Basically, what I experienced was that if an ODT file has been created with LibO Writer, MS Outlook Web Access (OWA) will attach it nicely, show its correct size to the recipient, but when the recipient downloads the attachment, they receive an empty file (size 2 bytes, no visible content). If the same ODT file is sent inside a zip package or saved in DOC format (XP/2007) before attaching, it comes through just fine. Others have reported slight variations of this bug, but the bottom line is: OWA "eats" ODT attachments.
The catch? The Bugzilla thread (link above) also reports that ODT files created with OpenOffice Writer do *not* demonstrate the same problem.
To get more data on the bug, I want to have LibO and OO running on the same machine, so I can generate test files in as similar environments as possible. At Ubuntu Forums ajgreeny suggested that I install one on a virtual machine on the same hardware as the other, and that sounds good to me http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2035205
Hence these questions:
1) How much memory and disk space will e.g. VirtualBox need to only run the barest possible Ubuntu 12.04 and OO (LibO is already alive and well on the host Ubuntu 12.04)? I would not want to create an unnecessarily big virtual machine just for chasing one bug. For OO's part, is this current: 256 Mbytes RAM (512 MB recommended) + 400 Mbytes available disk space?
2) Any known problems with installing OO on Ubuntu/other Linuxes on VirtualBox (or any other virtual machine, for that matter)? I'll hunt for threads, of course, but if you happen to know the link(s) already, that would be a great help.
3) Any other ideas, caveats etc. that I should think about when comparison testing OO and LibO for this bug? I have passed our standard B.Sc. QA class with distinction, but school is school (i.e. theoretical), this is for real, and as I likely will lose access to OWA on 7th or 9th September the latest, I need to not dawdle if I am going to do this at all.
Please ask if i have expressed something unclearly above - this bug has me rather perplexed, as it's one of those things that is Just Not Supposed To Happen, dammit!
