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Show HN: Personal Management System (github.com/volmarg)
153 points by dwlodarczyk13 on Aug 12, 2019 | hide | past | favorite | 69 comments


You should post on r/selfhosted (https://www.reddit.com/r/selfhosted/)

Been waiting for something like this for a long time ...

Only thing I would change is use sqlite rather than mysql. That way your data is in a single file that is easily portable.


It's using Doctrine so the configuration should be easy to change in the .env file. Update the "DATABASE_URL" line to...

`DATABASE_URL="sqlite:///%kernel.project_dir%/var/app.db"`

And point it to the correct directory where your file is located.


I can't edit, but I was hoping the backticks would create a code block, so please ignore those backticks. Also, more details can be found on their documentation [0].

[0] https://symfony.com/doc/current/doctrine.html#configuring-th...


  DATABASE_URL="sqlite:///%kernel.project_dir%/var/app.db"
Use two or more spaces at the start of the line: https://news.ycombinator.com/formatdoc


That's helpful, thank you.


I mean, you get a similarly portable file with

mysqldump -u username -p database_name > data-dump.sql

and you can load that dump back in with

mysql -u username -p new_database < data-dump.sql

I love sqlite3 for the ease of setting up, and the ability to use in any device or environment immediately, but I'll go to a more featured database like postgres or mysql for larger projects, or for speed. This projects seems to benefit with using mysql to be able to secure the database with a password, as well as the ability to have a timestamp type (but the project saves timestamps with a string rather than a datatime except for user login timestamps so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯)


Hey thanks for that info - I will check that subreddit. I will stick to mysql. I agree that it would be more portable but I dont really intend to take it with me anywhere.


Looks really great. I wanted to test it but in the Installing Documentations i read this:

"Installing packages You will see ALOT of errors with npm packages - ignore them, everything works anyway."

Thats just not ok.


I know - I just can't fix this. I use gui: https://github.com/krzysiekpiasecki/Symfonator

It came with encore/npm - im not master of it. I just learned a bit when started working with it, and the errors are just there. I dont know why. It would take alot of time to deal with it for me.

For testing You can skip that part it's only for development mode when doing something with javascript - working version works fine with just composer installation.


Yeah, it's spelled a lot.


This looks great, but it is very specific to the needs of the author. Which makes sense, if I have my own itches to scratch I should send a pull request.

I won't, because my information is already organized, but these are the features that people interested in the project should know offhand: 1. Contacts are divided between those with phone numbers and those with email addresses. You cannot have a contact with both a phone number and an email address. Or multiple phone numbers / email addresses. 2. There is no export, not even CardDav. So you cannot import the phone numbers into your phone, or export from the phone to this system. Or sync between them. 3. I pretty much stopped there, as those are showstoppers for many use cases.

Note that this looks like a great project and I am not detracting from it in the slightest. But it is a system specific to the OP's use case, not a system for everybody.


I pretty much understand what You mean, and yeah it sounds fine like You just add one contact and then attach all the data to it, not spread between submodules but rather some kind of boxes where You add all You need.

I agree that it would indeed look nice and be more handy - I will write that in "Ideas" section on my project manager.

Maybe in some distant future I can redo it - at this moment i want working project with least effort. :)


Would you mind sharing an overview of your system?


NextCloud for syncing calendar and contacts, and hosted git for syncing Markdown files for notes.

I also make heavy use of the phone's voice recorder, and try to transcribe my voice notes periodically.


git is not convenient for maintaining md files as you always need to push it to get cross platform synced. I prefer syncplicity or similar tools used for auto syncing files


I use a combination of email + git (markdown + dir structure) + google calendar + google keep + whiteboard.

email is my first point of contact. Anything that enters my system is almost always via an email to myself. I prefix every new email with a date. Everything from todos (190816 - get your flu shot) to thoughts (190214 - why today was a good day) to lessons (190701 - don't take folks who love you for granted), stories i heard, bookmarks i find, information on people (190305 - Dave from NY really likes to go hiking, lets plan something), ongoing projects, ideas, IOUs, travelogues, books i want to read, etc goes in there. I have directories - bookmarks, projects, ideas, people which i drag these emails into. Any update on any of these becomes a reply on it.

