Let's help the project to go on!

[pietro14]

It's so sad to see gnucash-android abandoned...

The app was downloaded more than 100.000 times on the Play Store and more than 6500 users reviewed it, giving on average 4.2 stars.

Maybe @codinguser could give writing permissions to @slak44 or @JeanGarf who have contributed a lot in the last year, as it is here reported:

#882 (comment)

(the last commit was on Jun 8, 2021)

Independent improvements of @slak44 are here:
https://github.com/slak44/gnucash-android

Looking at old contributors, maybe @rivaldi8, @aint, @jorgeml are still interested to help?

I added gnucash-android to this list of projects in need of maintainers here:
pickhardt/maintainers-wanted#57 (comment)

Any other idea that could help? Lots of people use the app! Maybe we could help with donations as well.

[arozaqf]

it's license restricted missing original author. maybe gnucash desktop could help about license agreement?

[pietro14]

@arozaqf you may be right.

Maybe the developers of the GnuCash Developers organization who are maintaining Gnucash Desktop could help?
@jralls, @cstim, @gjanssens, and @fellen

[jralls]

Not sure what you're asking for. Changing the license for the current code requires permission from everyone listed in CONTRIBUTORS.md, but the license allows you to use a different license for your derivative work as long as you abide by the terms of the Apache license for the code in this repository.

[jralls]

@pietro14 You are being extremely rude. Please stop pinging everyone you think might ever have contributed something to GnuCash or GCfA.

[yarons]

Good luck with that, sorry that I can't help.

[jdavisp3]

I didn't even know there was an Android version of GnuCash 😄 That's pretty cool, but I sure don't have time to pick it up.

[jsled]

Pietro ***@***.***> writes:

And some more contributors of Gnucash Desktop who may be interested to help:

Don't do this. :P If I had the time and interest to be involved with GnuCash, I'd involved with GnuCash.

…

-- …jsled https://asynchronous.org

[pnemonic78]

I wouldn’t mind managing the project, but we need a few things from the original owner(s): 1. Keystore passwords to sign the APK. 2. Permissions to publish the app in Play Store

[JeanGarf]

Hi everybody,

I'm very pleased to see that some people appreciate GnuCash for Android (as well as GnuCash)

I contributed few months ago to get a version fitting my needs and without bugs on Samsung Galaxy Note 8.
However, it seems that my enhancements don't work on some other devices (see #882).

I'm not a strong Android developer and don't know how to run UI Test.
I also don't have lot of time anymore to contribute again and therefore can't be a project manager.
However, I'm OK to help a little to get my contributions to work on other devices, but I need help to know how to do that.

Best regards,

[arozaqf]

a new effort to port gnucash
https://github.com/nicktylah/gnucash-mobile/

[jralls]

a new effort to port gnucash

No, the readme is pretty explicit that it's not a port of GnuCash. It's a mobile data-entry tool that creates CSVs that one GnuCash can import.

[gutierri]

The author has not been active for a long time. It can be a complicated task to retrieve data from existing publications. An alternative is to launch a "GnuCash 2" on the F-Droid.

We can create an organization and fork this project. It has good open PR to apply.

[jralls]

Please be sure to name your project something that makes it clear it's not a GnuCash port so that users won't be confused. GnuCash-Android-2 or GnuCash-for-Android-2 would be fine.

[linas]

Names: How about "GnuCash Entry"? Or "GnuCash Receipts" ? Or "GnuCash Records" ?

It's already obvious (I presume) that its for Android, so you don't need that in the name. The above three names are trying to capture the idea that it generates CSV's (without using technical jargon "CSV") and that these can be auto-imported during android sync..

[JeanGarf]

gnucash-android at start was a tool for GnuCash PC data-entry purpose.

However today, it can also be used to manage a small personal accounting without GnuCash PC. Therefore, Names like "GnuCash Entry", "GnuCash Receipts" or "GnuCash Records" are a little too narrow.

About gnucash-mobile, I don't know this app.

[jralls]

If it no longer needs GnuCash then its name shouldn't include GnuCash at all. You can say that it exports to and imports from GnuCash.

[fellen]

The reason is:
We often get bug reports belonging to "Gnucash for Android", can nothing do, and are annoyed.

[gutierri]

The name issue was to clarify that it may not be possible to retrieve the gnucash-android name on publishing platforms, given that the original author has no recent activity.

I think the important point here is how we can organize and bring together interested and willing colleagues for a new development path for this application in an open and active space for that.

