Some guidance please

Hallidaymj · Aug 18, 2008

Im running the Linpus version of the Acer One, and use Open Office on other machines (in Vista / XP). I am a Linux newbie. The OO 2.3 installed does not have the database loaded.

So I went to the OO site and downloaded the snappily named OOo_2.4.1_LinuxIntel_install_wJRE_en-US.tar.gz file. Once expanded it seems to have an installation shell script that appears to do nothing.

I spoke to Acer help who gave me instructions for downloading and installing the DEB variety. The first step of which was to uninstall the existing OO. Though reading forum posts indicates Deb is not for the AA1.

I bumped into a couple of Linux boffins in the canteen who tried installing the OO 'base' files. There is a conflict problem between modules 1 and 2 (I had lost the plot by this time, though they were as happy as kids playing on the AA1).

I am well aware OO is already installed, but I want the database as well. Can anyone carefully explain to me exactly the steps I should be taking?

Running commands in terminal doesnt worry me as Im old enough to have used pcs pre Windows.
Thanks,
Mike

pirracas · Aug 19, 2008

I am exactly in the same situation. If someone can help he would have two thankful chaps rather than one :mrgreen:

Hallidaymj · Aug 19, 2008

an update:

i had read the "how to install an app" guide in this beginners section. Yes - I had turned on the right click menu. No - I hadnt visited the web link http://www.laptopmag.com/advice/how-to/ ... spx?step=1

so i did exactly as the web article said. i updated my admin password (though i thought it was the same as the one created on first running the AA1. (I still think it is because from terminal i could enter su and be asked for my password. I entered the one i created in setting the machine up ans I was greeted with the superuser prompt).

However - the new bit for me still following the article. i right clicked the desktop, got the menu and selected "System > Add/Remove software". On asking for the password entered my admin password and the Package manager loaded.

In the left hand pane on browse tab I scrolled down to Applications, in the right hand pane selected office productivity. Clicked on the optional packages button and scrolled down to see open Office Base etc. selected the tick boxes of the elements I wanted, finally clicking on apply button.

Some down loads were required so I have blindly accepted every offer including something about a key. Finallly a popup told me everything had installed ok.

Base now appears in the right click Office submenu but it doesnt seem to run.
Neither does it appear in the 'desktop' section though the icons for the various office elements have changed.

So still one step short of getting open office base!

Hallidaymj · Aug 19, 2008

After a battery charge and reboot the fancy new icons on the desktop result in the message box

"/home/user/%U does not exist"

so I though I had blown the lot. But finding a file to open (happened to be a document) up came Open Office complete with the menu New > Database.

So if some kindly soul can tel me how to :
a) have a new icon per Open Office program in the desktop
b) link the updated desktop icon to the 'newer' software
then i will have come a long way!

Mike

pirracas · Aug 19, 2008

I found out!

Go to $HOME//.config/xfce4/desktop
there is a file called group-app.xml that contains all the icons in the desktop. Look for the other OOffice icon lines, They point to program_name.desktop files. Copy paste one of them and change the file name to the one for base.
For example, in my machine it was like this:
<app is_arrow="1" name="" sequence="0">/usr/share/applications/orange-back.desktop</app>
<app sequence="1">/usr/share/applications/openoffice.org-1.9-writer.desktop</app>
<app sequence="3">/usr/share/applications/openoffice.org-1.9-calc.desktop</app>
<app sequence="6">/usr/share/applications/openoffice.org-1.9-impress.desktop</app>
<app sequence="2">/usr/share/applications/acercalendar.desktop</app>
<app sequence="4">/usr/share/applications/acercontact.desktop</app>

and I inserted the line
<app sequence="7">/usr/share/applications/xfce4/desktop/base.desktop</app>

To remove the error message about not finding %U:
Edit /usr/share/applications/xfce4/desktop/base.desktop

Look for this line:
Exec=openoffice.org -base %U
and remove the %U. It is looking for a parameter with the file name but doesn't seem to work very well.
What I did was to add the name of the .odb file I am going to work with more often, that way the icon will open it.

You will need to reboot for changes in these files to take effect.

Hallidaymj · Aug 23, 2008

I couldnt find the openoffice*.desktop files. On my AA1 they are located in
/usr/share/applications/ folder

i went into terminal and logged on as super user (i.e. su) with password.
i could then edit the file (mousepad openoffice.org.....base.desktop) and save it. As a normal user I couldnt save the file.

hope that helps.
Mike

Gaer Boy · Oct 15, 2008

Hallidaymj said:
an update:

i had read the "how to install an app" guide in this beginners section. Yes - I had turned on the right click menu. No - I hadnt visited the web link http://www.laptopmag.com/advice/how-to/ ... spx?step=1

so i did exactly as the web article said. i updated my admin password (though i thought it was the same as the one created on first running the AA1. (I still think it is because from terminal i could enter su and be asked for my password. I entered the one i created in setting the machine up ans I was greeted with the superuser prompt).

However - the new bit for me still following the article. i right clicked the desktop, got the menu and selected "System > Add/Remove software". On asking for the password entered my admin password and the Package manager loaded.

In the left hand pane on browse tab I scrolled down to Applications, in the right hand pane selected office productivity. Clicked on the optional packages button and scrolled down to see open Office Base etc. selected the tick boxes of the elements I wanted, finally clicking on apply button.

Some down loads were required so I have blindly accepted every offer including something about a key. Finallly a popup told me everything had installed ok.

Base now appears in the right click Office submenu but it doesnt seem to run.
Neither does it appear in the 'desktop' section though the icons for the various office elements have changed.

So still one step short of getting open office base!

I've done exactly this, but can't get to the install. After clicking on Apply, I get a message about a key, ending with:

"Would you like to import this key?" Cancel Continue

Whichever I choose, I get "Unable to verify OpenOffice.org.base" and the details window says "Not installing key"

Nothing else happens.

Can anyone point me in the right direction, please?

Phil