Connecting to MySQL using Open Office Base via ODBC...

Sun Jun 3 05:29:06 UTC 2007

On Sun, 2007-06-03 at 03:46 +0100, Gabriel Dragffy wrote:
> On Wed, 2007-05-30 at 12:55 -0700, NoOp wrote:
> > Sure (modified slightly from
> > http://leetturtle.com/guides/guide_ubuntuopenoffice.php):
> > 
> > 1) First, go to OpenOffice.org and download the latest version for
> > Linux. http://download.openoffice.org/2.2.0/index.html
> > 
> > [NoOp note: before downloading, uncheck the "Include the Java JRE with
> > this download" - you don't need it as you'll install separately & the
> > version they have included has a bug in it]
> > 
> > 2) Use Archive Manager or whatever and extract the file you downloaded
> > into a directory.
> > 
> > [NoOp: I recommend changing the name of the directory to something
> > simple like 'OOo22' so you don't have to try to type the long name chen
> > cd'ing into the directory]
> > 
> > 3) Change directory (cd) into the RPMS directory:
> > 
> > cd /where/you/extracted/openoffice/RPMS
> > 
> > 4) Let's go install alien, which converts the files in the RPMS
> > directory into files that Ubuntu can actually use:
> > 
> > sudo apt-get install alien
> > 
> > 5) Let's use alien! w00t! (the * selects any file)
> > 
> > sudo alien --scripts --keep-version *.rpm
> > 
> > [NoOp note: if you have a slow machine w/limited memory, go to lunch...
> > the conversion will take awhile]
> > 
> > 6) If you still have the OpenOffice that Ubuntu includes by default,
> > remove it so this version works:
> > 
> > sudo apt-get remove openoffice*
> > 
> > [NoOp note: this will remove ubuntu-desktop. That's OK. You can
> > reinstall it later if you do a major dist-upgrade. However, the only
> > reason for removing the (U)OOo version is so that it will remove the OOo
> > debian menus. You can keep it and still install (O)OOo as (O)OOo gets
> > installed into the /opt/openoffice.org2.2 directory and can co-exist
> > with (U)OOo]
> > 
> > 7) After you're done uninstalling the OpenOffice installed with Ubuntu,
> > let's finally install the version of OpenOffice you wanted!
> > 
> > dpkg -i *.deb
> > 
> > [should be sudo dpkg -i *.deb]
> > 
> > 8) Now we got to install the file that will give us lovely menu entries!
> > 
> > cd desktop-integration && dpkg -i *.deb
> > 
> > [cd desktop-integration
> >  sudo dpkg -i *.deb]
> > 
> > [NoOp note: this will only work if you have uninstalled the
> > ubuntu-desktop - see below for adding (O)OOo 2.2 to the menus]
> > 
> > 9) You can now remove the file you downloaded and the files that you
> > extracted.
> > 
> > 
> > =====================================================================
> > Adding (O)OOo 2.2 to the Application menu if you've kept unbuntu-desktop:
> > 
> > Adding (O)OOo 2.2 to Applications|Internet:
> > 
> >    1. Right click the Applications icon, select 'Edit Menus'. When the
> > Menus selection opens up click on the Office icon.
> > 
> > 2. Select 'New Item'. That will bring up the Create Launcher. Fill in:
> > 
> > Name: (O)2.2 Writer
> > 
> > Command: - click the 'Browse' button and find your way to File System
> > /opt/openoffice.org2.2/program/swriter - click open. Command will now
> > read: /opt/openoffice.org2.2/program/swriter. (You could have typed
> > manually).
> > 
> > Comment: you can add whatever you want.
> > 
> > Now click the 'No Icon' button. Click the 'Browse' button and find your
> > way to /usr/share/icons/hicolor/48x48/apps/ and click 'Open'.
> > You'll now find the default OOo icons. Click on 'oo-writer.png' and
> > click OK. That will take you back to 'Create Launcher', click 'OK'. That
> > will place you back in 'Main Menu' and you'll see your (O)OOo in the
> > Items section. Click 'Close'.
> > 
> > Repeat above for: sbase, scalc, sdraw, smath, simpress, and spadmin.
> > 
> > Now: Application|Office|(O)OOo Writer. That will launch the registration
> > wizard. Accept the license, turn off check automatically for updates,
> > and answer that you do not want to register.
> > 
> > Once in Writer: click Tools|Options|Openoffice.org|Java. If you do not
> > have Sun Java JRE 6 installed, I recommend that you do this via Synaptic
> > or directly. OOo Base just seems to work better w/JRE 6.
> > =========================================================================
> > 
> > > 
> > > Also I can choose to connect to my database using ODBC or JDBC. Since
> > > JDBC doesn't work could I use JDBC?
> > 
> > Of course.
> > 
> > > If so, how do I make it work?
> > > Honestly I don't even understand what JDBC or ODBC is, I just wanna
> > > connect to my database :)
> > > 
> > 
> > These might help:
> > http://applications.linux.com/article.pl?sid=07/02/12/1736203&tid=13&tid=73
> > http://dba.openoffice.org/
> >  http://wiki.services.openoffice.org/wiki/Category:Database
> > http://documentation.openoffice.org/manuals/
> >  [OpenOffice.org2.x User Guide - Chapter 7]
> > 
> > 
> 
> Following your instructions I have successfully installed the original
> open office, and removed the Ubuntu one. I am pleased to report that all
> the wizards etc function.
> 
> One thing I miss is the tango icon them used in the Ubuntu version - do
> you know how I put that in the original openoffice?
> 
> 
> Also I intend to backtrack a bit and use dpkg-divert to keep the ubuntu
> version and the original on the same system.
> 
> Will let you know how I get on after I've tested it more thoroughly.
> 
> Cheers!!
> 
> Gabe
> 
> 
> 

