the most highly sensitive stuff in it (it has no pass-codes or financial information), and I only use it locally (it's not on a server for anyone else to access), and it's an obscure enough program that it would not be a target anyone would focus on maliciously.
Security is the biggest concern with programs that interact with networks.
All that said, I'm not going to guarantee anything about security for any software ever.
As to Task Coach development, in 2012, Frank and Jerome were just working on it together (I think Frank was the first initial developer). I joined to help with things outside of the code. Frank stopped helping much a couple years later and then drifted to being basically not doing anything. Jerome kept up development and is still around, replies to things ever here and there.
Because technology moves on, Task Coach has these issues: It is written in Python2 using wxWidgets. Most systems today only even include Python3, and newer programs tend to use other graphical interface libraries. So, Task Coach to continue development would need all the code changed to Python3 standards and then to see about updating the libraries and whatever associated code changes are needed. That would get it up to modern system norms, and from there, bug fixes and features and such could continue.
The work to update to Python3 is something Jerome has wanted to do all this time but he has never prioritized it. People have various other life issues, and Task Coach was always just volunteer time with some modest income that helped cover website and such.
If my other project, Snowdrift.coop, ever gets more finished itself, it could help with sustainable funding for FLO projects like Task Coach. But in the case of Task Coach, we'd need to be confident about someone dedicated to doing the work if paid enough anyway.
My main concerns about Task Coach are that it remains stagnant in terms of features and design (despite lots of room for improvement and requests from users over the years), and that it might really break some day if there's no way to keep an old Python2 program functioning on newer computer systems. Within the last year or so, Jerome and some others have at least succeeded in things like making an AppImage for GNU/Linux to make Task Coach functional on newer systems. Maybe that will be easy enough to maintain. I don't know about Windows or MacOS issues.
Personally, if Task Coach continues to function for me, then I will keep using it unless a true replacement shows up. I have been moving more of my project planning into just plain text files though, and I haven't been using Task Coach optimally. I do use it though. I have 882 tasks in my task file right now, and I look at Task Coach many times all day long and act on things in it even though it's not everything I wish it could be.
Last edit: Aaron Wolf 2023-11-30
Hi Aaron, thanks again for your reply. I looked at your post on GitHub and,
sure, seems like Task.org is pretty close, but no cigar, as long as there's
no desktop version--for Windows, in my case.
I've downloaded the 1/22 portable version of Task Coach
https://portableapps.com/apps/office/task_coach_portable. However, as a
writer and community organizer with a million different projects, I need to
work with tasks and projects mostly on desktop, using my phone just for
backup and for out and about.
Because there no longer seems to be a community for Task Coach or a support
email, I hope you'll be willing--occasionally!--to field support queries
from me. I'm fairly good at figuring things out, so only from time to
time,
On the subject of open source self-hosted task and project management
tools,what's your opinion of Nextcloud
https://apps.nextcloud.com/apps/tasks?
Thanks!!
warm wishes,
JB
On Thu, Nov 30, 2023 at 12:40 AM Aaron Wolf wolftune@users.sourceforge.net
wrote:
Related
Support Requests: #561
I suspect that source is okay, but I'm not personally familiar with that download site. Task Coach officially links to a couple other download sources: https://www.taskcoach.org/download_for_windows.html
If you have used and trust that portableapps website otherwise, fine. If you don't know what it is, then I'd suggest sticking with the Task Coach download links.
This SourceForge system is the main way to submit support requests, and I do get the notices and respond still.
NextCloud is something people I trust and know within the FLO ecosystem use. I have only limited experience myself, but if I had no time to review and plan otherwise, I would personally go with NextCloud if/when I get around to setting up for myself that sort of tool. I'm sure I would have some complaints about features missing, but it definitely works and is secure, it's the main trusted tool of its type.
Thanks! Much appreciated.
Have a great day.
On Fri, Dec 1, 2023 at 2:53 PM Aaron Wolf wolftune@users.sourceforge.net
wrote:
Related
Support Requests: #561