Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

@keniv :-

I'll agree with 6502coder here; it really is nothing to worry about. As mikeslr points out, about all they use your email for is to send you occasional reminders about product upgrades, and sometimes to offer free 'font packs', etc. They don't bombard you with crap, like some I could mention....I will give them that.

I think you'll find that if you've ever used their products in the past, they've got a record of previous email 'key requests' and the like. That's why some of us don't get the product key request box come up.

It's not a problem, mate; you can rest assured of that.

Mike.

@mikewalsh
Hi Mike,
Thanks for the information above. I can't remember if I've tried to use it before. If I have I don't remember having to get a product key. I see you have a 64 bit portable version in another thread. You know how much I like the portables. If I get a product key I'll give it a try.

Regards,

Ken.

keniv wrote: ↑Tue Oct 12, 2021 9:58 am

I downloaded SM-Textmaker32_Free2818_engMinimal_gg-0.2.sfs and placed it on sda1 where I also have a copy of Dpup Stretch. I used Munu>setup>SFS Load on the fly to load it. At this point a pop-up box appears giving the option to "run" it which I did. At this point I get the box in the image I have attached. If I click on "Get your free product key now" I get the box the image of which I included in my previous post. I get exactly the same if I try and launch from Menu>Document>FreeOffice 2018 TextMaker. It also happens with @mikewalsh's version of TextMaker 'standalone' Hope this helps.

Hi ken - sorry that you ran into this roadblock. I honestly did not expect it with Freeoffice. It is not something I have experienced during my usage of Freeoffice but possibly this is because I do not have any savefile so each boot is like a fresh install.

Is it possible that you already had either of the following directories or files on disk? :

/root/Softmaker
/root/.softmaker
/root/.config/softmaker

These appear after the first run of any Softmaker product.

In my case these disappear at shutdown and don't cause any trouble.

And if I am trialling a bunch of different pets/sfs during a testing session I frequently delete these files/directories as they still hang around after the Freeoffice sfs is unloaded or the pet is uninstalled. (During normal use they just disappear at the end of each day never to be seen again because I have no savefile)

Maybe it is possible that your installation may have some residue of a previous Softmaker product testing and so it asks for the product key.
I really don't know for sure.

Sorry about that!

ps: one other factor that may impact this - is that I never fill out the user details screen. I just click cancel and continue to the main screen.

@greengeek :-

You're probably right about things working differently due to your lack of a 'save'. I keep forgetting you run like that....

In my experience,/root/Softmaker has always been there. I used to see /root/.softmaker alongside it with FreeOffice 2016, but not since they moved to the newer builds.

/root/.config/softmaker, I have never seen in the years I've used it. Nor /root/.local/share/softmaker; I have found some apps stick stuff in here, though not on this occasion...

Mike.

mikewalsh wrote: ↑Tue Oct 12, 2021 8:31 pm

/root/.config/softmaker, I have never seen in the years I've used it.

I wasn't certain about that one. I have it in the back of my mind that there was once a tricky little config file that hid away somewhere - but I suspect that was only specific to a version I found somewhere which had a "limited time free trial" of the full Softmaker Office. (I got bitten by that one because all of the documents created during the trial period stopped working 3 months later and could only be read by my paid version. That really upset me so I'm only coming back to Softmaker products just now - even though I have had work and personal paid subscriptions for years)

Uploaded new versions and more info to first post (different sized packages to suit hopefully all tastes)

@greengeek
Sorry I seem to have put you to all this trouble.

Hi ken - sorry that you ran into this roadblock. I honestly did not expect it with Freeoffice. It is not something I have experienced during my usage of Freeoffice but possibly this is because I do not have any savefile so each boot is like a fresh install.

