HOWTO install OpenOffice.org 2.0.0 as non-root

[AndrewZ]

How to install OpenOffice.org 2.0.0 as non-root OR on a non-RPM system

Some people miss the old installer which allows non-root, per-user installation. This type of installation is nice if you don't have root privileges or if you want to have multiple versions of OpenOffice.org installed concurrently. Well, the same is possible with the .RPM installer.

Also, you can vary this procedure to install OpenOffice.org system-wide on a non-RPM system using root privileges.

Prerequisites

1. Skill: command-line use
   
2. Program: rpm2cpio
   
3. Program: cpio
   
4. File: OOo_2.0.0_LinuxIntel_install.tar.gz (contains .RPMs)
   

Where do you get rpm2cpio if you do not use an RPM system? Your distribution may carry it, and look for the rpm package. For example, Debian and Slackware does both carry rpm2cpio in their respective rpm packages.


Procedure: installing locally as non-root

1. Download OOo_2.0.0_LinuxIntel_install.tar.gz to ~
   
2. Start a shell (also called a terminal)
   
3. mkdir ~/ooo; cd ~/ooo
   
4. tar xvzf ../OOo_2.0.0_LinuxIntel_install.tar.gz
   
5. for i in `ls OOO680_m3_native_packed-2_en-US.8968/RPMS/*rpm`; do rpm2cpio $i | cpio -ivd; done
   
6. (optional) rm -rf OOO680_m3_native_packed-2_en-US.8968
   
7. (optional) rm ~/OOo_2.0.0_LinuxIntel_install.tar.gz
   

Procedure: running locally as non-root

~/ooo/opt/openoffice.org2.0/program/soffice


Procedure: associating with file types as non-root

This depends on your system, but if you use Nautilus, try this:

1. In Nautilus, browse to the file you want to open.
2. Select the file.
3. Click File->Open with other application.
4. Specify ~/ooo/opt/openoffice.org2.0/program/soffice as the program.

Procedure: installing system-wide as root #1

Your Linux distribution may have an updated OpenOffice.org 2.0.0 package available. If It's not in your standard repository, it may be in a testing repository or available through a users' website.

Procedure: installing system-wide as root #2

To convert from .RPM to your native package format, try alien or rpm2tgz.

Procedure: installing system-wide as root #3

To install system-wide on non-RPM system, simply follow the local installation procedure and move ~/ooo/opt to /opt. Also, (using rpm2cpio) install the appropriate system integration package from OOO680_m3_native_packed-2_en-US.8968/RPMS/desktop-integration.

Why does OpenOffice.org only offer an RPM installer?

Thank you for not discussing in this thread the topic of OpenOffice.org distributing non-RPM installers.

[feve]

What a great way to install, it's really simple don't ya all think?
Could OOo gang make a REAL installer?
If ya think the Linux way is hard (install as non root) you shoould try on a Solaris box.
I have not yet been able to install as non root on Solaris, way to go OOo, way to go...
/fred

[AndrewZ]

Fred, your message is not good motivational practice. You are bringing up the issue in the wrong way to the wrong audience. There are no OpenOffice.org developers on OOoForum.org.

[feve]

what i'm trying to do is raise the question to other users/admin to give the OOo developers a push. If i'm the only one complaining 'bout this to the developers they will do nothing.
/Fred

[bobharvey]

[samjpl]

The rpm proceedure doesn't work for solaris, but thanks to the hint about cpio I've gotten a non-root install on solaris 2.9/sparc.

Essentially the steps are to unpack using bunzip2, then cpio.

1. get/unpack OOo_2.0.0_SolarisSparc_install.tar.gz
2. cd OOO680_m3_native_packed-1_en-US.8968/packages
3. here's a stupid csh script to run:
#!/bin/csh
## extract files from a set of packages
## ext *
##
## 10/31/2005 sws

#echo $argv
set names=($argv)
echo Files to be checked: $names

mkdir temp
foreach var ($names)
echo "$var..."
if (-d $var) then
if (-d $var/archive) then
echo " unpacking"
bzcat $var/archive/none.bz2 >$var.cpio
cd temp; cpio -idv <../$var.cpio; cd ..
endif
endif
end

this builds a temp directory that has the stuff, almost.

