Howto install Quasar accounting on kubuntu

[Matchless]

Hi,
First of all this howto is not my own work, it was published by Brian Walker and I have just changed a few items to make it work on Breezy Kubuntu. I still need to find out how my windows PC can use the Quasar server on the kubuntu pc. If anyone has this working please let me know and I will update the howto. Please let me have any feedback to update as well.

How to install Quasar Accounting on Kubuntu
Compliments to Brian Walker

Quasar is an accounting software for Linux and may even be one of the better types currently available for linux. Its GPL and free to use, modify or even sell! It's powerful and easy to use and a full range of support packages are available from the authors. It needs a Linux server, but clients are available for both Windows and Linux.

Unfortunately, Quasar's not straightforward to install on kubuntu, as no pre-built packages are available. The packages are thus built from source.

The compiling of the packages can take a while and allow yourself a couple of hours before sitting down with this. I suggest also printing out the Installation and Setup manual in case you would like to know exactly what you are doing! It may help if you stumble somewhere and is very clear. We are using Postgresql as a database as we could not get Firebird to work on earlier versions of ubuntu and Sybase is a commercial program.

Install and build Quasar
First, go to, ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/software/....4/icu-3.4.tgz and download the file icu-3.4.tgz to your desktop.

Next, go to www.linuxcanada.com, and download the file quasar-1.4.7_GPL.tgz to your desktop or the latest version if they have updated. While you're there, also download the comprehensive and excellent product documentation provided by Linux Canada.

Ensure that your repositories are enabled and use Adept or Synaptic to install the following:
build-essential, libqt3-mt-dev ,autoconf, tcl8.4-dev, tk8.4-dev, postgresql-7.4, postgresql-dev and qt3-apps-dev
Stop all applications that are running to be on the safe side.
Right click on your desktop and create a new directory called quasar
Move or copy the downloaded files quasar-1.4.7_GPL.tgz and icu-3.4.tgz to the new directory quasar
Now go to the new folder and right click on icu-3.4.tgz and extract to here
Also right click on quasar-1.4.7_GPL.tgz and extract to here.
The next steps will take quite a while until finished while the compiling is done:
cd /home/<username>/Desktop/quasar/icu
./configure
make
sudo make install
sudo cp /usr/local/lib/icu* /usr/lib/
sudo cp /usr/local/lib/libicu* /usr/lib/
cd /home/<usename>/Desktop/quasar/quasar-1.4.7_GPL
./configure
make
sudo make install

Creating your menu icons
Open Kmenu Editor (right click on Menu button) and create entries for Quasar Server start, Quasar and Quasar Admin in the Office menu.

Quasar Server Startup: (or do with a script when PC starts)
Command: gksudo /opt/quasar/bin/quasard
Icon: /opt/quasar/setup/quasar_setup.xpm

Quasar Admin:
Command: gksudo /opt/quasar/bin/quasar_setup
Icon: /opt/quasar/setup/quasar_setp.xpm

Quasar
Command: /opt/quasar/bin/quasar
Icon: /opt/quasar/setup/quasar_client.xpm

Set up the PostgreSQL database

sudo -s -u postgres (make yourself the postgres user)
createuser -d -E -P quasar_dba (give a dba password i.e. Thebear)
createuser -E -P quasar (give a non dba password here i.e. Teddy)
exit
Edit the /var/lib/postgresql/7.4/main/pg_hba.conf file with konquerer, right click, actions, edit as root or use sudo kwrite or krusader in root mode to edit.

Add the second row, it allows all your lan pc's with ip 192.168.0.x to access quasar:

host all all 127.0.0.1 255.255.255.255 md5
host all all 192.168.0.0 255.255.255.0 md5
Also edit the /var/lib/postgresql/7.4/main/postgresql.conf and change the line with #tcpip_socket = false to tcpip_socket = true
Now restart postgresql:
sudo /etc/init.d/postgresql restart
Set up Quasar with the PostgreSQL server
Click Quasar Admin icon to setup.

Go to the Drivers Tab, and click Configure. Enter these settings.
Hostname: localhost
Port: 5,432
Library: /usr/lib/libpq.so.3.1
DBA username: quasar_dba
DBA password: whatever you entered earlier (i.e. Thebear)
Username: quasar
Username password: whatever you entered earlier (i.e. Teddy)
Character set: UNICODE

If all this works, set up a client in windows by downloading and installing the Windows exe file. The windows and Kubuntu PC’s should now be able to use the program and you can set up the printer via Samba if required.

[derrick1985]

Ok, I have it installed (btw, thank you for this tutorial, I was trying on my own to get it installed with no luck, don't know much about databases)

Anyways, when I start up quasar, it finds the company database but I can't login to it. It asks for a username/password.

help!

[Matchless]

Ok, I have it installed (btw, thank you for this tutorial, I was trying on my own to get it installed with no luck, don't know much about databases)

Anyways, when I start up quasar, it finds the company database but I can't login to it. It asks for a username/password.

help!

Derrick,
The default username as well as password are both "admin".

[derrick1985]

Derrick,
The default username as well as password are both "admin".

Thanks!

Now, If I could only figure out how to work this thing, i'd be set.

[foxy123]

I've got a following error after 'sudo make install' in quasar:

./install: line 152: /etc/init.d/inetd: No such file or directory

I've checked and I do not have this inetd script. What is it?

EDIT: You might want to add netkit-inetd to your dependencies list. I did not have it on my system.

[jmvbxx]

First of all, thanks for the great instructions!

I've been using Ubuntu for almost a year now and have never been able to get Quasar to run. Now, thanks to your post, I am closer than I've ever been.

So, I've followed all of your intructions but I can get the Quasar server to run.

Here is my error msg:

Error: Failed binding QSocketDevice
Error: Can't start server

Also, I have added netkit-inetd.

Thanks again! Any help is greatly appreciated!

[foxy123]

First of all, thanks for the great instructions!

I've been using Ubuntu for almost a year now and have never been able to get Quasar to run. Now, thanks to your post, I am closer than I've ever been.

So, I've followed all of your intructions but I can get the Quasar server to run.

Here is my error msg:

Error: Failed binding QSocketDevice
Error: Can't start server

Also, I have added netkit-inetd.

Thanks again! Any help is greatly appreciated!

it looks like a generic error to me. I mean this thing about QSocketDevice is harmless as I remember. You should have a quasar log file in your /var/log. Is this what it says? Another good place is quasar wiki page (I do not remember where it is but I guess it should be easy to find. It has a troubleshooting instructions from Brad. Try to find it, because it helped me.

I did manage to make quasar work under Ubuntu and it ran very smoothly. Though I decided not to use it so I cannot be much of help.

[jmvbxx]

Thanks for the log location. Here is the error msg in the log file:

2006-03-13 11:13:11 Warning: Session management error: Authentication Rejected, reason : None of the authentication protocols specified are supported and host-based authentification failed

I rechecked all my passwords and made sure Postgresql is running.

[dmarquard]

What if I do not have any drivers listed in the setup screen after installation of quasar? I have postres 8.1 installed and running.

[LordMerlin]

The topic says it's for Kubuntu. Let's say I installed Ubuntu as a server, without Gnome / KDE, will this still work for me?