[Solved] Writer crashes when making styles

[chris.sackett]

Am trying to find a fix for Writer crashing when making styles. Using OpenOffice 4.1.2 on OS X El Capitan 10.11.6.

[Zizi64]

This function works fine me on Win7. I can create, paragraph styles, character style, page styles in my AOO 4.1.2 without any problem.

What type of styles you created when the Writer chashed? And how you created the style: "based on a selection" or other way?

[chris.sackett]

Thanks. I have now tried "New Style from Selection". This works without the program crashing.

It would appear that what causes the crash is the use of the Style dialog box, accessed by right-clicking on the Styles and Formatting window and selecting New from the pop-up menu. After entering the required settings for the new style, the program crashes instantly on clicking OK on the Style dialog box.

[jrkrideau]

Thanks for that report. I have been having the same problem and finally just gave up and moved to LibreOffice.

[Bill]

Several users have reported this problem on Ubuntu 16.04, but it is still unconfirmed. While it's a problem on Ubuntu 16.04, it doesn't seem to affect Lubuntu 16.04, Xubuntu 16.04 or Windows.

Issue 126980 - Crashes Page Styles

[Issue] Styles and Formatting is causing persistent crashes

[RoryOF]

Quite stable for me on Xubuntu 16.04.01 on all my computers. Also stable on my Win XP computer.

[jrkrideau]

Okay, so we seem to have an Ubuntu 16.04 specific problem. I'd suggest the OP submit a problem report. I'd do it but I am not willing to delete LO, reinstall AOO and muck up again. I've already done this 4 times

And I cannot remember any error messages at all.

[SLLA]

My Open Office 4.1.3 installed on Ubuntu 16.04.1 is crashing every time I attempt to use the Styles & Formatting dialog to create or modify a style. This happens when using both Writer and Calc to create/modify styles. In both cases, it happens on existing and fresh blank documents. In Writer the crash seems to be triggered when clicking an icon (Paragraph, Character etc) to get that particular menu. In Writer, editing a Paragraph style is possible and works using the context menu within a document with existing content but Character style is not on that menu. In Calc, the crash seems to be triggered when clicking New or Modify, however the dialog box from this appears on its own after the crash. Completing this dialog is ineffective, i.e. it does not remain when the document itself is recovered.

Also when clicking the Next button on the Recovery dialog after successful recovery, instead of giving the crash details it simply opens one of the recovered documents, and the Styles & Formatting dialog box/menu is open on the screen and often there are two of these on the screen.

It seems from reading previous postings I can find, that this may be some kind of 'bug' specific to particular versions on particular systems. How do I find out if/when it is fixed ? Is anyone able to help?

[RoryOF]

I have used OpenOffice versions 4.1.1 - 4.1.3 without problem on Xubuntu 16.4.1 - 16.4.3; I have a memory that there was a reported problem with OO and Ubuntu 16.04, but I cannot remember what it was. if you start OO in a terminal screen (type "openoffice4" without quotes) you should get some diagnostics if it fails.

When installing OpenOffice, did you previously uninstall LibreOffice; you can do this using a terminal by the command "sudo apt purge libreoffice*" (no quotes, don't forget the trailling *); If you haven't done this, it might be good to do so and then reinstall OO, in case any essential components have been interfered with.

[SLLA]

Thank you for your post RoryOF. Here is some more info in response, in case you are able to help any further....??
1. I have just tried opening OO using a terminal as you suggested. The program opened without any problem, and the terminal comment is as follows:
javaldx: Could not find a Java Runtime Environment!
** (soffice:3679): WARNING **: Unknown type: GailWindow
2. Yes, Libre Office has already been thoroughly uninstalled. LO was pre-installed as the default when I bought the machine but with help I changed over to Open Office, initially 3.3 version which is what I had been using for many years on a Windows7 32 bit machine. In my work I am frequently editing and updating existing documents, so it is easier to stick with what has been working unless their is an overriding reason for not doing so. I recently uninstalled OO 3.3 as required/recommended before installing 4.1.3 - the main purpose of this move was to see if problems occurring on the Linux OO 3.3 would resolve with an update, and they did. This Styles crashing has since come to my attention because I have been needing/wanting to add/modify some styles. Initially getting used to 4.1.3, I had not noticed this fault because the existing styles already set up via my templates and existing documents were sufficient while I got going, and these existing styles settings do work.
3. My Ubuntu system is 64 bit, originally installed by System76 with the then default Unity desktop. When I tried installing the Gnome desktop to see if it helped with some issues I was having with Unity (at System76's suggestion), I found the Unity settings all upset (due to interdependencies and sharing I have been told) and I have left them this way while seeing if I can get things user friendly using Gnome desktop, which I tend to prefer for its simplicity.

[Villeroy]

OpenOffice is incompatible with Ubuntu's Unity environment. It never sets the focus to the right window and it crashes when using certain tree controls (styles, macros, whatelse).
The latest beta version fixed the crashing trees. Nevertheless OpenOffice is no option for me since I love to use the Unitiy environment and some of my latest documents do not work with OpenOffice anymore [ I do not blame neither OpenOffice nor LibreOffice. I just gave up reporting each and every issue ].
IMHO, the pre-installed LibreOffice is the right ODF suite for 90% of Linux users simply because the advantages of a well integrated ODF suite outweigh the possible advantages of any other ODF suite. LO 4.4 which is shipped with Ubuntu 16.4 is almost perfect.