[Linux] Online Quotes Setup on GnuCash Finance Management

Gnucash provides accounting functions suitable for use by small businesses and individuals. It can track finances in multiple accounts, keeping running and reconciled balances. There is support for customer, vendor and employee processing. It has an X based graphical user interface, double entry, a hierarchy of accounts, expense accounts (categories), and can import Quicken QIF files and OFX files.

Not to mention Gnucash has a helpful ability to fetch latest stock prices with just a single click. But you need to install Perl module Finance::Quote to capture quotes online from various sources. By default, Perl should have been installed on Linux.

Since Yahoo has changed their URL in February 2014, the version 1.20 of F::Q is required. However, you need to install or update manually at the moment.

Steps:

1. Download https://raw.github.com/Gnucash/gnucash/trunk/src/quotes/gnc-fq-update.in
2. Rename gnc-fq-update.in to gnc-fq-update
3. Open the file, replace the first line #!@-PERL-@ -w with #!/usr/bin/perl -w

4. To make the file executable, open Terminal and enter chmod +x gnc-fq-update
5. Type sudo ./gnc-fq-update to start installation.
6. Open GnuCash > Tools > Security Editor
7. Add the stock information based on Yahoo Finance, as illustrated by images below:




8. Goto Tools > Price Editor, select your stock and click Get Quotes to fetch quotes online.