Gnucash-android works by itself without the PC, yes, but that doesn't mean it isn't a companion for the desktop. And I believe the idea of the app is to keep in sync with desktop resources.

[djbrown]

Just now I tried to reach out to @codinguser , but even his mailbox is dead :-/

I guess the only two options would be to either create an official fork of this project or start a new one

[kpgmr72]

Re: a name for a fork of this project - GnuCash Mini ?

[jralls]

That would be misleading.

[yarons]

How about GnuCash-Pocket?

It's a double meaning because it's where you store your phone but also some of your money.

[JeanGarf]

Smart !!! Le 20 août 2022 21:18:38 GMT+02:00, Yaron Shahrabani ***@***.***> a écrit :

How about GnuCash-Pocket? It's a double meaning because it's where you store your phone but also some of your money. -- Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub: #913 (comment) You are receiving this because you were mentioned. Message ID: ***@***.***>

-- Envoyé de mon appareil Android avec Courriel K-9 Mail. Veuillez excuser ma brièveté.

[gutierri]

GNUCash Pocket seems to be a great option. Github has a voting feature, we could use it giving positive or negative.

I believe the next step would be to create the organization and open it up to the members most interested in collaborating and putting ideas forward. Apparently we are interested in helping to manage the project. I'm willing to help with that too.

[XilinJia]

Hi, very encouraging to see the enthusiasts.

I am new to GnuCash, but I made a fork and spent a day to update the package. So far, it's updated to SDK 33, Gradle 7.5.1, Androidx, and all dependencies are updated to current.

See: https://github.com/XilinJia/gnucash-android

Due to compile errors, at the moment a couple OwnCloud functionalities are disabled. Also, a couple routines under androidTest module are turned off.

There is an issue of duplicate class regarding apache common-logging when build apk. At the moment, I manually removed the class from external library org.slf4j:jcl-over-slf4j:1.7.36

The debug app runs fine so far on my phone.

I'd like to put more effort into it.

One thing I would like is to gradually transition it to Kotlin, and Jetpack Compose. Anyone would voice some kind opinions.

I would also like to see having the mobile app work somehow synchronously with GnuCash desktop.

I would also like to contribute to GnuCash desktop, particularly on business features.

Again, I am new to both packages, and would love any suggestions, advice, and collaborations.

[XilinJia]

In my fork (https://github.com/XilinJia/gnucash-android-kotlin), most codes are now in Kotlin. The package builds under Kotlin 1.7.10

[djbrown]

To get this party started I have created an organization GnuCash-Pocket and added @pietro14 @pnemonic78 @JeanGarf @gutierri @XilinJia as members. Does anyone of you want to be owner too?

Currently I could think of four underlying issues we should discuss upfront before any code work: scope, name, stack, organisation/roles
I suggest using the org discussion for those.

I also created a Discord Server for chatting and simple communication.

This is just to take initiative and get us started. Nothing is set in stone.
What do you think? Did I miss anything?

Everyone interested in contributing in any way is highly welcome 😉

[gutierri]

We can discuss it here and take it to the new organization. As I have no experience with discord and would not want to have a separate, asynchronous channel to discuss this, as tempting as it may seem these chat outlets tend to lose information over time. I took the initiative to fork the repository there. And thanks @djbrown for the initiative. My initial proposal would be something like: Apply the changes (PR) to the new tree Generate installable builds (alphas) via github actions and releases Move current bug reports as target to next release

[gutierri]

support the idea of migrating to weblate! It's much simpler to translate there. I'm just not sure how to simply migrate it.

@djbrown created a repository, we can take advantage and put that there as a talking point.

[pbneves]

Hi,
I've, in the past, translated the app to Portuguese (PT-pt) and I'm available to help also.
I'm still using the app to record my expenses, and after that exporting via QIF to desktop version. This is my main use for the android version.

[djbrown]

I asked the GnuCash devs what would be necessary for the future project and maintainers to join the GnuCash community. They gave reasonable feedback - even beyond ❤️ - which made me rethink more generally. Most concerns were already on my list and I tried to discuss them as GitHub discussions, but they're so basic we should keep it here.

I will try to summarize the concerns, give my opinion and suggest sensible actions.
Please let's first commit on a common understanding and approach - which may take some time to settle 😉 maybe even weeks

Engage in IRC Channel

see https://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/IRC
personally at first I used KiwiIRC on web browser, now Thunderbird
also I deleted the discord server in favour of IRC 🙌

Engage in Mailing Lists

https://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Mailing_Lists
sign up and respond to questions and discussions about this project on gnucash-devel and gnucash-user
I already signed up and will engage in discussions there too, but currently discussions are mainly on GitHub.
after things have settled we should switch to the appropriate mailing lists, or at least ensure that new concerns on the mailing lists find its way to the mobile maintainers.