4. move temp where you want.
5. you now need to make some symlinks in the programs sub directory
This worked for me:

libicudata.so -> libicudata.so.26.0
libicudata.so.26 -> libicudata.so.26.0
libicui18n.so -> libicui18n.so.26.0
libicui18n.so.26 -> libicui18n.so.26.0
libicule.so.26 -> libicule.so.26.0
libicuuc.so.26 -> libicuuc.so.26.0
libjvmaccessC52.so -> libjvmaccessC52.so.3
libjvmfwk.so -> libjvmfwk.so.3
libpython2.3.so -> libpython2.3.so.1.0
libpython2.3.so.1 -> libpython2.3.so.1.0
libreg.so -> libreg.so.3
librmcxt.so -> librmcxt.so.3
libstore.so -> libstore.so.3
libuno_cppuhelperC52.so -> libuno_cppuhelperC52.so.3
libuno_salhelperC52.so -> libuno_salhelperC52.so.3
pkgchk -> soffice*
python -> python.sh*
python-core -> python-core-2.3.4//
spadmin -> soffice*

soffice now runs ok! Of cource no guarantees this works for anyone else...
_________________
Sam Sirlin

[feve]

i put in an issue at openoffice.org regarding not being able to install as non-root.
I got this as an answer:

------- Additional comments from of Thu Nov 3 00:45:27 -0800 2005 -------

That's not a defect. That's how rpm or pkgadd works.

In short:
-Hey guys, you got a problem with the "installer", not everyone is able to install your product!
-No, we do not have a problem

[nikiwaibel]

managed non-root install for solaris and linux (on an exported dir for about 50 users) using the scripts:
ftp://mirror.switch.ch/mirror/OpenOffice/developer/install_scripts/install_linux.sh
ftp://mirror.switch.ch/mirror/OpenOffice/developer/install_scripts/install_solaris.sh
(i think you can get those on all OO mirrors)
there is also a README in the
ftp://mirror.switch.ch/mirror/OpenOffice/developer/install_scripts/
dir...

[daniel_ortmann]

I managed to get OO installed on SunOS 5.8 after installing the Java patches (this system was old) and also symlinking all of the libraries which have trailing numbers, as memtioned earlier.

[Kaaredyret]

And a real installer we want. Imagine my surprise and anger, when I tried to install StarOffice 8 (equal to OOo 2.0) and the installer aborted because I was running it on a debian based distribution (Ubuntu, huge distribution). I never could install StarOffice 8.

I am glad that I am able to install OpenOffice myself, from the RPM's that I have to convert from the command line... the version of OOo distributed by Ubuntu is ugly.. and, BTW: an old buggy beta of 2.0.

Its like someone doesnt want to spread wonderful OOo to the Linux/etc world, with all these obstacles.
_________________
www.kaaredyret.dk - OpenOffice resources (templates, extensions, tutorials and more) !
Stay updated on software and OpenOffice.org news via Twitter

[noranthon]

To be fair to the organisation, rpm2cpio is mentioned in the Setup Guide although it is tucked away under an obscure heading.

I believe this thread should be a sticky.

[AndrewZ]

[towsonu2003]

I asked for these instructions to be included to the main online documentatio here: http://www.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=70435

help me

I also asked for using a tar.gz approach (like firefox) instead of struggling with RPMs here http://www.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=70436

help me )))

PS. the instructions are reat! Thanks a lot!!

[towsonu2003]

just an update on the bug report for a tzr.gz installation, as they asked us to file a new report: http://www.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=72921

again, not discussing, just "advertising" a link

[james957]

I followed the steps using the latest version (2.1)

The installation appeared to go fine, but I don't have soffice in the opt/openoffice.org2.1/program folder.

What have I done?