Ok I am running RH 9.0 on my laptop, and I wanted to upgrade my Openoffice 1.02 to Openoffice 1.1 (the new version)

Unpacked the tar.gz file into my home directory.

cd'd to this in command line.

./setup -net to do a multi-user install.

Gave me an option of where to install it (something like /oops/openoffice1.02, or similar), well I knew this was wrong so like a fool I sent it to /usr/lib/ and then thinking this was better /etc/.

Now I uninstalled the old openoffice and deleted /usr/lib/openoffice and /etc/openoffice as well as /usr/local/openoffice. Thinking I would have a clean slate I installed openoffice 1.02 from the Redhat CD. Now I have the launchers back but they refuse to open the openoffice applications, even after a reboot.

I think I have messed up big time and I am thinking about re-installing my OS.

to see if there is some openoffice file somewhere try this

$ locate openoffice
if there are some -> erase them

if there isn't anything try to reinstall the OO 1.1

I have installed it in /usr/local/share/

I think it is a good idea to install new package all in the same directory...

Got it sorted out thanks, I removed all the old stuff and installed in my home directory.

Yeah forget exactly how I sorted it now but I think I purged everything I could find (is there a purge command? I just used locate) on OpenOffice and then did the install into /usr and then into my home directory. Then had to mess with the commands for the launchers but it now seems to be working fine.

I am not sure how the Redhat set up was I think maybe my user inatallation was in /home/me/.Openoffice or something - Does this . make it invisible or something?

Yes every file that starts with a dot (.bashrc for example) is a hidden file

For sure the rpm OO installation creates a directory in your home like .openoffice