Replace tab and table missing from AutoCorrect

[SimonBing]

Hi. OS is Fedora 8 with Writer version 2.3. Really puzzled here as have been looking at the various distros, Ubuntu, Mepis and Debian, and the Replace tab and accompanying table has always appeared before. This is on Tools/AutoCorrect on the menu. Wondered if I might have missed a switch somewhere but can't seem to find one. Checked the package and everything seems to be installed as it should be. Have a nasty feeling that this is something really simple but . . . escapes me! Thanks.

[acknak]

Yes, the answer is simple: Fedora removes those features from their packages.

If you want that feature, you have to install the OO.org packages.

[SimonBing]

Ouch!
OK. The packages come in a Tar GZ format. As I am feeling my way here would appreciate it if you could - in 123 steps - tell me how to go about installing the download from the desktop? And the other thing that occurs is that this seems to be a feature that is peculiar to Fedora and the only thing I noticed on the install that seemed different to the others was SELinux. Is it likely this is the culprit? Thinking for future occasions. Thanks for the reply.

[acknak]

The OO.org packages are only tar-archived to collect them into one file. The archive contains a set of RPM packages (30!) that can be installed normally. There are specific instructions on (or linked from) the download page. Just yell if those instructions are not adequate.

As for the reason, all Fedora will say about it is "the lawyers made us do it". The speculation is that they believe the features are covered by some patent, which could leave Redhat open to a lawsuit if they distribute software that infringes the patent. Sun, apparently, does not feel the same risk. At any rate, the problem is not a technical one.

[SimonBing]

Hi.
That seems to have done the trick! I tried following the terminal instructions without success but noticed there was a Setup script included in the package that worked pretty well. It said the Install had failed just as it go to the end but all the menu items are there and Writer is up and running with Replace in AutoCorrect.
Am disappointed in RedHat if the speculation is correct. They seemed to be holding up under all the threats pretty well. OOo is one of the main planks in the Linux success story as well so to run it partly disabled seems a real shame and a small victory to MS.
One thing I did find. Pirut, (is it called?) the upgrade program, showed an upgrade was available for Open Office just as the install was completed. I thought 'Great, upgrades will be available through Fedora too!', ran it and lost the programs! Have got them back by running Setup again but is there any way I can disable the notifications from Pirut and Fedora and just rely on the Open Office upgrades instead? Or is it just case of ignoring it? I know this is more a query for Fedora but just wondered . . .
Thanks for your help.

[acknak]

Yes, that's my experience as well: you can install both the Fedora packages and the OO.org packages with no conflicts, but any update of the Fedora packages will remove major portions of the OO.org installation as well. This is because the names of some of the packages are the same.

The "solution" is to un-install the Fedora packages. The OO.org packages are packaged only for manual installation, so there's no chance of them being updated automatically.

Alternatively, you can configure yum (the command line updater, for which pirut is a GUI front-end) to not update the Fedora OOo packages, but there's little reason to keep the packages and then not update them.

I keep both for testing purposes, and everytime the Fedora packages are updated, I just re-install the OO.org packages. It's a big nuisance but most people do not need to have both installed.

[SimonBing]

I think I will have to configure Yum. I have uninstalled the Fedora package, I actually did that before I ran the install from OOo just in case of conflicts. I have had a look at Pirut to get some idea of the packages installed and they all seem to be the ones from OOo as far as I can tell. The update icon only appeared after I'd done the installation too so I can only assume that the updater is picking up on the OOo package somehow if not actually working out how to update it. What's the best way to configure the updater as it's coming up every time I start the laptop at the mo and it ain't going away! Bit like being watched by Windows!!

[acknak]

Here's a tip from AndrewZ's blog:

su -c "echo exclude=openoffice* >>/etc/yum.conf"

My guess is that what's happening is related to the rpm name overlap. Perhaps the updater is seeing the "openoffice.org" packages from OO.org and that triggers an update against the Fedora repository.

This hassle could be prevented if OO.org and the Linux distributions would agree on names that did not conflict. As it stands, no one wants to take responsibility, and we have to jump through hoops to work around the problem.

[SimonBing]

I guess there shouldn't be need if it wasn't for having to manually having to install OOo. But - nevertheless - Brilliant! I wanted to stay with Fedora as I prefer it out of the distros I've tried and I needed that word replace feature so many thanks for all your help with this. Simon