Open Office keeps crashing every time [SOLVED]

samebchase · General User Joined: 07 Aug 2007 Posts: 10

Hi,

I just installed Ubuntu 7.04 along with Windows XP and I used Open Office Word processor that came bundled with Ubuntu. I was impressed with its features and ease of use. I typed up one of my projects and saved it (and printed it). I logged out of Ubuntu and scanned my computer for viruses using the McAfee VirusScan program in Windows. The next day when I logged on to Ubuntu, and tried to open my project on the word processor, the Open Office loading screen came up and the "loading" bar came about halfway, and the loading screen vanished. The same thing happens when I try to use any of the other Open office programs and spreadsheet files.

Can you suggest what I can do to make Open Office work again.

Thanks,

Sam

P.S. I am new to Linux and have only used it for the first time two weeks ago.

AndrewZ · Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 5:55 am Post subject:

Ubuntu and Fedora ship modified versions of OpenOffice.org. Some of the modifications are great features (like code I wrote to import MS Works documents), but some of the code may make OpenOffice.org unstable and prone to crash.

On all my Fedora systems, I remove the distribution-supplied OpenOffice.org and replace it with the "official" version from http://download.openoffice.org . See here for instructions:

http://www.oooforum.org/forum/viewtopic.phtml?p=194247#194247
_________________
<signature>
* Did you solve your problem? Do others a favor: Post the solution
* OpenOffice.org Ninja
* BleachBit
</signature>

Hagar Delest · Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 7:20 am Post subject:

See here for an Ubuntu installation of the official version, much more stable than the Ubuntu version : [Ubuntu] Installing OOo on Debian and Co.

Thanks to add '[Solved]' in your first post title (edit button) if your issue has been fixed.
_________________
Now on the EN user community forum

samebchase · General User Joined: 07 Aug 2007 Posts: 10

Thanks Guys,

I will try that asap and later tell you how I went.

samebchase · General User Joined: 07 Aug 2007 Posts: 10

I am still not able to understand what to do. Can you please help.

I downloaded the tar.gz file, and I typed the tar -vxzf namefile.tar.gz thing but this error message comes up:

tar: namefile.tar.gz: Cannot open: No such file or directory
tar: Error is not recoverable: exiting now
tar: Child returned status 2
tar: Error exit delayed from previous errors

Please advise,
Thanks,
Sam

9point9 · Moderator Joined: 31 Aug 2004 Posts: 3875 Location: UK

If manually using tar on the command line is unfamiliar, try instead to use a graphical compression tool. Ark is my tool of choice although it may not be available on your system which being Gnome-centric may use File Roller. Try and open the archive from Nautilus and see what happens.
_________________
Arch Linux
OOo 3.2.0

OOoSVN, change control for OOo documents:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/ooosvn/

james_h · Super User Joined: 05 Nov 2005 Posts: 883

Your problem is most likely with one or more corrupt local settings files.
Before you try installing a different version of the OpenOffice.org application, try renaming the local hidden OpenOffice.org folder to get the program to restart as if it were newly installed. Open a command line window and type:

Hagar Delest · Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 11:17 pm Post subject:

samebchase · General User Joined: 07 Aug 2007 Posts: 10

I have followed all the instructions and the menu has been updated. All the Open Office programs are still crashing as soo as I click on them.

Please advise,
Thanks,
Sam

Hagar Delest · Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 4:40 am Post subject:

Have you tried the james_h tip ?
If so, See in /usr/lib/, if there is any openoffice.org folder, rename it.
_________________
Now on the EN user community forum

samebchase · General User Joined: 07 Aug 2007 Posts: 10

Yes, I ran that command earlier. There is an open office folder in usr/lib. How do I rename it and what should I rename it to?

I am not sure if this means anything but the Open Office splash screen has changed after I downloaded and installed this file.

james_h · Super User Joined: 05 Nov 2005 Posts: 883

It doesn't matter what you rename the old installation folder to. I generally append ".old" to the folder so that I know what it is but it can't be found by the program. If there is something of value in the folder I can retrieve it manually.

The change in the splash screen from brown to blue means that you are using the regular OpenOffice.org instead of the Ubuntu version.

If you run the program from the console window instead of from the menu, error messages in the console will help determine why the program is crashing. To do this with OpenOffice.org application version 2.2, open a console window Programs [or Main Menu] > Accessories > Terminal. Type:

samebchase · General User Joined: 07 Aug 2007 Posts: 10

After typing "/opt/openoffice.org2.2/program/swriter" in the terminal, I got the splash screen and it crashed again just like before.

Hagar Delest · Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 2:15 am Post subject:

Had you renamed the usr/lib/openoffice.org folder ? You can do that from Nautilus in the Graphical mode :

samebchase · General User Joined: 07 Aug 2007 Posts: 10

I just renamed it from open office (it was initially called open office) to open office.org.old. What do I do now? Should I do this after I "uninstall" open office or is it fine to do it now?