OOo slow, but only if >1 doc is open - why?

[jandersen]

I have a curious problem (version 3.2.1 on Linux): Openoffice is reasonably fast if I only have 1 document, spreadsheet etc open, but as soon as I open just one more, some parts get painfully slow, and it is not even the parts that really require any CPU. It is things like listing a directory when you want to open or save a file, or opening certain dialogs. Is there any known explanation for this?

Listing a directory takes something like 10s of seconds. It happens on my home desktop: 64 bit, 2GB RAM, and it happens on my work desktop: 64bit and 12GB RAM, dual core.

[Hagar Delest]

Try to reset your OpenOffice user profile.
If no change, why not upgrade? See [Ubuntu] Installing OOo on Debian and Co. Resetting the profile afterward should help also.

NB: does it occur whatever the files are? I mean, are you sure that the second one doesn't cause troubles even if opened alone?

Please add '[Solved]' at the beginning of your first post title (edit button) if your issue has been fixed.

[jandersen]

Amazingly, that seems to have made a difference; but why? I suppose it doesn't really matter, but being a developer myself, I'm curious.

I don't really mind upgrading, but this version seems OK as it is. Are there any major advantages in a newer version?

Finally, yes, the problem did occur no matter which files I opened, and the first one never caused trouble.

[Hagar Delest]

Latest version offer new features and more bug fixes. There was also a security issue with former versions: OOo 3.0 - 3.3 (ODF 1.2) Security patch. It has been fixed in 3.4.x.

[jandersen]

I was a bit too quick when answered; the problem has become more complicated. It seems that it isn't really connected in a simple way to opening more than one file, but it comes and goes. When it happens, it slows down the file dialogs, both the KDE native ones and the Openoffice one. I will have to observe this further; I suppose it could be to do with disk-io, networking (since I also use NFS) or a memory problem. It seems to improve when I close some things down, but I would be surprised if it was memory, as I have 12 GB to play in.

[RoryOF]

Can you manage to test using local files rather than across the network?

[Hagar Delest]

Since almost no change when resetting the profile, close AOO (and Quickstarter) and go to the folder $USERPROFILE/3/user/extensions/bundled/ (where $USERPROFILE is the root path to your profile).
Rename the files extensions.pmap and extensions.db. Restart AOO and see if there is any improvement.

[jandersen]

RoryOF: I'll give that a try, but I seem to remember that the problem was the same, before I found the workaround for the locking problem on NFS. Also, I have the same on my home system (same Debian and Ooo, no NFS).

Hagar: Thank you for helping out - but I am a bit dense as you have no doubt already sensed. What is AOO and Quickstarter? I haven't found any extensions directory under .../3/user, so I can't do that, really

[RoryOF]

You might need to run System Monitor or "top" (no quotes) alongside OpenOffice and see if there is any peculiar activity. Perhaps you might need to adjust "swappiness" which determines when/if the swap file is used.

[kingfisher]

<snip>
Hagar: Thank you for helping out - but I am a bit dense as you have no doubt already sensed. What is AOO and Quickstarter? I haven't found any extensions directory under .../3/user, so I can't do that, really

AOO is the acronym for Apache Open Office which now owns the code for OO and has updated it to version 3.4.1. There is no quick starter for your version. I hope Apache hasn't added it to its version for Linux.

There is a post here about swappiness but your distro may differ.