User Guide - Financial Software

Fedora offers software from the GNOME and KDE environments to manage your finances. GnuCash is the financial software recommended for users with the GNOME desktop environment, and Kmymoney is recommended financial software for the KDE environment. Although each financial software application is recommended for a specific desktop environment, remember both will work on any Fedora desktop environment.

GnuCash

File:Docs Drafts DesktopUserGuide Financial gnucash-icon.png GnuCash allows you to track bank accounts, stocks, income and expenses. It has a checkbook register, it is based on double entry accounting principles. GnuCash is not installed by default from the Live-CD or the DVD. If you do not have access to the Internet, you can use the Fedora DVD to install GnuCash. To install the package GnuCash, read the chapter on managing software. You can install GnuCash by either using the PackageKit application or on the command line by using Yum. After you install GnuCash using one of the methods described above, launch the program by clicking Applications > Office > Gnucash Finance Management.

Configuring GnuCash

• Launch GnuCash by clicking Applications > Office > Gnucash Finance Management.
• Push the [Close] button to close the Tip of the Day window.
• From the Welcome Window select which wizard you want to open and click the [OK] button.
• If you select Create a new set of accounts select the [Forward] button on the Setup Account Hierarchy window.

• Choose your curency and click the [Forward] button.
• Select all of the boxes next to the accounts you want to create in the Categories window, then push the [Forward] button.
• Follow the directions in the Setup new accounts window, then click [Forward].
• Push the [Apply] button to finish your account setup.

• If you choose to import a Qif file, select the box then press the [Forward] button.

• Select your QIF file to load. Click the [Forward] button. Now you have the option to load more QIF files for additional accounts. Select the[Forward] button.
• Pressing the [Forward] button guides you through Matching QIF accounts with GnuCash account, Matching QIF categories with GnuCash accounts, and currency selection.
• Click the [Apply] button to import your data, or the [Back] button to review your matchings.

Using GnuCash

• Open GnuCash by selecting Applications > Office > GnuCash on the top menu panel.
• The Accounts tab opens. The top menu bar allows you to manipulate your accounts. You can:

• Edit, delete and create new accounts.
• Set Preferences.
• Schedule transactions.
• Do transfers.
• Reconcile an account.
• Stock splits.
• Add customers, vendors, and employees for a business.
• Set reminders.
• Generate reports.
• Setup online banking.
• Edit prices of inventory.
• Access the general ledger.

• Double click on an account to bring up a check book type register for that account. The top menu bar changes to allow manipulation of transactions. This menu includes the options above, plus you can:

• Change the view of the ledger from basic ledger to auto-split ledger, transaction journal, or double entry.
• Cut, copy, paste, duplicate, delete, void, and enter transactions.
• Set billing terms for customers.
• Create bill, invoices, vouchers.

For additional help using the application, please refer to the documents on the Gnucash website.

Kmymoney

File:Docs Drafts DesktopUserGuide Financial kmymoney-icon.png Kmymoney is also not installed by default with either the Fedora Live-CD or DVD, but again easily installed using either of the same methods described for GnuCash. If you do not have an Internet connection, you can install Kmymoney with the Fedora DVD.

To install Kmymoney using the Add/Remove Software utility in the KDE desktop environment, start by clicking the large Fedora icon in the lower left corner called the Kicker.

Next, select Applications > Administration > Add/Remove Software.

In the [Search Box] with the binoculars icon, type:

kmymoney

Next, click the [Find] button. The message "Querying" appears in the lower left corner.

Tick the box next to Personal finance. The message "Getting information" appears in the lower left corner. The window area below the list of packages contains additional information about Kmymoney.

Select any additional packages to install or remove at this time by changing tick boxes next to the package name.

Finally, click the [Apply] button. This starts the Kmymoney installation process and concurrently installs or removes any additional packages where you modified the tick box. Follow any prompts to install additional packages.

Kmymoney is now installed on your computer.

Another way to install the Kmymoney application is to use the command line.

Click the Kicker and select Applications > System > Terminal Konsole

Type:

su -c 'yum install Kmymoney2'

You will be prompted for your password. Type in the root password and press 'Enter'. You will not see the password as you type. The terminal will start giving information about the application, and end with Is this ok [y/N]:.

Type:

 y

The terminal downloads the necessary files and completes the installation of Kmymoney.

After either installation method, launch Kmymoney by clicking the Kickerand selecting Applications > Office > Personal Finance Manager.