Trying to Install OpenOffice - SOLVED

[Martin109]

I've downloaded OpenOffice 3.  I'm trying, as root, to run slapt-get to install it, but not getting anywhere.

What I've downloaded is: OOo_3.0.1_LinuxIntel_install_wJRE_en-US.tar

From Xfce, you have to right click on the downloaded package, and select "Install package" from the contextual menu.
Another alternative is to open a terminal, login as root, and run

Code:

installpkg /path/to/the/package/name_of_the_package

I've tried both these.

Right clicking produces a menu, but there is no "Install Package" option.

Running (as root) installpkg OOo_3.0.1_LinuxIntel_install_wJRE_en-US.tar

produces:

WARNING: Non-standard package name

1/1 Installing OOo_3.0.1_LinuxIntel_install_wJRE_en-US.tar
WARNING: Package has no description 

[stretchedthin]

As far as I know installpkg will only install .tlz or .tgz files and even then, you want to make sure they have been configured
for slackware 12.1 which VectorLinux 6.0 is based on.

If you want an easy solution try as root in terminal...

slapt-get --install openoffice.org-3.0.0_en_US-i586-1vl60

[caitlyn]

installpkg does not work for source tarballs at all.  It only works for prepackaged binaries.

In general you want to install Vector Linux packages, not stuff from upstream.  We also package JRE separately and what you have downloaded will undoubtedly cause conflicts.  If you want the package management system to work including automated updates you can't bypass it like this.

[stretchedthin]

Hi Martin109,
Don't let Caitlyn's post scare you, it's just a warning.  It sounds to me that all you have at this point is a downloaded tar file for openoffice. That in itself is not going to cause any harm.  You can just delete it. 

If you run the command I gave you in the previous post you will be installing the latest openoffice in the VectorLinux repository.  It should give you everything you  need.  If you prefer the gui, just open GSlapt, search openoffice and choose the one of the same name as my previous post.

[stretchedthin]

Now, forgive me if you are already experienced with Openoffice, but here is a tutorial that will help you accomplish a few things.

Such as...1) Set up the spell checking dictionary. 2) Set .doc, xls, and ppt as your default save settings. (If god forbid you share a lot with windows users )and
3) Get the icons to show up in your menu.
http://www.opensourcebistro.com/Tutorial/VL60/12.Office-apps/page

Ken

[Martin109]

Thanks for everyone's replies, which are all helpful.

As you can see, I'm very much a newbie when it comes to installing stuff, though I have managed, somehow, to install Skype and RealPlayer, rather more by happy accident than knowing what I was doing.

I did first try Gslapt, and searched for OpenOffice, but this drew a blank, which is why I was tempted by the 'download-from-OpenOffice-site-and-try-slapt-get' route.  This worked for Skype, as I downloaded that from www.skype.com.

If you want an easy solution try as root in terminal...

slapt-get --install openoffice.org-3.0.0_en_US-i586-1vl60

I shall be back at that machine next Tuesday, and will try the above solution, stretchedthin, but note that I have VL 5.9.  Does that mean installing OpenOffice will not be possible?  I'm not sure I'd want to embark on upgrading to VL6.0 just yet, when otherwise everthing's working OK!

[Martin109]

Ah! Found this.  Is it the .tlz version I want?

[stretchedthin]

Yes, good find.

So the command at the terminal would be (as root)

slapt-get --install openoffice.org-3.0.0_en_US-i586-1vl59

It doesn't make sense to me why you were not able to find it with the search function of GSlapt.  It should have been that easy.
Have you disabled any repositories?

[Martin109]

Have you disabled any repositories?

I don't know!  Not consciously, at least.  How can I check where gslapt is looking?

[Martin109]

So the command at the terminal would be (as root)

slapt-get --install openoffice.org-3.0.0_en_US-i586-1vl59

So I need to download it first.  Does it matter where I download it to?

[stretchedthin]

All you have to do is open a terminal.
type su
then enter your root password
copy and paste or type this line here
slapt-get --install openoffice.org-3.0.0_en_US-i586-1vl59

wait for the download and install to complete. Then start using openoffice.

If you are not familiar with GSlapt view this...
http://www.opensourcebistro.com/Tutorial/VL60/02.Beginners-guide/gslapt/gslapt.htm

[Martin109]

Many thanks, stretchedthin.

It's obviously much easier than I thought it was, once you know how!

I'll be doing all that on Tuesday with my Fujitsu machine.  Meanwhile, with my other, more modest VL5.9 machine here, you instructions may well come in handy, but not for OpenOffice, as there wouldn't be space for it.

I'll post again if I have any problems.

[caitlyn]

As a general rule you don't want to download directly from the repository because you don't get dependencies that way.  (Yes, I know OpenOffice doesn't have dependencies but it's a general rule.) 

There is a bug in VL 5.9 where the patches repository isn't enabled by default.  You really do need to check what repositories you have enabled, which should *always* include packages, patches, and extra. 

In gslapt, click on Edit -> Preferences
Click on the Sources tab
Make sure packages, patches and extra are checked.  Make sure testing and unstable are not checked.

When gslapt tells you that changes have been made and that you need to reload the package list click "Yes".

That's it.

[Martin109]

Many thanks for that clarification, caitlyn - I didn't know that!