* Exporting:GEDCOM:MAC:WINE

[LynOlds]

Hoping someone can please assist. I am trialling fh Version 6 and need to run it on a MAC (so have had someone install/download WINE for me) but am not totally convinced the emulator will be trouble free. Have had one or two hiccups so far, but this latest one I have been unable to resolve.

Am trying to export a GEDCOM file to sent to another family member as a 'test' file, it ensure we can swap info should I go ahead with the purchase of this programme.

I have not been able to achieve this despite the advice I was given from a very helpful person at Calico Pie, as follows:

'If you took the defaults for exporting the file will have been placed in the Public folder of the Project. You can quickly open this folder using the File>Project Window, selecting your Project and then right clicking and selecting View Public Sub Folder. You should then be able to simply drag the gedcom file to the Desktop on your Mac or anywhere else which is convenient.'

She went on to say 'in Wine there should be a Z drive which I believe is your Mac main folder.'

Unfortunately this advice has not proved helpful and they suggested I post here to try and glean further info.

I can 'see' the GEDCOM file in the Project Window but I cannot right click and drag as has been suggested . . . As I do this I get a round circle with a bar though it so am taking that to mean 'cant be done'

For anyone responding, may I request that the reply be in plain/simple language (i.e.: no technical jargon). My understanding of the inner workings of a computer system is pretty much non-existent and the assumption that I might follow any technical speak will be misguided!

Many thanks in advance. I appreciate the time.

For the record - I spent about 5 hours in total today trying to figure this out before posting here, including perusing FH Forums, Wine Forum, other web searches etc . . . sadly I began to lose the will to live. I searched high and low in the computer directory looking for where these files might 'hang out', but despite opening what I think was EVERY folder on my machine (including hidden ones) came up with zilch! The directories did not seem to make any sense and no sign of a c or z drive (that had files in it) was found. . . maybe they don't show as I would expect them to, but I tried!!!

[tatewise]

Welcome to the FHUG Lyn.

My advice is to first spend a little more time becoming familiar with FH and associated features before exporting GEDCOM files.
See how_to:key_features_for_newcomers|> Key Features for Newcomers and follow its links to other [kb]|[/kb]pages.

Running FH (and its companion program Ancestral Sources) on a Mac can be a challenge.
Using WINE may be more of a challenge than some of the alternatives.
The recent thread Getting rid of Parallels. What do you use? (15868) covers many of the options.
See also how_to:family_historian_on_imac_ipad_android_etc#apple_mac|> Family Historian on Apple Mac and in particular how_to:family_historian_v6_on_crossover_wine|> Family Historian V6 & Ancestral Sources V5 on Crossover, PlayOnLinux/Mac & Wine.

See how_to:v4:understanding_projects|> Understanding Projects which explains what are listed in the File > Project Window.
You say you can see a GEDCOM in the Project Window, but as explained above, that is NOT a GEDCOM.

I suspect you have used File > Import/Export > Export > GEDCOM File to export a GEDCOM to the Public folder.
To open that Public folder, from the File > Project Window, select your Project name, then use More Tasks... and View Public Subfolder which should list the exported GEDCOM file.

Whether that GEDCOM file will migrate successfully to your other family member depends on which product they are using, because different products support different 'dialects' of GEDCOM.
Tell us which product they are using and we can advise further.
If it is a popular product, then there will be other FH users who can confirm successful migration.

There is an Export Gedcom File Plugin that is designed to produce GEDCOM 'dialects' for many products.
However, Plugins are the one feature NOT support by the FH 30-day Trial so may have to take it on trust that it works well.

[LynOlds]

Thanks Mike. Your suggestion of exploring is a great one. The flip-side of course however, is unless one understands the lingo, one is quite simply often left behind and bewildered when terminology such as, parallels, front end, open source, plugins, etc etc are used throughout any text.

I had previously perused most of the links you have sent. Again, sadly, they don’t necessarily mean that much to someone with little to no understanding (despite how simply they may be worded for the initiated).

The reason for attempting to send a ‘trial’ GEDCOM file to my sister is to ensure that we can do what it is we want to do. Her on Windows. Me on a MAC.

She is currently using a version of Family Historian, which is the reason I am trialling this product rather than an alternative.

I suspected it might be a fraught process given that it is not made to run on MAC. I would just rather come to that conclusion during the trial rather than once a purchase has been made.

You said:
I suspect you have used File > Import/Export > Export > GEDCOM File to export a GEDCOM to the Publicfolder.

**This is correct

You said:
To open that Public folder, from the File > Project Window, select your Project name, then use More Tasks...and View Public Subfolder which should list the exported GEDCOM file.

** Have done this . . . but I can’t ‘move/drag’ the selected file anywhere.

Again, thanks for taking the time to respond. I guess the trouble with this sort of thing is that I will be forever unaware how much of it is ‘me’ and how much of it is the ‘disconnect’ between the two products.

