The OpenOffice.org team has released OpenOffice.org 2.0.4. This release is mainly a bugfix release. You can download it form the OpenOffice.org website, and if you want to know if your pet bug has been fixed, have fun digging through the changelog.
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Member since:2005-08-27
// Either you own the hardware, or you don't. If you own the hardware, then you should know the root password. If you don't own the hardware, and you don't have root rights, then why are you installing stuff on someone else's machine?
Easy answer: because I don't have root rights at work.
In fact, I need to install not only one, but several versions of OpenOffice.org and StarOffice for development purposes. I also installed several version of Java and eclipse - because I needed them. These programs don't ask me "Hey, are you really root? If the answer is no, I will refuse to work on your machine".
It's usual for software developer to install software locally:. It is not the system administrator's work to install programs that I need for testing and developing.
Now, to come back to the point:
There are several thing that are really disturbing about the fact that OpenOffice.org only distributing their software as RPM.
1.This makes it harder to install OpenOffice.org on non-RPM based distributions
2.RPM is not really good at installing software locally.
3.The OpenOffice.org staff makes assumption about what kind of Linux distribution I am using. They should not believe that it is enough to care at a small majority of Linux user – the one who have an RPM based system.
Member since:2006-01-10
I guess you could say it's the same stupidity that had the Java binaries or flash distributed as rpms only (Though I think for each of them now has a .bin for non-rpm distributions).
It really isn't that big of a deal though, install alien and it'll convert rpm, deb, tgz, etc all into aother formats. Hell, I think File-roller can open up rpm and deb packages just like normal archives, so all you'd have to do is extract it.
Member since:2006-09-19
There are several thing that are really disturbing about the fact that OpenOffice.org only distributing their software as RPM.
1.This makes it harder to install OpenOffice.org on non-RPM based distributions
2.RPM is not really good at installing software locally.
3.The OpenOffice.org staff makes assumption about what kind of Linux distribution I am using. They should not believe that it is enough to care at a small majority of Linux user – the one who have an RPM based system.
I agree with you 100% here.
They had a perfectly functional installer that worked and for some strange reason it's rpms now.
They should have a bin for those distros that don't use rpm, and there are quite a few of those out there.
Not everyone runs Dead Rat, umm, Red Hat.
Member since:2005-11-11
//There are several thing that are really disturbing about the fact that OpenOffice.org only distributing their software as RPM.
1.This makes it harder to install OpenOffice.org on non-RPM based distributions.//
If you have a non-RPM based distribution, and you really insist on installing the RPMs that OpenOffice.org provide (rather than wait a day or two before your distribution repository has the updated version), then use Smart Package Manager.
//2.RPM is not really good at installing software locally.//
This is true, it is not really designed for that. It is designed so that people who have rights to alter the machines configuration can do so. If you really insist on installing a local copy only without admin rights, just use an archiver program to extract the RPM files contents to a local directory. It is not very convenient, but then again, you are doing something that is not really catered for.
//3.The OpenOffice.org staff makes assumption about what kind of Linux distribution I am using. They should not believe that it is enough to care at a small majority of Linux user – the one who have an RPM based system.//
As has been repeatedly pointed out, it is by no means impossible to install the OpenOffice RPMs on a Linux system that is not RPM based. The Smart Package Manager is one way (probably the best way). Alien is another way (for Debian systems). Most archiver programs provide yet another way.
If you really are a developer and tester, you would know all of this. Why do you pretend this is a problem when it isn't?
Edited 2006-10-16 23:38
Member since:2006-09-19
This breaks the package management database on your system. If you do this, you are more likely to end up with dependency problems later.
No it doesn't. It just isn't IN the database.
But both mozilla apps and OOo.org install in their own directories so they shouldn't interfere with the system libraries.
Besides, those package databases break all by themselves more than often enough.
Any use of the package managers require root rights.
Either you own the hardware, or you don't. If you own the hardware, then you should know the root password. If you don't own the hardware, and you don't have root rights, then why are you installing stuff on someone else's machine?
Sheesh! He said he doesn't have root on the machine.
Why are you stuck on this package management as if it was the Holy Grail?
People have their "home" directories where they can install their own personal apps they need.
It's not that uncommon, even on multiuser machines running *nix.
Never mind Windows boxes that usually are stuffed with crap to the brim. Company policy or not, people want their toys.
Member since:
2005-11-11
//Btw, not all linux distribution uses rpm.//
This is why one would use a tool like smart package manager.
http://labix.org/smart
"The Smart Package Manager project has the ambitious objective of creating smart and portable algorithms for solving adequately the problem of managing software upgrading and installation. This tool works in all major distributions, and will bring notable advantages over native tools currently in use (APT, APT-RPM, YUM, URPMI, etc).
Notice that this project is not a magical bridge between every distribution in the planet. Instead, this is a software offering better package management for these distributions, even when working with their own packages. Using multiple package managers at the same time (like rpm and dpkg) is possible, even though not the software goal at this moment."
As they say, it is not a "magical bridge" but it does at least allow you to install rpms on a distribution that is not based on rpm.
//I much prefer the way firefox is distributed. Uncompress it and voila!//
This breaks the package management database on your system. If you do this, you are more likely to end up with dependency problems later.
Install via the package manager, and keep your install database correct and complete. This is the better approach.
//is even much harder to install. It requires root rights.//
Any use of the package managers require root rights.
Either you own the hardware, or you don't. If you own the hardware, then you should know the root password. If you don't own the hardware, and you don't have root rights, then why are you installing stuff on someone else's machine?