Clarify the Scope

According to Google Play reviews, most people use the app to enter transactions on the go and then import them to the desktop program.
Therefore the product has to be completely compatible and integratable with GnuCash.
One could also use it for simple standalone accounting, but there are better alternatives for that.
Also it is not an Android port or mobile version of GnuCash. There are noway near as many features in the app.
That might change some day, but strongly depends on what the users want.

Rename the Project

So far the name "GnuCash Pocket" has won with an absolute majority amongst all the proposed names, kudos to @yarons 🎊
I think it's great and makes the scope much more transparent: small, mobile, wallet, complementary, compatible
I will contact the devs via mailing list and ask them if they like that name too.

We could then start renaming as following (proposal by @pnemonic78 ❤):

• product name: GnuCash for Android -> GnuCash Pocket
• project name: gnucash-android -> gnucash-pocket
• technical name: org.gnucash.android -> org.gnucash.pocket

Update the Support Channel

There 3 abandonned supprort channels: GitHub Issues, UserVoice, Google+ Community

• For the legacy Google+ Community (service discontinued) I started Restore knowledge from legacy Google+ Community GnuCash-Pocket/gnucash-android#4 in order to obtain historical knowledge for maintenance.
• For UserVoice I would ask the GnuCash team, how they use it and whether they think it makes sense to keep this option available for users. I personally don't see much value in UserVoice, since users can just as well propose ideas through a custom GitHub Issue Template or mailing list. Sure those are a bit more nerdy, but the user base is too 🤓 and UserVoice needs registration too, so it's not more lightweight or easy to use..
• For legacy GitHub Issues: We should keep the old issues in this project and guide new comments or issues to the future project. Alternatively, we can try to migrate, but that would be a bit more complex and not of much value. The only way we can interact with existing Issues here is via comments or emoji reactions. We could use reactions to organize the relevant issues and then automatically replicate and commet them as moved. Irrelevant issues could be commented as closed. Automation could be achieved via the GitHub API.

Integrate with GnuCash

We should use shared code for core functionality with GnuCash.
There are many good reasons and concrete ideas, but we should tackle this one when the project is established and working.
I will create an issue for that though.

[djbrown]

Also @gutierri i promoted you as maintainer in the new org. are you willing to occupy that role with me?

I have listed the current team members and their roles here: https://github.com/GnuCash-Pocket/gnucash-android/wiki/Contributors

Core Team

@djbrown: 👷‍♂️ maintainer
@gutierri: 👷‍♂️ maintainer
@pnemonic78: 📅 project manager
@XilinJia: 👨‍💻 developer

Translation

@comradekingu: 🌎 translation coordination, weblate admin
@pedroabel: translator 🇧🇷 pt-BR
@pbneves: translator 🇵🇹 pt-PT

[seanomat]

Just wanted to let y'all know:
I am so thankful, that you picked up this project. I heavily rely on gnucash (desktop and mobile) and was really worried after this project has been stale for such a long time.

[milotype]

I can help with Croatian translations (which I've done in the past for both projects …)

If possible, it would be good if the new project GnuCash-Pocket could at least share the glossary (or identical source strings) of the project GnuCash on Hosted Weblate. This would help to have identical wording betweeen the apps.

But, it may depend upon the translation licences of the two projects. I'm no lawyer, so I don't know if my suggestion is legit.

[lxbzmy]

+1 l can translate zh-cn Milo Ivir ***@***.***> 于 2022年10月1日周六 22:43写道：

…

I can help with Croatian translations (which I've done in the past for both projects …) If possible, it would be good if the new project *GnuCash-Pocket* could at least share the glossary (or identical source strings) of the project *GnuCash* on Hosted Weblate. This would help to have identical wording betweeen the apps. But, it may depend upon the translation licences of the two projects. I'm no lawyer, so I don't know if my suggestion is legit. — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#913 (comment)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AAQ3HTJF2XU3Y7MEZBOUVSDWBBEZ7ANCNFSM5TQTJN6A> . You are receiving this because you were mentioned.Message ID: ***@***.***>

[savornicesei]

I suggest continuing the conversation in the new org and project so that it gains traction.
As a GnuCash user, thank you all for the initiative!

