OpenOffice 2.3 just downloaded fails to open

[martinpion]

I have a 1.33 GHz PowerBook G4 12" with 768 MB SDRAM and about 2GB free disk space running Mac OS 10.5.1. I've been unable to open any of the MS Office 2001 v10.1.8 applications for some reason - they quit without any error message shortly after launching, a problem which started after trying to open a corrupt file. So today I downloaded first X11 [now in the Utilities folder] followed by OpenOffice.org 2.3.0, in the Applications folder. When I try to launch this application I get the following error windows instead:

"sysv" doesn't understand the <<event fndrgstl>> message.

followed by:

<<script>> doesn't understand the <<event earsffdr>> message.

I believe I've followed the download instructions correctly. Does anyone have any idea for how to correct this problem so I can use OpenOffice? I'd like to see if I can open an existing MS Office PPT file with it and how well it handles the conversion. [Apple's Keynote program opens a PPT file but without any of the animations.] Many thanks!

[UweAltmann]

Hi
Using 10.5, you must not download but install X11 from your system install DVD (since 10.5, X 11 will be installed by default when installing the OS).
Did you install a downloaded X11? Then you messed up your system I presume. If you didn't install it, just delete the downloaded file and forget about that.
To test if everything is OK, do a double click on "X 11"-icon in your utilities folder. This should open a new, white window titeled "-xterm" with the text "bash-3.2$" followed by a blank an a black rectangle in it.
Then your X 11 is installed correctly.
Please report the result here.

BTW: Most animations in ppt files will not work in OOo too. Sorry for that, but not all ppt effects are available in OOo so far.

[martinpion]

Hi,
Thanks for your responding. I found the instructions on the web for OpenOffice somewhat confusing, frankly and it wasn't clear what path I should follow. As far as I can recall I did what I described previously.

However, I've just checked my list of downloads and I don't see it X11 listed. The only relevant download is OOo_2.3.0_MacOSXPPC_install_en-US.dmg.

I tried double-clicking on X11 in my Utilities folder, as you suggested, and it doesn't appear to launch, although it tries to, i.e. there's an initial expansion of X11 but no new window opens.

My computer is acting abnormally. Many aliases no longer work: a message pops up instead that "the original item could not be found - Delete/Fix/OK." It balks when I try to move some files into a folder, saying I don't have permission. I don't know if I can blame this all on X11 because of the problems preceding it with MS Office, which would not longer open, plus subsequent attempts made using various diagnostic tools to fix it, e.g Apple Disk Utility, Drive Genius, and Disk Warrior, which preceded my trying OpenOffice as a last resort. I do have Mac 10.5's Time Machine backing up my computer. I'm wondering if I can go back a day or so and fix things that way. Any thoughts?

[kabing]

I have a 1.33 GHz PowerBook G4 12" with 768 MB SDRAM and about 2GB free disk space running Mac OS 10.5.1.

The 2GB free disk space may be part of your problem. Mac OSX uses free hard drive space for virtual memory. The usual recommendation is to leave 10% of your hard drive free for virtual memory.

You should probably also use Disk Utility to repair permissions.

kabing

[martinpion]

Thanks for your suggestions. Recently my HD free space fell below 1GB and I was occasionally having problems saving - getting "0 bytes free HD space available" type message - before managing to do some housekeeping and free up more space, so I take your point. However, the multiple problems I'm having now are entirely new and unprecedented.

I've tried using Disk Utility several times and will do so again in order to record the message it gives but, as I recall, it failed to complete the Verify/Repair Permissions check. Regards, Martin

[wurzel]

Thanks for your suggestions. Recently my HD free space fell below 1GB and I was occasionally having problems saving - getting "0 bytes free HD space available" type message - before managing to do some housekeeping and free up more space, so I take your point. However, the multiple problems I'm having now are entirely new and unprecedented.

I've tried using Disk Utility several times and will do so again in order to record the message it gives but, as I recall, it failed to complete the Verify/Repair Permissions check. Regards, Martin

Hi,

The problem is that using Mac OSX with insufficient free disk space causes system file overwrites, at least on PPC macines (it shouldn't, but it does), I don't know whether Apple finally got this sorted with the Intel version, although I doubt it since they both (PPC and Intel versions) use the same file system. In my experience, this is the major source of file system corruption on OSX, and one which is not easily reparable. If you have less than 1Gb of free disk space, you will have problems using OOo, so couple that with however much Leopard needs, then you'll have a recipe for disaster. This may also be the reason why you can't launch any of the MSOffice apps properly.

Alex