My inbox is the stuff I am (or should be) working on. I try to not let it exceed 10 items.

Every few weeks, I go through my emails and look for the right place for it. Mostly stuff gets deleted. Sometimes it feels like it deserves its space. That stuff goes to git wiki. I meticulously index and cross reference my wiki pages. Some are files that go to their own directories.

Events like birthdays and anniversaries, credit card payment reminders, holiday plans, car registration renewals etc go from email to google calendar.

Information I really want handy like my car's license plat, vin number, my phones imei and sim card no, passport no, street addresses, office fax no, etc goes to google keep.

Stuff I want to mull over and stuff I just cant afford to forget goes to the whiteboard.

This system has served me well for over a year now. Its flexible, minimal vendor lockin, free. I access any of these from any device I have.

It just works.


This looks similar to Monica, a personal CRM: https://github.com/monicahq/monica


I see that it's about people management and so on so it's bit different :) but that's nice.


This looks great, and I especially like the upfront and honest "Support" section.

As someone who is trying to move my information under my own control at present (Rather than using and paying for multiple cloud systems) I understand the driving force behind the project and will be giving it a shot!


> Browsers Support. Chrome. I mean for real. Just Chrome. I know about bug with copying password in Firefox for example. But I just do everything in Chrome so I'm not really planning to check that on other browsers.

I thought we'd left the "It works in IE" mentality behind us? Apparently not, it seems.

So, considering I use almost all browsers except chrome, this project is a non starter for me.


"Works in Chrome" is definitely becoming the new "Works in IE" unfortunately. If you check the /r/firefox subreddit, there's usually a post crying about how a site only works in Chrome which is frustrating. [0]

[0]https://www.reddit.com/r/firefox/comments/c3tq22/whats_with_...


Yeah there's definitely sites that flat out don't work in Firefox for no good reason. If you're intentionally breaking your site in this day and age I probably don't want to actually visit your site. Oddly enough I've jumped back to IE a few times to get some banking sites working.


If you read the section above it he says "I cannot guarantee support. I've got a job, personal things etc, I'm just sharing my code/my application as MIT. However feel totally free to ask about something, write issues etc. As mentioned I'm using and I will use this application from now on daily so there might be some changes even good for me." This is just someone dumping out something they have been working on for themselves, which is how open source starts. So if you want to use it but are bothered by it not working in your browser of choice go submit a PR.


The point is that I'm a single person working on this and I do use chrome on my own in 95% cases. It would be just time consumption for me to test it on every single browser - for now i need working product for myself - if someone would like to fix other browser based bugs - feel free. I really dont have time for that.


The admin password has been changed and it's not possible to login in now. I feel that this is pure vandalism, especially on an open source demo project.


I've fixed it for now. Yeah sorry for that, but thanks to this I implemented small protection for new file upload changes. If people messed up with password they will try to mess with .php files upload and so on - that was nice lesson.


Many demos I've seen online expect vandalism, and will reset to their original data on an hourly basis.


This does not change a substantial wrong-doing


Welcome to humans. Amongst all the good ones there's always that 1% of idiots and body parts...


I get the idea (and wish) of having a unified system for this kind of stuff. But it's very hard to accomplish so many tasks in one application and maintaining it. It may get the job done, but feels very inferior to separate, established tools. But that's just me.

Neat project nonetheless!


I'm kind of trying to divide it somewhat into modules so it doesnt feel bad when I need to change something here and there to make some adjustements.


I would love an app like this which actually let's me plug in other services through APIs and scrapers rather than have to input the data myself.

Like if I want to keep track of payments I'd rather use my bank's API as well as any other service I use such as PayPal etc.


