OpenOffice help- installing new version
 

Yep another newbie trying out RH9 Pro x-windows
Finally got he box online and updated all the packages.
went to openoffice to run it - noticed there was an update out.

I did download the install.tar.gz for open office.
I did get it unpacked into my home folder. something like 529 files

now what so I do ? I have all the files I need - just don't
know how to use the appropriate cd commands and what ever the equivalent of setup.exe is. do have basic understanding of the unix commands -

no former experience installing programs in linux - the issue
I can however follow your 1-2-3-4 steps if provided.
In this cse it's openoffice.

This will help for future operation of the same type.
Youll be teching me how to fish so I can feed myself typ of thing..

Thanks all,
newbielinuxguy

I copied this from OOo's site
If you have a specific question about a
step I will try and help you.

Installation Steps

The following steps assume you want to install OpenOffice on a multi-user Linux setup in an area accessible to all users on your system. This is referred to as a "network" or "multi-user" setup. Additionally you may install OpenOffice in a "single-user" setup. Consult details in the User Setup Guide (a pdf file) included with the installation archive for further details. These instructions assume you are using some X11 window manager to perform the actual installation. The setup is an X application.

1. Make sure you are root

2. Download the tarball from OpenOffice.org (the download can be done from any user account and then moved), and extract the tarball (.tar.gz file) to a temporary directory.
"/tmp" is a good place for example. For the purpose of this example, I will assume you have downloaded the tarball to your /tmp directory.

3. Open a terminal, such as xterm or konsole.
To extract the tarball, change to the /tmp directory: cd /tmp
and extract the tarball: "tar -zxvf [tarball name]".

4. This should create a directory "OOo_1.1x_LinuxIntel_install".
("x" in this sense is a suffix to version 1.1 that will depend on the version you downloaded.)

5. Change into this directory: cd OOo_1.1x_LinuxIntel_install.

6. Execute the setup script for a "network" installation.
This is done with the following command: "./setup -net"
This is a friendly installation process which will prompt you for a destination directory and other OpenOffice installation options. When the setup is finished, you should have a complete "network" installation installed in the destination directory you specified.

7. Part of the installation process includes telling OpenOffice about your Java installation. Normally this can be automatically found or you may need to supply it, or install the JRE supplied with OpenOffice if you don't already have it installed. (But see Prerequisites for more control over this.)

8. Each user on your system should then execute the user-setup for OpenOffice.org.
To do so, login as a regular user, then change into the program directory where you installed OpenOffice.org:
cd /opt/OpenOffice.org1.1.0, for example
and execute the following command:
"./setup"
The user portion of setup will now execute. Tell setup to perform a Workstation installation (should copy about 1.4 MB of files to your home directory) and typically let it default to the directory it recommends for storage of the local files in your user directory.
Example: "/home/billg/OpenOffice.org1.1.0"
Follow the instructions and fill in your contact details.

9. That's it! If you use GNOME or KDE (provided your distro keeps the KDE user files in ~/.kde2), you will find that OpenOffice.org is fully integrated in your environment. If you use a different Windowmanager, you can start OpenOffice.org by typing ~/OpenOffice.org1.1.0/soffice

10. You may remove the install files in /tmp, if you are done installing. (thanks to Henrik Eismark for pointing this out)

Have Fun!

Up2date didn't do the office suite? That is strange. Everything seems to be done on my machine.

Exactly how did you update the packages on your install?

In order to do the package thing, as opposed to the rpm thing, you have to have the kernal sources and at least some of the development packages installed. Since I don't know how much you actually have installed it gets kind of well, pointless.

The very best thing you can do right now, is get the "DOCS" iso from one of the mirrors--unless you have it on disk already--burn it as an image file (using whatever you are familiar with) and install it. Read the README, it will tell you how to install it and where to look for it after it is installed.

Read The Linux Installation Guide; The Linux Customization Guide; and Linux Administration Made Easy. Peruse Maximum RPM as well, it will tell you how things work. These guides will take you where you want to go.

Invest the time now, instead of jumping around. It will make a world of difference--honest. Those documents will lead to others--and so on. Don't just jump into it. Ease into the whole Linux thing. Pace yourself. I tried to cram it all in at once and retained next to nothing. It can be very frustrating to "go blank" in front of the computer after trying to cram it all into your brain at once. I know.

You didn't learn windows over-night, think about it.

Linux isn't just an O.S., it is like trying to learn windows, office, Borland Integrated Development Environment for "C--C++", Photoshop, advanced window administration, networking, A+ hardware certification,and a bunch of others all at once. What ever you want--it's pretty much out there.

:study: Thanks. Very helpful.
I'll start working on that and post results later.

If you are unfamiliar with the command-line, look around for a used copy of Harley Hahn's Student Guide to Unix. (At College bookstores.)

It is somewhat dated and pretty cheesy, but it will walk you through the file system, commands, vi, and e-macs. It is much better to start there than getting Linux Unleashed or something like that. It was-- and still is-- being used as a text-book because it is good.

I have a full linux library, much of which is in "like new" condition. Unless the entire network is hosed, most of the review and double-checking I do ends up being online. When I start getting frustrated because I "should" remember stuff, or frazzled enough to get confused, I'll pick up the HH book and peruse it. The cheesy humor, and breezy way he writes is soothing--sort of like a reset button. To quickly look up commands on "dead trees" I use O'Reilly's Running Linux book.