Depending on your business needs, you might choose to store your QuickBooks company file on a Novell NetWare or Linux/Samba server. However, the QuickBooks program itself cannot be installed on a server that uses either of these two operating systems. If you use QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions 7.0 R8 or later, please see QuickBooks Database Server Supported on Linux

If you store your company file on a Novell or Linux/Samba server, you must have QuickBooks host your company data in alternate multi-user setup.

QuickBooks has not been tested in non-Windows or non-NetWare operating systems and the use of these systems is not supported in any QuickBooks configuration. Intuit cannot provide support for QuickBooks working with non-NetWare or non-Windows environments. For more information about supported operating system environments, see links to the Minimum system requirements for your version of QuickBooks in the "See also" section below.

Storing company files on a server that does not have QuickBooks installed, and then accessing those files across the network is referred to as alternate multi-user setup. In alternate multi-user setup, QuickBooks or the QuickBooks server is not installed on the same computer as the company file. This means that the database server must be run by a copy of QuickBooks that is installed on a user's computer. A different hosting computer can be used during each multi-user session, depending on which user first opens the company file in multi-user mode. Running in this configuration affects overall performance and increases network traffic. Intuit suggests that you avoid this configuration if at all possible.

The following graphic shows how alternate setup works when Computer 2 (a user's computer) is set up to host multi-user access to the company file.

• When the user on Computer 1 performs any QuickBooks operation, QuickBooks sends requests to the database server on Computer 2.
• The database server on Computer 2 reads data from and writes data to the company file on the file server, and then returns any requested information to the user on Computer 1.

1. If you have not already done so, install QuickBooks on the computers of all users who will be working in the company file.
2. Decide which computer should host multi-user access to the company file, and then open QuickBooks on that computer.
3. From the computer selected in step 2, open the company file in multi-user mode:
   • QuickBooks 2008or 2007:
     1. Select the QuickBooks File menu and select Open or Restore Company.
     2. In the Open Company:Type window, select Open a Company File and click the Next button.
     3. Navigate to the server folder where your company file is stored and select the company file icon.
     4. In the lower left corner of the Open a Company window, select the Open file in multi-user mode checkbox, and then click the Open button.
   • QuickBooks 2006
     1. Select the QuickBooks File menu and select Open Company.
     2. Navigate to the server folder where your company file is stored and select the company file icon.
     3. In the lower left corner of the Open a Company window, select the Open file in multi-user mode checkbox, and then click the Open button
4. When prompted to set up multiuser access to the company file, click Alternate Setup.

In alternate setup, to provide other QuickBooks users with continuous access to the company file, the computer that is hosting multi-user access to the company file must be left on and the user who enabled multi-user access must remain logged in to Windows. The QuickBooks program can be closed.

After you turn on hosting, all company files on this computer and company files that you open on other computers on the network can be opened in multi-user mode provided all QuickBooks users have valid user names and passwords.