Is it possible that you already had either of the following directories or files on disk? :

/root/Softmaker
/root/.softmaker
/root/.config/softmaker

Of the three mentioned above the only one I have is /root/Softmaker which, for the moment, I've renamed to /root/Softmakerold. Nor do I have /root/.local/share/softmaker mentioned by@mikewalsh though he mentioned, like some of the others, he had not seen them in a while but I thought that it was still worth checking. I'm not surprised that I have /root/Softmaker as I have recently tried both yours and Mike's versions of Textmaker
I see from your latest post that you have produced thee new packages. I think of the three I would probably choose the .sfs version of package 2).

I initially believed there was no need for user registration with the latest version of Freeoffice but after seeing keniv's comments it appears that it may be necessary to obtain a free product key from Softmaker at some point.

I have a couple of questions about this which I hope you won't mind answering just to confirm I'm doing the right thing.
1) From the above quote should a request for registration now be expected?
2) I take it that before I install a new package I should manually remove anything previously to do with Textmaker.

Regards,

Ken.

keniv wrote: ↑Wed Oct 13, 2021 2:39 pm

I have a couple of questions about this which I hope you won't mind answering just to confirm I'm doing the right thing.
1) From the above quote should a request for registration now be expected?
2) I take it that before I install a new package I should manually remove anything previously to do with Textmaker.
Regards,
Ken.

Hi Ken,
Many thanks for testing. It is really helpful

1) It appears that a request for obtaining a product key may pop up unexpectedly. Somewhat annoying but as others have said - Softmaker seems to be a trustworthy company and just want to advise users of other features or (paid) products. That is business I guess - but I am annoyed by it in this case as I have not seen such a popup yet and I thought we had moved away from that behaviour.

2) Just for trial purposes it is probably worth making sure that /root/Softmaker directory is removed before loading any Freeoffice or Textmaker pet or sfs for the first time. If - after trialling - you plan to keep Textmaker longer term then it will probably be beneficial to keep that directory and just accept the likely need for obtaining a product key.

However - I think the appearance of the popup depends on how you run your pups. I will suggest some other testing options and if you feel like experimenting there may be more to learn about this:

- It would be interesting to see what happens if you temporarily hide any savefile you have (and also remove the Softmaker directory as discussed). I wonder if you will then experience what I do - that Textmaker runs with no product key request.

- Do not fill out the "user details" field during programme startup (not sure if you ever got that far before seeing the product key request...)

- Be offline when loading Textmaker pet or sfs.

No worries if you don't feel like any further testing. I will be trying various things to see why/when the product key becomes a requirement.

Cheers!

@greengeek

- It would be interesting to see what happens if you temporarily hide any savefile you have (and also remove the Softmaker directory as discussed). I wonder if you will then experience what I do - that Textmaker runs with no product key request.

- Do not fill out the "user details" field during programme startup (not sure if you ever got that far before seeing the product key request...)

- Be offline when loading Textmaker pet or sfs.

Hi greengeek,
I downloaded version https://www.mediafire.com/file/t1yllmn9 ... gg-0.3.sfs and installed it on sda1. On this partition I have a copy of Dpup Stretch 7.5. I booted it pfix=ram. When it booted to the desktop I did not make any setup changes so no connection to the internet. I then used "SFS Load on the fly" to load it. I did not get any requests to get a product key. I got two pop-up boxes the first was a kind of "choose your preferences" and the second was more like the "user details" you mentioned in your post. I made no changes to either. The textmaker "start a document page" then appeared so it does look like the restrictions under which you run your system does have an affect on whether you are asked for a product key or not though we would have to see what happens when I boot up with my save folder then a save folder and an internet connection. Don't have time to try this just now but will try it tomorrow and report back. Hope this is of help.

Regards,

Ken.

@keniv @greengeek After a fresh install you will not see the registration request dialog.
However when you open menu Help -> Manage license you can access this dialog. The right button reads "Skip (10 days left)". On keniv's screenshot this button is grayed out ("0 days left"). Explains why a user running without a savefile will never be asked to register - provided the user powers down his machine regularly and doesn't just sends the machine to sleep via suspend mode.

