Ceci est une ancienne révision du document !
If you're at all interested in family history or genealogy, you'll need to use some computer program to keep track of the information you'll accumulate. Every time you try to change or update something, you'll find that more than one 'document' will be involved – you'll have to find and update them all! A program will facilitate updating and make sure the update is propagated wherever it’s needed. If you're running Linux as your OS, there's not a lot of choice – install Gramps! Fortunately, Gramps is mature, stable, easy to use, and very capable. Gramps is actively maintained by a dedicated and very responsive group of developers. Let’s see how it stacks up to Family Chronicle's old list of required features: • Data Integrity – Gramps doesn't change or add to the information you supply, as some other programs do. In another meaning of integrity, Gramps uses good database technology to keep your data safe. • Name and Date Recording – Gramps has more than adequate provision for entering names and dates, thanks to an international group of developers and users. Dates are entered in your choice of format and calendar. But remember, the usual date format in genealogical circles is day, month, year.
Si vous êtes quelque peu intéressés par l'histoire familiale ou la généalogie, vous aurez besoin d'utiliser un programme informatique pour suivre les informations que vous allez accumuler. À chaque fois que vous essaierez de modifier ou de mettre à jour quelque chose, vous verrez que plusieurs « documents » seront impliqués - vous aurez à les trouver tous pour tous les mettre à jour ! Un programme vous facilitera la mise à jour et s'assurera que la mise à jour est propagée partout où c'est nécessaire.
Si vous utilisez Linux comme système d'exploitation, il n'y a pas beaucoup de choix : installez Gramps ! Heureusement, Gramps est mature, stable, facile à utiliser, et tout à fait capable. Gramps est activement entretenu par un groupe dévoué et très réactif de développeurs. Voyons voir comment il se comporte face à la vieille liste des caractéristiques requises d'après le magazine « Family Chronicle » :
• Intégrité des données - Gramps ne modifie pas les informations que vous fournissez et n'y ajoute rien, contrairement à certains autres programmes. Dans un autre sens de l'intégrité, Gramps utilise une bonne technologie de base de données pour garder vos données en toute sécurité.
• Enregistrement de nom et de date - Gramps a plus de façons que nécessaire pour saisir des noms et des dates, grâce à un groupe international de développeurs et d'utilisateurs. Les dates sont saisies dans le format et selon le calendrier de votre choix. Mais n'oubliez pas le format de date habituelle dans les cercles généalogiques : jour, mois, année.
• Place Recording - Gramps has an interesting set of options for entering places. All the necessary fields such as Street, City, County, State, and Country are provided. The database may be sorted on any of them. Additionally, there is provision for entering geographical coordinates. If that is done, Gramps can display the data on a map. • Source Documentation – Ya gotta do it! Gramps provides the tools to document the source for each datum you enter. And for each source, the repository where you found it. I can't stress enough how important it is to source each fact that you enter – as you enter it. In addition, there is some provision for evaluating that source. For my taste, there are so many places to enter sourcing information as to make it confusing - my main complaint. • To-Do Lists – On several screens, Gramps provides for a key indicating whether further work is needed. There is a note type for a more detailed description of work to be done. You'll note that one of the main tabs is “Gramplets”. Open it, and you'll gain access to a bunch of user-developed research aids. TODO was installed by default. Use it – it beats a bunch of sticky notes!
• Event Recording – Gramps, as I see it, is an Event-driven program to match our event-driven lives. Enter an event, such as birth, in a person's life, and there is more than adequate provision to document and view it. • Parent Recording – A child may be linked to multiple families such as birth family and adopted family. It can handle a case where one parent is a birth parent while the other isn't. Gramps also provides for several types of parent relationship - from married to none. • Multimedia may be linked to a person, event, source - you name it. Do think about organization of your media and whether it will stand the test of time! There is something to be said for a single directory containing items, perhaps severely cropped, to be linked. • Data Sorting and Reporting – Not a problem for Gramps. If sorting isn't enough for you, Gramps allows you to filter the data while you're sorting. There is provision for text reports, graphical reports, and website generation. You can generate the usual ancestor charts. I've made 18” x 24” reports for a family reunion.
• Back-up and Data Transfer – Gramps has you covered here too. You can import and export GEDCOM and GeneWeb format files to transfer to and from other programs. This works as well as can be expected, but these file formats don't accommodate the bells and whistles found in other programs. Gramps provides for back-up both with and without multimedia. It works too! Interestingly, you can generate vCalendar and vCard files from your data, a feature I haven't explored. So, as you can see, you're not crippled in any way by using Gramps. We're fortunate to have access to such a fine program. Gramps is in the repositories and can be installed using Synaptic or, easier yet, from the Software Manager. In Linux Mint, use Menu > Software Manager (Ubuntu calls it Software Center) - type 'gramps' into the search window – click on 'Gramps' then 'Install.' Its that easy! Next month I'll show how to get started with Gramps by starting a new database, entering your own information, and how to show your sources.