Slackware in everyday office life?
 

Use anybody Slackware as a default operating system for everyday office life? What about compatibility with files from Microsoft products or etc?

Yup. Its my normal work computer.

Slackware + Libreoffice + Google Docs (For sharing)

how about LibreOffice compatibility with *.docx?

I use it with docx all the time, no issues really. I'm sure if someone embeded some crazy code or such in there, i.e. a full visio drawing, I wouldn't be able to see it tho.

Normal docs, reading, writing, sharing, all work fine. I've had slackware as my primary os for some time, even doing windows development is easier on vm's anyway, and just run them as I need them.

i used Slackware in all of my machines, including desktop, workstation, and of course the servers :)
in fact, i teach classes using Slackware as well and there's one course that require the use of Slackware in every session

about the compatibility, it doesn't really concerns me as i asked them to send me PDF files instead of doc/docx

Back in 2010, my company (http://www.microlinux.fr) has equipped the local school in town with a 100 % Slackware network. Two servers and roughly twenty desktop clients, complete with roaming profiles and central authentication for about sixty users. Currently all machines are running MLES and MLED, my personal blend of Slackware (http://www.microlinux.fr/slackware). Teachers and students are working with Apache Open Office (3.4.1), Inkscape, Scribus, GIMP, etc. and after three years, everybody's quite happy. The director recently confessed to me that he prefers his Slackware desktop (twinview setup) over his Apple laptop. I'll try and take some pictures of the installation soon.

I have Apache Open Office 4.0.0 running on my main workhorse PC, and I just had to deal with a .docx file, an application form sent from an administration here in France. Layout was 99% perfect, only the last line of the page footer was missing. I suggested them they export it to PDF the next time. Aside from that, no problem.

That's awesome!

I have ms-office 2003 (old, I know) running perfectly in WINE on my Slackware64 desktop. However, for scanning I run the HP scanning software in Xp, inside VirtualBox, on the same desktop.

BTW, mickeysoft makes available a "patch," at no charge, for the older versions ms-office so they are compatible with the changes in formats in the newer versions of ms-office.

[curious] do you just prefer the windows software rather than running open-office / simple-scan from within linux ?

I use LibreOffice 99% of the time, but on occasion I get a document that just doesn't "look right" unless opened in ms-word. LibreOffice Impress has a long way to go to catch up with PowerPoint. If you want to view a pps file as it was intended to be seen, you have to use PowerPoint.

Scanning is a sore subject. Rather than repeat it, please see posts #23 and #25 in this thread,

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...515/page2.html

I've used Slackware as my office OS for 18 years now. Open Office handles most doc and docx files and the ones that don't work I can view with Word in Virtualbox running Windows. Cwizardone is right about powerpoint files, though.

I use Slackware as my main machine in the office. I sometimes try a different Linux, but I'm still using Linux.

No major compatibility issues. The Slackbuild for LibreOffice works well and that is an excellent suite. AlienBOB's multilib sets me up for almost any software. Most slackbuilds are easy to update if I want to tweak the software versions I'm using. If I ever do need more compatibility then there are computers around me that run Windows. I just use one of them. This is once in a blue moon though, as 95% of the work I do is all in vim.

Printing is probably the worst thing as a Slackware user. We have 2 network printers. I managed to get one working well via a quick edit on a ppd file, the other just doesn't care to work. Oh, and scanning. Our scanner (part of the not-caring printer) just won't work in any Linux, but then, I haven't given it much time to sort out as I rarely scan.

Yes, for about 10 years already. Firstly as a server, and probably from 2004 or I do not remember exactly as my personal laptop for work. Of course with dropline GNOME, AlienBOB LibreOffice and About 10 GB of emails in evolution.

I had in the past some problems with compatibility of .doc but today i had no issues.

More over, I can safely rsync my user from wherever I am to my office server and keep a backup over there also.

Slackware is rock stable and solid. Thanks Patric !

Edit: PS: Skype for communication with my customers.

Agreed. I've used Slackware since 2004 (version 10.0). I run Slackware at home on four PCs. Unfortunately at work it is a windows only shop.