MochiMoppel wrote: ↑Thu Oct 14, 2021 2:31 am

After a fresh install you will not see the registration request dialog.
... Explains why a user running without a savefile will never be asked to register - provided the user powers down his machine regularly and doesn't just sends the machine to sleep via suspend mode.

Great, thanks for the explanation MM.
So users who have savefiles, save folders, or sequential system captures to adrv / ydrv are likely to experience the registration popup.
If I understand the Softmaker website correctly then registering may be a good idea as having entered the product key ensures the programme will run fully indefinitely.
So in cases like mine - with no savefile - i could remaster the /root/Softmaker directory into my adrv after registering Textmaker. (Possibly will do that at some stage but for now I will just keep using it without savefile)

greengeek wrote: ↑Sat Oct 09, 2021 7:35 am

Each version is available in either pet or sfs
1) A "fullfonts" normal sized Textmaker which includes all of the fonts that come with the Freeoffice suite.
2) A "basicfonts" version with a reduced font set to make the package smaller (This is the one I mostly use).
3) A "supermicro" version which only contains one font - which is necessary for the interface to be readable.

I prefer to use
4) A "supernanobarebone" version containing the only 3 files (= 23MB) Textmaker requires to start:
textmaker
textmaker.iwr
textmaker_us.dwr

OK, that's not a pet or sfs. I keep these files outside of Puppy, together with a little launch script to set the location for the Settings folder and a few .ini settings to avoid the nagging startup dialogs asking for my preferred "user interface" and for "user data". I also try to prevent Textmaker from downloading tons of useless banner images after starting for the first time.

I don't know why you need an extra font. Textmaker seems to be happy with my system fonts, however it is picky when it comes to Japanese fonts. Without NotoSansCJKjp-Regular.otf a Japanese interface would not be readable, no matter which other fine Japanese fonts I've installed.

I've cobbled together an English-only 'micro-portable' version, taking on board some of what Mochi's been saying, along the lines of Ian's 'supermicro'. I, too, have found that there is ONE font which is necessary for a clear interface. Without it, everything is pale & washed-out looking, and ain't at all clearly readable. I have crap eyesight, after years in the mineral-processing industry, and can't bear bright light. Wherever possible, I always run apps in 'dark' mode; in TextMaker's case, that washed-out pale grey font is almost impossible to read.....

You can read about it here, along with a wee vid to explain stuff a bit more:-

viewtopic.php?p=39342#p39342

Mike.

MochiMoppel wrote: ↑Sat Oct 16, 2021 7:21 am

I prefer to use
4) A "supernanobarebone" version containing the only 3 files (= 23MB) Textmaker requires to start:
textmaker
textmaker.iwr
textmaker_us.dwr

Clever idea. Here is a trial pet and sfs using that idea (and incorporating a menu entry). Seems to have a clear user interface (at least with the basic fonts already in my current system) and after minimal testing seems to be fine. I don't know if there will be any downstream issues but it will be very handy if this supernano idea proves reliable.
Thanks MM!

https://www.mediafire.com/file/wfucwzlj ... gg-0.1.pet (11MB)

https://www.mediafire.com/file/ge25m426 ... gg-0.1.sfs (9MB)

mikewalsh wrote: ↑Sat Oct 16, 2021 7:47 pm

I've cobbled together an English-only 'micro-portable' version, taking on board some of what Mochi's been saying

Works well. Couple of questions:
1) Is clicking the LAUNCH script the correct way to start this? (works perfectly but i'm just not sure if I'm using this the intended way)
2) Seems that this portable method keeps Softmaker directory out of /root - is that correct? (quite like that feature...)

@greengeek :-

1) Mm-hm. From what Mochi was saying, and from what my own investigation has revealed, SoftMaker use the

SMPATH

....variable in their own builds, to delineate the location of the FreeOffice directory....where all the binaries normally live in the full suite. So, the 'LAUNCH' script sets the portable directory to equal SMPATH, then simply runs

$SMPATH/textmaker

....to start it. And creating the 'portable.txt' blank file alongside the binary tells TextMaker to create its config directory in the same location.

