Open Office - can't enter text into Writer, can't see help

[Chris G]

On Sun, Jan 18, 2009 at 08:48:05AM -0600, Wade Smart wrote:
> Chris G wrote:
> > I'm trying to use OpenOffice 2.4 on xubuntu 8.10 and I'm failing
> > miserably. 
> > 
> > It all starts up OK and I get the main "OpenOffice.org" window and I
> > can click on New under the File menu - so far so good.  I'm then
> > presented with a "Templates and Documents - New Document" window which
> > again seems reasonable.  However at this point I'm stuck, I can't
> > enter text into what *appears* to be the text entry area to the right
> > of the icons in the "Templates and Documents - New Document" window.
> > 
> > In addition if I click on Help I get everything to do with Help in a
> > new window *except* the actual help.  I.e. I get the Contents, Index,
> > Find and Bookmarks tabs and I can move around in the Help and view all
> > the sections but nothing actually appears in the pane to the right
> > where, presumably, the actual help is supposed to appear.
> > 
> > Am I doing something really stupid or is my OpenOffice installation
> > broken in some way?
> > 
> 20090118 0843 GMT-5
> 
> Hey Chris, I'm not sure what you're talking about here.
> 
> Open a new document.
> Click on File, click on New and a pop out comes out to the right showing 
> a list of options. At the bottom is Templates and Documents.
> 
Yes, I get that far and I click on "Templates and Documents".

> If you click on that a window comes up.

Yes.


> On the left are four icons (new document, templates, my documents and 
> samples) in the middle area are nine options for the type of template 
> and nothing is on the far left.
> 
OK, I have the four icons on the left.


> I'm not seeing any place to input text.
> 
> Can you describe this a bit further as what you are try to do?
> 
I'm trying to enter text into a new document! :-)  I.e. what I would
have thought is the 'normal' thing to want to do.  E.g. I want to
write a letter to someone, I can't see where I actually enter the text
of the letter I want to write.

If I click on New Document a white area opens up to the right of the
icons but I can't enter text into it.

-- 
Chris Green