Cheers
Lyn

[tatewise]

1) There cannot possibly be any problem migrating an FH Project GEDCOM from one copy of FH to another providing they are both compatible Versions, i.e. Version 6.

2) When using File > Import/Export > Export > GEDCOM File have you tried saving the GEDCOM file somewhere else on the Mac that you know you can access, instead of accepting the default Public folder within the Project?

3) To migrate a Project you need more than just the GEDCOM file, and need the whole Project including any attached photos and document images. For that you need to use File > Backup/Restore > Medium Backup that produces a ZIP file to send, which could be very large if there are lots of images, but could be sent on a pen drive memory stick or CD/DVD.

BTW: How familiar are you with the internals of Mac iOS? Would you describe yourself as computer literate?

[LynOlds]

1) There cannot possibly be any problem migrating an FH Project GEDCOM from one copy of FH to another providing they are both compatible Versions, i.e. Version 6.

*** Good to hear



2) When using File > Import/Export > Export > GEDCOM File have you tried saving the GEDCOM file somewhere else on the Mac that you know you can access, instead of accepting the default Public folder within the Project?

*** I have tried, but I can't seem to get it to allow alternate options for saving a file

3) To migrate a Project you need more than just the GEDCOM file, and need the whole Project including any attached photos and document images. For that you need to use File > Backup/Restore > Medium Backup that produces a ZIP file to send, which could be very large if there are lots of images, but could be sent on a pen drive memory stick or CD/DVD.

*** Yep, get that. The 'trial' was just a 'handful' of files at this stage with NO photos, and NO added bits and pieces. Purely data. As a trial. My frustration was due to the fact I couldn't select the file I had saved and put it anywhere.

BTW: How familiar are you with the internals of Mac iOS? Would you describe yourself as computer literate?

*** I can navigate around my MAC for the most part
Am I computer literate ? Depends. (though one might argue NOT given the discussion we are having)
I have half a brain, which for the most part is switched on Does that count?
I tried looking into the bowels of the computer this afternoon to try and locate where the WINE files were being housed, but came up with a blank. When I tried to 'compare' the two file structures,(i.e.: the one that shows up under the project window, and in the structure in FINDER) I could see what appeared to me to be what SHOULD be going on, but the two structures, while they were the same in some instances, appeared to have 'files' missing, and I didn't understand what was going on there.

[Jane]

If you are using Wine, I found this

https://askubuntu.com/questions/832779/ ... to-desktop

A GUI option:

There is a tool called "Browse C: Drive" included in wine. If you start this, it opens a regular file manager window in the Wine C: base directory. You can then open the desktop folder in a new window or tab (depending on your file manager and preference) and easily copy your files.

[Jane]

Also I noticed you can see a Z: drive on my Wine, and can copy files to Users/yourname/Documents from the Project folder.

I suspect you could also move your Family Historian Projects folder to the Z drive folder above so it would be easy to access, but I have not tried it yet.

[LynOlds]

Thanks for your input folks . . . but as it is now midnight in this part of the world so I am officially giving up!

The thing is I cannot find where WINE has put all the files. My relentless search this afternoon had me finding .WINE bits and bobs in different places all over the machine, but none of them housed the files from Family Historian. Despite following instructions about how to locate the .WINE files, I was continually receiving messages that the files were not found.

I don’t know how else to look/search/

I have found a c drive and a z drive but nothing is ‘in’ either.

I really appreciate your assistance, however, I suspect that I will be filling in the ‘death’ box in my own 'page' if I pursue this any longer.

It appears that what I am trying to achieve needs more knowledge than I have. It has become clear to me that it might be more appropriate for me to find a more fool-proof / stable option. Perhaps it was a little too ambitious to begin with.

I might be able to get my hands on a laptop running windows and try that before I give up on the programme completely.

Again, thanks so much for your time and responses. It is greatly appreciated.

Kind regards

[Valkrider]

Lyn

You are experiencing some of the challenges of running Windows programmes on a Mac. If you have a 'spare' Windows licence you may be better off running a virtual machine such as Virtual Box and this gives you a complete Windows environment.

If you want to stick with an emulator then Crossover or PlayOnMac are better bets than native Wine and are easier for file management.

On my Air laptop I use Crossover and can easily move files around and export Gedcoms.

[tatewise]

I agree with Colin Valkrider.
See how_to:family_historian_v6_on_crossover_wine|> Family Historian V6 & Ancestral Sources V5 on Crossover, PlayOnLinux/Mac & Wine for details.

PlayOnMac is free, but I think there are problems running FH and AS together, and installing upgrades.

Crossover has a 14-day free trial, but it does not have the above problems. It costs as little as £38 for a one version license.

[LynOlds]

Thank you Colin . . . your explanation is wonderfully helpful in its simplicity!