Recommmendations for Family Tree software on Linux (Ubuntu), please....

[Alan Welsford]

Hello,

I've just loaded up a fairly modest secondhand PC with Ubuntu, and am most impressed with how easy it was to get going, and, after a bit of a learning curve, networked with Windows based machines.

I'm seriously considering migrating my main applications off Windows, particularly as I'm on XP, and know some programs would cease to work properly if I had to go to Vista, (which, seems to be an OS developed to boost hardware sales :().

On Windows I'm currently using Family Tree Maker, version 11, and would be looking at an alternate that runs under native Linux, rather than trying to run any kind of Windows emulator. It needs to offer at least the same functionality as FTW.

What do people recommend on the Linux platform, please. It doesn't have to be free, although obviously if it is, that's a bonus. :)

Gramps seems to come up often, but are there others, please ?

Alan

[MarkJ]

Hi Alan,
I use Gramps myself and find it a good program.
Although I have never tried it, I wonder if FTM would run using Wine, which is (not technically, but we will call it) a Windows "emulator"?
Wine runs at full speed for all the programs I have tried - including various games etc - so it isn't like using the usual kind of emulator, where things tend to slow down quite a lot!
Other than Gramps, I can't think of a full family tree type program for Linux. There are some command line ones for playing with gedcoms etc - e.g Lifelines I think it is called, but Gramps is the one which seems to be the choice for Linux genealogists.
If you are a little more interested in running a local server (i.e setting up a server on your Linux machine for home use, rather than exposed to the internet), then phpGedView is a nice program. I run that on my server for my own online website but I do have it installed on my desktop machine as well. It does mean installing Apache, MySQL and a couple of other bits and pieces, but that is pretty easy using the Ubuntu repositories.

It may be worth considering a virtual machine setup if you have a number of Windows programs that you use regularly. Something like VMWare Server (free) or VirtualBox (free) allow you to install Windows in the virtual machine and run that alongside your Linux system (or vice versa for those who fancy trying Linux!). You can have both the Linux system and the Windows virtual machine running at the same time - much less hassle than a "dual boot" type setup!

Interesting that you chose Ubuntu. I run the KDE variant called Kubuntu here - I don't like the look of Gnome and find that it is a little restrictive when it comes to tweaking things. I always find it interesting when those who are familiar with the Windows "look" migrate to a Gnome based distro because it is somewhat different in looks, whereas KDE is much closer to the usual Windows look - taskbar along the bottom, a "start" type button etc all in the usual places...

Mark

Update - Just looking at the software which is available from the repository and phpGedView is there - so you could download that and all the dependancies (apache etc) would be grabbed too. So that makes it a much easier option ;)

Other software in the repos for genealogy includes - Geneweb and (as I mentioned) Lifelines and Gramps. I can't remember what Geneweb is like - will grab it and see I think :)

[Alan Welsford]

Thanks Mark,

I actually loaded up a machine with Ubuntu just to find out something about it, but only within a few days it has me thinking I could probably do most things I need to without Windows.

The only reason I have Ubuntu is that was what happened to be the free version on the magazine I picked up in Smiths!

I do understand there are more Window like environments, but haven't yet tried enough to find Gnome an issue.

I've no familiarity with PC based Unix, but did used to work with Solaris on Sun Microsystems, so am still just about OK at the prompt, (though struggling to remember 'vi'/'vim'!).

I've managed to get file sharing with XP going via Samba, although I'm sure it still needs tweaking.

I've even just tried to load up a very old laptop, not powerful enough for Ubuntu/Kubuntu with Fluxbuntu. That's causing me more issues, due largely to the impenetrability of any answers I try to find on the Web.

Anyway, on your recommendation, I'll take a look at Gramps, and only consider Windows "emulation" if that doesn't give me all I need.

Many thanks,

Alan

[MarkJ]

Hi Alan,
Following your enquiry, I am considering writing up a "Genealogy on Linux" page now :)

I grabbed the Geneweb program from the Ubuntu repo, but I don't think it is quite as "user friendly" as Gramps or phpGedView so far. Now I have fired it up, I recall having used it in Windows several years ago for a test. I have loaded an old gedcom I had lying around into it but it seems a lot of fiddling in the command line may be needed (I had to look up some of the commands it needed and although I have managed to get it working something like, it took a good half hour I suppose).

On the KDE/Gnome front, you can of course install the KDE environment as well as Gnome should you so wish (although it will mean yet more disk space) - but if you are finding Gnome does the job, that is great :) I am just an old stick in the mud really - I learned the KDE way back when it first came out on an old RedHat install and, although I can use Gnome, I tend to find KDE more "familiar" I suppose ;)

I can probably give you a bit of help with the Fluxbox environment if you need it - but I haven't used it for a while. I know what you mean - a lot of the Linux websites tend to assume that the user has a good understanding of how things work before they even ask a question! You might find DSL (Damn Small Linux) is easier that Fluxbuntu - it is very lightweight, but is ready to go straight from the installation. It is Debian based (as is Ubuntu) and so much of it should be similar - although of course it does tend to use light weight versions of applications (e.g Dillo as a browser, rather than Firefox etc).

Vi/Vim ;) I learned Vi many years ago and it was something I was always very keen on using (as opposed to those Emacs users!). But now, I avoid it like the plague :) Nano is a simple command line text editor without any of the finger contortions which Vi inflicts! Unless you are using Vi for a specific reason, I would try nano out.
You edit the files as with a normal editor such as notepad or whatever, then simply press Ctrl+X, when finished and you will be asked to save the file - and, unless you wish to change the file name, you can simply press "y" to accept the default choice and away you go! Using "sudo" will allow you to edit "root" owned files too should you need to do so.

I don't use Windows at all - I haven't done so for a long time (a few years at least) although I admit to having an XP install in a virtual machine in case I have a technical enquiry which needs me to work out how to do something specific to Windows. My old laptop has Win98SE on it but the layer of dust on its bag suggests that it may be a while since I looked at that!

Gramps is a nice program which works well. The developers are also very approachable if you get stuck with some technical issue.

Keep us informed how you get on with it Alan :)

Mark

[margarita]

Gramps seems to come up often, but are there others, please ?

Alan

Alan,

This is a genealogy Software Review site

http://tinyurl.com/4hpzj6

If you put Linux in the Search box it comes up with a few alternatives.

Regards,

maggie

[Alan Welsford]

Alan,

This is a genealogy Software Review site

http://tinyurl.com/4hpzj6

If you put Linux in the Search box it comes up with a few alternatives.

Regards,

maggie


Many thanks, Maggie - much appreciated.

I'll certainly take a look.

Alan

[stevech63]

Alan,
I think I agree with you about ubuntu- Microsoft is really wringing out the ol' wallet!
PAF5 is an excellent alternative; I bought RootsMagic for $30, and I'm happy with it, but PAF5 is amazingly easy and close enough to RM as to be almost the same.

[coenmfam]

+1 for Gramps
I use it on Mageia Linux

[UncleBaldie]

Another +1 for Gramps.
I have used Gramps on Ubuntu for a while now. The 3.4.5 version is the current stable version, but I am using the latest 4.0.1 version without any trouble.
PAF and Legacy7, which are Windows programs, also run fine, if a little slower, on Ubuntu using Wine.

Hope that this helps someone...

Phil