[Kaligula0]

In my fork (https://github.com/XilinJia/gnucash-android-kotlin), most codes are now in Kotlin. The package builds under Kotlin 1.7.10

Are you, XilinJia, interested in participating in GnuCash Pocket as it is arising now? Or maybe you want to develop it only by yourself? Because I see that djbrown claimed you as a developer, not even asking you how you see yourself in this starting project.

[Kaligula0]

BTW, I will translate pl-PL.
Sometimes could help with coding, too, but I'm lame in Java/Kotlin (bug fixes rather than developing).

[fellen]

Conditons of a free hosted weblate project: https://hosted.weblate.org/hosting/
like one of the accepted licenses.

BTW most translators should drop the country code. There are a few exceptions like pt-BR (different words) or zh-* (different writing). Else you would exclude users from other countries. As an example see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_and_territories_where_Portuguese_is_an_official_language

[yarons]

@fellen I think it supports both methods but changing it is generally a more convenient and standard approach.

[XilinJia]

In my fork (https://github.com/XilinJia/gnucash-android-kotlin), most codes are now in Kotlin. The package builds under Kotlin 1.7.10

Are you, XilinJia, interested in participating in GnuCash Pocket as it is arising now? Or maybe you want to develop it only by yourself? Because I see that djbrown calimed you as a developer, not even asking you how you see yourself in this starting project.

Hi @Kaligula0, I agreed to join the new project and would like to contribute. I am not exactly sure as to what's expected from me as a "developer", but I am willing to contribute some non-trivial effort.

The work in my fork has been done when the project is idle. There are quite substantial updates. Once the project gets going, I hope to get it merged so we can start with an updated code base.

[yarons]

I think it would be better to make sure we're all synced about that and that your changes are accepted before dealing with all that, BTW are your build instructions submitted to F-Droid/GitHub Actions/etc.?
Does that make sense @XilinJia ?

[djbrown]

@Kaligula0 I added you as "bug fixer" and "translator" to the Contributors list.
The list is not binding, it's just to get an overview of who would like to help and how ;-)
But youre right, I was a bit too hasty there ^^
e.g. I still haven't received an answer from @gutierri if he would like to be maintainer too
I don't want to force things on you guys. Also if I don't hear from you in the relevant issues, I will remove them again after some time - or if they don't want to be on that list anymore..

I claim that the future name and scope are settled now, nobody contested since my last post.

There are a couple of big issues we should tackle next (e.g. the aforementioned CI/CD, major contributions to merge, renamings, etc.).
I propose a plan in GnuCash-Pocket#8. Let's further discuss there :)
Please everybody feel free to comment there if you have other big/important things to consider at this stage.

[XilinJia]

I think it would be better to make sure we're all synced about that and that your changes are accepted before dealing with all that, BTW are your build instructions submitted to F-Droid/GitHub Actions/etc.? Does that make sense @XilinJia ?

@yarons That makes sense. So far, the code built successfully locally. I haven't gone through F-Droid/GitHub Actions. Perhaps someone more experienced in that can do it quickly?

[yarons]

@XilinJia This issue is exactly about that, you can start by posting your current way of doing it and we'll take it from there.

[XilinJia]

you can start by posting your current way of doing it and we'll take it from there.
@yarons my current way of doing what?

[yarons]

Compiling, sorry for I forgot to mention that part.

[XilinJia]

Compiling, sorry for I forgot to mention that part.

@yarons nothing special. build.gradle, gradle.properties, gradlew are included. If you clone the branch, then (after Intellij or Android Studio download required packages) it should build.

[gezn]

Compiling, sorry for I forgot to mention that part.

@yarons nothing special. build.gradle, gradle.properties, gradlew are included. If you clone the branch, then (after Intellij or Android Studio download required packages) it should build.

I just tried cloning and building the project and it fails

[djbrown]

I finally managed to set up a stable, secure and public CI for the project 🎉
see GnuCash-Pocket#18
the pull request is now open for reviews from anyone interested
when it's merged we can automatically verify all future contributions

[abdul-rehman-2050]

I wanted to know what happened to this project? I have gone through all of the comments here. and gone through lot of clones of this repository. But as far as I think it now needed the most of rework as the things have changed now.
Did any of you other then the GnuCash Kotlin made any recent changes? Is there any updated clone to this? Is this ported under some other name and is in active development now or long dead? Do you have some other open source alternative to this nowdays?

[Kaligula0]

Look at GnuCash-Pocket that djbrown linked in previous comment. We try to revive it.

[pnemonic78]

I have already opened a few PRs in GnuCash-Pocket, if anybody cares to approve... :-)