Powerpoint viewer for Puppy?

[Grogster]

Hello everyone.

Does anyone know of a Powerpoint viewer for Puppy?
I have a need to run a slideshow at a kiosk, and figured this would be something Puppy would be PERFECT for doing, using an old redundant computer.
The ability to edit the show would be a plus, but just a plain viewer only would also be fine.
Does anyone know of anything like that as a stand-alone app?

I know you can use LibreOffice's "Presentation", but I am more looking for something small and self-contained that I can just load .ppt or .odp files into and run them full-screen etc. without having the full LibreOffice suite installed.

[BarryK]

There is FreeOffice 55MB PET here:

https://distro.ibiblio.org/easyos/amd64 ... -amd64.pet

You could open it up and remove the spreadsheet and wordprocessor components, then put it together again, to make it smaller.

It is free, but you have to register with them after 6 days of usage.

I don't know of any viewer-only app for Linux.

[Geek3579]

One could convert the powerpoint to PF on one computer and use any PDF viewer on the presentation computer.

Libreoffice can convert ppt to pdf on the command line: soffice --headless --convert-to pdf inputfile.pptx

Imagemagick can also do the conversion to PDF, but it might be more steps.

[mikewalsh]

@Grogster :-

Mm. I agree with Barry's idea, above. I already did just that with the "TextMaker" component from FreeOffice, turning it into a standalone word-processor. Rockedge quite likes it!

I see absolutely no reason why we couldn't do the same thing with the "Presentations" component; turn it into a standalone, 'portable' item. If you like, leave it with me and I'll take a look at it, see what needs doing.... Or you could try it yourself. Up to you, of course.

Let us know what you'd like to do. Will you be wanting it for a 64-bit box, or a 32-bit one? I'm only asking, because if you want it for a 32-bit machine, it'll need to be the component from FreeOffice2019, rather than FreeOffice2021. That was the last 32-bit package SoftMaker put together, y'see.

Mike.

[rockedge]

Rockedge quite likes it!

I do really like it! Now my #1 goto text editor on the Puppy's, KLV's and WDL's I mess around with. The great thing is the @mikewalsh SFS version works on all 3 distro types. One SFS that will run directly after load in all 3 systems.

How cool is that?

This is the one I am using all over the place -> Textmaker2019-amd64.sfs

[mikewalsh]

@Grogster :-

Well, that was easy enough....largely due to FreeOffice's 'modular' construction. I used Textmaker-portable as a base, and along with some editing, basically just swapped-over the relevant components.

Same as with TextMaker-portable, or indeed with any of the portables.....you can put it anywhere you like, although it's better outside the save. With thanks to MochiMoppel, who discovered the FreeOffice 'trick' of placing an empty text file inside the main directory - called 'portable.txt' - there's no need of the usual sym-linking tricks I normally employ. That empty file causes the app to create its config directory inside the main one, so it's totally self-contained.

I've only built a 32-bit version for now, since you've said you're considering an old box for this. If you want a 64-bit variant, I'll be doing the same for that one shortly.

You can find 'Presentations2019-portable32' here:-

https://mega.nz/folder/PPBxQKyZ#CQQdVG1NWU_9WZvk0JxjFA

• Download

• Unzip

• Put the portable's directory anywhere you want, but.....outside the 'save' is preferable

• Click to enter

• Click on 'LAUNCH' to keep it completely portable. If you want a Menu entry for it, the MenuAdd/Remove scripts will manage that for you. The 'MenuReadMe' explains how to use these...

Let us know if it does what you want, and if you want a 64-bit version, just say.

Mike.

[rockedge]

if you want a 64-bit version, just say.

Say!

[BarryK]

Mike,
I suppose you know that FreeOffice 2021 is available.

[mikewalsh]

Mike,
I suppose you know that FreeOffice 2021 is available.

Indeed I do, Barry. The 64-bit version I've just put together is the Presentations component from FreeOffice 2021. The 32-bit version has to be based on FreeOffice 2019, because after that SoftMaker moved to 64-bit only, so.....no choice in the matter, y'see. It still works perfectly, and I've never been obsessive about "must always have the very latest version". The tired old mantra about newer stuff always being more secure doesn't hold much water with me....though in this case, it IS the most recent 32-bit version available.

Not very "geek-like", am I? (And probably giving folks the wrong idea about Puppy....*sigh*) Though here, I'm but echoing what bigpup tells newbies often enough; get out of the idea that you must constantly update. If it works - and it's stable, and does what you want - why faff about wi' it?

(*shrug*)

Anyways; the 64-bit 'Presentations2021-portable64' can be found at the same location as the 32-bit version, above. Just navigate through and help yourselves, guys.

Mike.

