Visualizing a complex project with ProjectLibre
Check, Repeat, Report
Entering all this data is time consuming, but it happens once for each project and is well worth the time. Besides, you can probably reuse a Resources list by saving a project with another name and then deleting everything but the resource data.
While you enter dependencies and assign resources in the Gantt chart, remember to periodically save, click the Update button in the command ribbon, and then check the PERT, WBS, and RBS charts, as well as all the cost and resource usage statistics. All this information, accessible by clicking the corresponding buttons in the command ribbon, will either confirm that your planning makes sense or highlight errors before they have concrete consequences. Of course, you must update the charts and check that everything is on track repeatedly during the entire project.
What's left? Reports, of course. Both your team and your bosses want to know their tasks and that everything is under control. Click on View in the main interface and then on Report in the command ribbon to generate printable reports as shown in Figure 10. Alternatively, you may export these reports in CSV, HTML, XLS, and other formats.
Conclusions
Currently, the ProjectLibre desktop version has two limitations that may be showstoppers. First, it offers little support for budget calculations and analyses. Second, the complete project data can only be imported and exported as Microsoft Project XML rather than a more easily reusable format. In addition, while the user manual is good, it is accessible only from a link on the website that points to a non-exportable file in Google Docs. Why?
In spite of these issues, ProjectLibre seems like a valid tool for simple projects, as well as a very good didactical tool to learn the basics of project management.
Infos
- ProjectLibre: http://www.projectlibre.com
- Project management network diagrams: https://www.wrike.com/project-management-guide/faq/what-is-a-network-diagram-in-project-management/
- PERT: http://www.netmba.com/operations/project/pert/
- PERT glossary: https://searchsoftwarequality.techtarget.com/definition/PERT-chart
- WBS: https://project.pm/work-breakdown-structure/
- Gantt charts: https://project.pm/gantt-chart-importance/
- Common Public Attribution License: https://opensource.org/licenses/CPAL-1.0
« Previous 1 2
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
-
NVIDIA Released Driver for Upcoming NVIDIA 560 GPU for Linux
Not only has NVIDIA released the driver for its upcoming CPU series, it's the first release that defaults to using open-source GPU kernel modules.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 24.07 Released
If you’re into rolling release Linux distributions, OpenMandriva ROME has a new snapshot with a new kernel.
-
Kernel 6.10 Available for General Usage
Linus Torvalds has released the 6.10 kernel and it includes significant performance increases for Intel Core hybrid systems and more.
-
TUXEDO Computers Releases InfinityBook Pro 14 Gen9 Laptop
Sporting either AMD or Intel CPUs, the TUXEDO InfinityBook Pro 14 is an extremely compact, lightweight, sturdy powerhouse.
-
Google Extends Support for Linux Kernels Used for Android
Because the LTS Linux kernel releases are so important to Android, Google has decided to extend the support period beyond that offered by the kernel development team.
-
Linux Mint 22 Stable Delayed
If you're anxious about getting your hands on the stable release of Linux Mint 22, it looks as if you're going to have to wait a bit longer.
-
Nitrux 3.5.1 Available for Install
The latest version of the immutable, systemd-free distribution includes an updated kernel and NVIDIA driver.
-
Debian 12.6 Released with Plenty of Bug Fixes and Updates
The sixth update to Debian "Bookworm" is all about security mitigations and making adjustments for some "serious problems."
-
Canonical Offers 12-Year LTS for Open Source Docker Images
Canonical is expanding its LTS offering to reach beyond the DEB packages with a new distro-less Docker image.
-
Plasma Desktop 6.1 Released with Several Enhancements
If you're a fan of Plasma Desktop, you should be excited about this new point release.