I used gramps some years ago, but have not done so recently. My circumstances have changed and I would like to get back to it. I found files from 2007 with the extensions .ged and .grdb. When I tried to open the .grdb in the current version I got a message saying that I needed to open it in an old version 3.x.x and convert them to a different format. The .ged file opened OK but with some minor errors. (These were created in an old 32 bit computer and are all the files I have.) The .grbd file is nearly 1MB and must have a lot of data in it.
Is there anywhere I can download a 3.x version from in order to do this?
Make a couple copies of the .grdb database BEFORE trying to access it.
Opening a database file usually triggers an attempt by most database engines to validate and update the file. (That isn’t specific to Gramps… it’s just the nature of database design.)
Make an XML backup of the Tree immediately. (Backup instructions for the 3.4.x series.) Any newer version of Gramps can open superseded formats of the XML files and create a live Tree using a newer database backend.
Thanks! I am now using PCLinuxOS with KDE5 64 bit. In 2007, of course, it was 32 bit and the Desktop was LXDE. I haven’t much experience in adding programmes, except from the PCLOS repository. Any help would be appreciated.
I tried to install gramps_3.4.9-1_all.deb on my debian/linux machine and had trouble because of a conflict, apparently Gramps 3.4.9 needs python earlier than 2.7.1.
(if you still have that old machine, and it hasn’t been upgraded you might try to use it to make a Gramps backup which would be portable to your new machine)
My steps:
1 - used synaptic package manager to remove the current version of Gramps (not complete removal)
2 - use browser to follow the Release v3.4.9 url above
3 - download the .deb file from the Assets list
4 - on my desktop click on the gramps_3.4.9-1_all.deb file to install Gramps.
maybe a linux expert can suggest a solution to run Gramps 3.4.9 on a current machine.
Thanks again. PCLinux OS uses .rpms rather than .debs. I tried installing one of the .rpms and it complained of missing python dependencies - which you have now explained. I do still have the 32-bit machine. Maybe, if I’m lucky, it has the required python version on it. I also have some iso’s of that period on disk so I could try installing one of those.
That’ll give me something to do! (Not that I’m short, I cannot understand these people complaining of having nothing to do during a lockdown!)
Just a thought but… is there a Linux on a bootable USB stick that would be a good place for a 3.4.9 Gramps standard install?
It’d be less risky to install outdated software to a throwaway (like a bootable USB) and do the recovery there.
Then you could copy the hard drive’s .grdb file folder onto the database location installed to the USB stick. Once you make an XML backup, copy that to the internal harddrive and reboot to the internal drive.