[mikewalsh]

@Grogster :-

Forgot to mention. The only caveat is that you WILL need to obtain a free licence. Basically, they want an email address off you, so they can email the licence 'key' to you. They don't abuse this information; unlike some organisations, who bombard you with crap as soon as they have your email, SoftMaker might send you the odd communication every few weeks, perhaps regarding a new product, or the offer of a free font pack.....stuff like that. They are - thankfully! - quite restrained when it comes to contacting you about things.

You should be able to request this item from within the software, when you're asked to enter a product key. There's a link with which to obtain a product key if you don't already have one.....this opens your default browser (or maybe not; it's a long while since I had to go through this procedure, and I don't really remember!)

Once you have this, you can install/activate FreeOffice - either the complete item, or any of these 'standalone' items - on as many Pups as you want.

Mike.

[Grogster]

Wow - once again, this forum surprises me with how many posts show up on threads!
Thanks everyone.

I will certainly try out Presentation Portable as Mike has gone to all the trouble to build it for us!

I will post back later. I plan to use FriendlyBionic32, as it has the VNC feature installed, so I was hoping to simply add a viewer/editor to that distro, and turn it into a kiosk display with VNC remote-desktop ability for changing display files etc, but having a 64-bit version also is wonderful.

[Grogster]

32-bit version works beautifully.

If I try to save any changes, it moans about "Illegal copies", so I will need to do the register thing to get my free key, but that is well worth it.
The program runs a test .pps file with transition effects etc fullscreen perfectly, so this is exactly what I need.

Special thanks to Mike for compiling the stand-alone versions of this.

[Grogster]

OK, I have my free license key, have entered it, the application seems to have accepted it, but I still can't save any changes to the .pps file.
I have attached a screenshot of the error message.
I thought that was referring to the application itself, but perhaps it is referring to the Aviation.pps file?
I have no idea if the file is locked or not, it was just the first .pps file I could find to play around with.

If anyone has a .pps file they would be willing to share with me, that would be fab, then I can test that theory.

[mikewalsh]

@Grogster :-

There are some "demo" .ppt slide show files here that you could try:-

https://filesamples.com/formats/ppt

The first one is basically a slide show explaining how to use PowerPoint itself. Perhaps have a go at 'modifying' some of these, and see if you get the same issue again...? It's the best part of 20 years since I used PowerPoint; had to learn it as part of gaining my European Computer Driving License (ECDL).....which is a recognised qualification over here in Europe.

(I stress again; whatever else y'all think of me, don't ever make the mistake of thinking I know what I'm doing! I bumble along, often getting things to work more by luck than judgement; I'm a 'tinkerer', not a 'coder'...

At the time, in the early 'noughties', the ECDL was a recently-introduced IT qualification. At that point, I was out of work, claiming unemployment benefit, and had to attend a course, 3 days a week, where you did nothing all day long BUT look for work.

As part of this, the Blair UK gov't of the time decided it would be a good idea to offer the ECDL to those who were unemployed; it would SURELY improve their chances of finding work! I signed-up for it 'cos it looked fun. Never did help me find work - the prevailing attitude from employers in those days was that they wanted experienced people, and didn't want to waste resources in training people up to do things their way - but much of what I learnt has served me well ever since. Shortly after that, I went 'full-time' as a carer officially, and dropped off the unemployment register...)

Mike.

[Grogster]

Hi - thanks, Mike.

I have downloaded some sample files, but I still get the same error.
The error itself is somewhat cryptic and vague.
It suggests that the file I am using MIGHT be an illegal copy, but even free sample files that will have no copyright etc, are refused.
This is interesting.

I downloaded Sample1, Sample2 and Sample3, all of which generate this error, if I make some changes, then try to SAVE AS with a new filename.

[mikewalsh]

@Grogster :-

Found the answer over on SoftMaker's forum. See here:-

https://forum.softmaker.com/viewtopic.php?f=420&t=22473

This refers to the 2021 release - your 32-bit is of course the previous 2018/9 release - but it's the same bug, and related to the trick MochiMoppel unearthed about using that "portable.txt" file to keep it self-contained. The solution is to trick it into thinking it's a "full", normal install instead......which is the way I usually build the portables. These SoftMaker portables were a departure from the norm; since we'd found out about the use of the 'portable.txt' file, I thought I may as well use it.

Needless to say, it's ONLY Presentations that is affected by this...!

---------------------------------------------------

I've rebuilt this to use the 'normal' sym-linking stuff my portables usually employ. This way, it now works fine, and any changes you make can be saved as expected. Means a re-download, I'm afraid; sorry!

Let us know if the new version meets your expectations.

Mike.

[Grogster]

Hello.

This is excellent.
Thank you very much.

Now I can save changes to files and everything is perfect.

[mikewalsh]

Hello.

This is excellent.
Thank you very much.

Now I can save changes to files and everything is perfect.

Good, good. Glad I could help. Enjoy..!

Mike.