Document management for the small office
Defying Chaos

© Lead Image © alphaspirit, 123RF.com
Even in a small office, countless letters, email messages, and PDFs arrive daily. Document management systems help you avoid drowning in the flood of documents.
It's been more than a decade since the proclamation of the paperless office, with special document management systems (DMSs) proposed as the tool to manage arbitrary documents without miles of shelving. DMSs typically operate as client-server applications that users can access by means of a database back end.
Most of these DMS applications are at home in medium to large enterprises and are hopelessly oversized for use in small home offices. Successfully using a DMS becomes even more difficult when the requirements include Linux support. Nevertheless, I searched for DMSs for Linux workstations that relieve the strain on small offices without time-consuming training and permanent maintenance. In my search, I've taken a look at Krystal DMS, LogicalDOC, Paperwork, and Referencer (see also the "Not Tested" box).
Requirements
Ideally, the DMS should reproduce the workflow of a document starting with its creation, through its entire lifecycle, to final deletion. The DMS should handle not only printed documents, but also files that exist electronically in various formats (e.g., email).
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

News
-
Cairo Dock 3.6 Now Available for More Compositors
If you're a fan of third-party desktop docks, then the latest release of Cairo Dock with Wayland support is for you.
-
System76 Unleashes Pop!_OS 24.04 Beta
System76's first beta of Pop!_OS 24.04 is an impressive feat.
-
Linux Kernel 6.17 is Available
Linus Torvalds has announced that the latest kernel has been released with plenty of core improvements and even more hardware support.
-
Kali Linux 2025.3 Released with New Hacking Tools
If you're a Kali Linux fan, you'll be glad to know that the third release of this famous pen-testing distribution is now available with updates for key components.
-
Zorin OS 18 Beta Available for Testing
The latest release from the team behind Zorin OS is ready for public testing, and it includes plenty of improvements to make it more powerful, user-friendly, and productive.
-
Fedora Linux 43 Beta Now Available for Testing
Fedora Linux 43 Beta ships with Gnome 49 and KDE Plasma 6.4 (and other goodies).
-
USB4 Maintainer Leaves Intel
Michael Jamet, one of the primary maintainers of USB4 and Thunderbolt drivers, has left Intel, leaving a gaping hole for the Linux community to deal with.
-
Budgie 10.9.3 Now Available
The latest version of this elegant and configurable Linux desktop aligns with changes in Gnome 49.
-
KDE Linux Alpha Available for Daring Users
It's official, KDE Linux has arrived, but it's not quite ready for prime time.
-
AMD Initiates Graphics Driver Updates for Linux Kernel 6.18
This new AMD update focuses on power management, display handling, and hardware support for Radeon GPUs.