OK finally figured out how to do this without losing the menu items AND
not having to remove ubuntu OOo, or ubuntu-desktop. Here's what I did:

###############################################################
Follow your instructions for getting OOo, converting to RPM etc:
1) First, go to OpenOffice.org and download the latest version for
Linux. http://download.openoffice.org/2.2.0/index.html [NoOp note:
before downloading, uncheck the "Include the Java JRE with
this download"]
2) Use Archive Manager or whatever and extract the file you downloaded into a directory.
3) Change directory (cd) into the RPMS directory:
cd /where/you/extracted/openoffice/RPMS
4) Let's go install alien, which converts the files in the RP
sudo apt-get install alien
sudo alien --scripts --keep-version *.rpm
###############################################################

Now this is what I did differently:
# Backup the menu entries to somewhere, for example your /home:
sudo cp /usr/share/applications/ooo-* ~

# Then install the OOo debians that we have made, using the command you
# gave (when in the correct directory, natch):
sudo dpkg -i *.deb

# At this point we have two versions of OOo installed, and the menu
# entries have been deleted, not to worry:

# We'll divert the OOo provide by ubuntu to make room for the new one:
sudo dpkg-divert --divert /usr/bin/ooffice.ubuntu
--rename /usr/bin/ooffice

# Now we will link our new OOo to the old binary for the Ubuntu one:
sudo ln -s /opt/openoffice.org2.2/program/soffice /usr/bin/ooffice

# Need to make one more symlink:
cd /opt/openoffice.org2.2/program/
sudo ln -s soffice.bin ooffice.bin

# Now we can restore our menu entries:
sudo cp ~/ooo-* /usr/share/applications/

Now whenever we start the various OpenOffice programs it launches our
new version. The Ubuntu version is still installed and can still be
found by apt, so it will be very happy when it comes to updates and
upgrades. The only disadvantage that I can see is that you lose about
200MB disc space having both versions installed.
Note:  This is what I did, but I wrote this after performing the
actions. Should work, but I haven't actually followed these letter by
letter myself.

-- 
Gabriel Dragffy FdA BA(Hons)

Websites by Gabe:
http://dragffy.com
http://andrew-norman.com

On-line CV:
http://dragffy.com/gabescv