Wonder if Plaid is enough/covers most banks


Plaid only covers US banks. My bank though has its own excellent API (https://www.bunq.com/api/developer) and third party clients.


Good point. I wonder if Plaid deals with credit cards, probably not, I want to unify all of my accounts so I can have a single balance(cards). People usually say jUsT gEt MiNt...


Great idea.

Really needs to sync with some 3rd party contact systems and have an app to make it properly viable.

Love the concept though.


I tried to work with 3rd part systems but I've quit that idea. I was in middle of syncing todo list with google todo but then came across one problem where I could not found anything on any forum.. any documentation, nowhere.

Also payments goal were using Paypal at beginning - but this came out to be very problematic as Paypal does not support Pools in API co I used curl for data fetch and... when You call page in short time like 2-3 times Your Ip gets banned for few min....

I decided on that moment that I want to have independent system.


Have there been any commercial endeavors to make a project such as this? I have wanted something like that for a while, but I'd rather it be somewhat fully-baked and well supported. Still, congrats, it looks like great work, I'm planning on giving it a try.


People who are control freaks like me, already have their own systems, and they would not step over to someones else solution (being control freak).

Normal people just don't care and would not spend money on it.

This in my opinion screams: "there is no market for such tool". Which is also validated with no such commercial tools like that which I have seen.


For those looking to reclaim their own digital footprint, take a look at NextCloud. I've been running my own instance for a while and it's a lot of fun.


Yes nextcloud is cool i can recommend it as well. :)


Notion.so as another commenter mentioned. As far as CRMs go there is Monica which is impressively good quality.


notion.so is sort of similar


Great idea! Something I have been waiting for as well. However, is it secure? I am reluctant to use this software early. Will be watching! Keep up the great work!


It's using the Symfony framework which is considered very secure as it's one of the top open-source PHP frameworks on the web.


> My PMS

...

I think this acronym is taken.


So is STD, but we still use it to abbreviate "standard", so, there's that.


Warning : NSFW search for non native speakers who are curious about acronyms... Just had a shameful experience.


We kinda need a browser extension that will show red in top right corner if the current page has NSFW words or maybe when we use right click on the particular word it already highlights being NSFW preventing the said experience.


I don't know that standard (std) is often capitalized though.


I decided to stick to it anyway :D


Would love to know how you got started on this? Did you create wireframes? Did you design such a neat UI on your own and using what software?

BTW : Super clean and useful software. Congratulations.


Like the comment below - started with Symfonator UI.

Generally I started learning symfony for new work then I keep playing with it more and more and.... then I started to have some personal issues where I have more things to do, to manage, to remember about and so on.

I couldnt handle it on my own on that point so either I solve my problem or will suffer.

I decided to solve my problem :)


Looks like the UI is Symfonator.

"Responsive Bootstrap 4 Admin Application based on the Foundation of Symfony and Adminator!"

https://github.com/krzysiekpiasecki/Symfonator


I would spellcheck the README if I were you. Tons of mistakes


Feel free - some people already did it and I accept their changes.


Based on the style, I'm guessing the author is Dutch.


This is very much a personal reaction, but it sounds charming as written!


This wasn't meant to be derogatory. I just thought I was getting better at identifying dutchy english mannerisms


He's Polish. No idea what made you think Dutch, I couldn't see any common "Dutchglish" errors. :)


Yeah Polish :)


I only had a chance to glance at it at work, but first impression is positive ( which is usually half the battle ). I will play with it home. Neat.


Looks pretty neat, I’m a bit of a digital nomad. If there was something like this I could run off my phone I’d be quids in.


I know I am nitpicking but you have a typo in the tag line. It should be "personal". Sorry.


No problem - it's changed already. :)


nice project... been looking for something like that (actually wanting to build something like this)


I was thinking about this for looooong time - just now it happened that I feel fine to do this when I know what code style to avoid, how to manage project and so on.

We learn all the time so when I write new modules I feel like - damn I could do this also the same way in previous module.


I always felt the same too!


That's an unfortunate acronym.




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