I've had much the same experience. I wanted to like OSX Server, but they make it so hard. I discovered one day that leaving the admin interface open sometimes de-configures Samba in such a way as to kick all my Windows PCs off the domain. Gah! Plus, Win7 clients are not supported to bind to the domain even if I wanted because Apple uses an ancient version of Samba.

I was already working on moving away from OSX Server, this move just seals the deal.

Howdy,

I posted above, but I think things were lost in the noise. I've been using anyInventory ( http://anyinventory.sourceforge.net/ ) for my electronics catalog. The bonus is that it is a web interface, so you can use any web browser to view/search/edit your inventory, which is a big plus over zparts, I think.

I have it setup to track these fields:

    My 'part number' (which I put on schematics so I know what I used)
    Vendor, price, Vendor part (for re-order and quick costing of a project)
    Manufacturer, part, link to datasheet, part photo
    Value, tolerance, power rating, package, etc
    Location (more below)
    Quantity on hand/order
    geda footprint (for geda's PCB http://www.gpleda.org/index.html [gpleda.org])

My internal part numbering system is a 3x4 part number, ie, 100-0001, where the first 3 digits are a category of part (resistor, 74 series, whatever) and the 4 digit is just a number I assign to make it unique. This allows me to specify my part number on a schematic or BOM along with the refdes and value so I know exactly the part and footprint I need.

Secondly, I have a series of drawer cabinets, bins, etc as needed to store the parts, each labeled with drawer, cabinet, shelf (usually with a barcode for some future fun with a barcode reader).

Anyway, I hope that helps.

Here's the solution I use to inventory my electronic components.

First, I have a database setup using anyInventory ( http://anyinventory.sourceforge.net/ ) that catalogs the important bits, ie:

  My 'part number' (which I put on schematics so I know what I used)
  Vendor, price, Vendor part (for re-order and quick costing of a project)
  Manufacturer, part, link to datasheet, part photo
  Value, tolerance, power rating, package, etc
  Location (more below)
  Quantity on hand/order
  geda footprint (for geda's PCB http://www.gpleda.org/index.html)

My internal part numbering system is a 3x4 part number, ie, 100-0001, where the first 3 digits are a category of part (resistor, 74 series, whatever) and the 4 digit is just a number I assign to make it unique. This allows me to specify my part number on a schematic or BOM along with the refdes and value so I know exactly the part and footprint I need.

Secondly, I have a series of drawer cabinets, bins, etc as needed to store the parts, each labeled with drawer, cabinet, shelf (usually with a barcode for some future fun with a barcode reader).

Why go to all the bother? Seriously, I have hundreds and hundreds of parts. I work on circuits for a living, and trust me, not having the organized blows.

I started on another project at one point in time that would automate assigning parts to a 'product' or 'project' so you could wasily generate invoices or costing, but I have not completed it yet. I'll probably get back into that this year, though.