2> /dev/null

....simply tells the script to ignore creating 'portable.txt' if it already exists.

(If you don't use the 'LAUNCH' script, it goes scampering off to look for the 'freeoffice2018' directory in /usr/share, which is where the 'standard' download will locate it. Not finding that, it'll then try to create a 'ghost' directory, and put the 'SoftMaker' config directory inside that! However, IF it finds a 'freeoffice' directory in /usr/share, the 'SoftMaker' directory will then get put in the standard location in /root...)

2) This being the case, with this type of portable method, the 'SoftMaker' directory never goes anywhere near /root.

Okay?

Mike.

greengeek wrote: ↑Sat Oct 16, 2021 8:29 pm

mikewalsh wrote: ↑Sat Oct 16, 2021 7:47 pm

I've cobbled together an English-only 'micro-portable' version, taking on board some of what Mochi's been saying

Works well. Couple of questions:
1) Is clicking the LAUNCH script the correct way to start this? (works perfectly but i'm just not sure if I'm using this the intended way)

Despite Mike's claim that not using the LAUNCH script would go "scampering off to look for the 'freeoffice2018' directory in /usr/share" I don't see how this would be possible. IMO there is no reason whatsoever to use the provided LAUNCH script. Just clicking on the textmaker binary works fine. As long as the portable.txt file is present Textmaker will create the SoftMaker directory in the binary directory.

2) Seems that this portable method keeps Softmaker directory out of /root - is that correct? (quite like that feature...)

Normally yes. Depends on the location of the binaries. If you start the textmaker binary from a USB stick it will write the stuff to the USB stick, which is something I don't like.

By default Textmaker creates the Softmaker directory in $HOME, that's why in single-user Puppies it normally ends up in /root, however you can create it in any directory you like by changing HOME. In its simplest form a launch script could look like this:

#!/bin/sh
HOME=/tmp
exec "/path/to/textmaker"

Creates a disposable directory /tmp/SoftMaker (wouldn't get saved even when using savefiles).

greengeek-I dl'd: https://www.mediafire.com/file/ge25m426 ... gg-0.1.sfs (9MB). When I went to move it to a folder, this is what I got:

Your suggestions, please.

tosim wrote: ↑Sun Oct 17, 2021 4:10 pm

greengeek-I dl'd: https://www.mediafire.com/file/ge25m426 ... gg-0.1.sfs (9MB). When I went to move it to a folder, this is what I got:
text1.png

Your suggestions, please.

My guess is that the question mark needs to be removed from the new directory name. I assume that is just a manual typo - unless you have an automatic copy utility of some sort?
Or is textmaker misreporting the directory name?

Thanks for the reply. Previously to my above post, I had changed file name to : "textmaker.sfs". And then I
got the error message also.
Edit: I removed "?" from Directory name, and working correctly now. Thanks again.

tosim wrote: ↑Sun Oct 17, 2021 5:15 pm

I had changed file name to : "textmaker.sfs". And then I got the error message also.

Changing the sfs name should be fine as long as the sfs is not currently loaded (not a good idea with .pets but i believe it's fine with .sfs) - but in such a case I think it is important to remove the /root/SoftMaker directory if present (as i assume it would contain some path info from previous runs). Similar if the sfs is relocated - remove the SoftMaker directory would be my advice.
Thanks for testing!

Definitely not a good idea to re-name built packages unless you have a very good reason.

From my experience .pets definitely don't like it, because the exterior 'name' then doesn't match up with the internal 'pet-specs' file inside, which goes into the PPM's 'database'. (That's not strictly "how it happens", I know, but it's how I think of it.)

It's not something I've ever tried with an SFS.

AppImages, on the other hand, can be re-named to anything you want, and this can be carried out as many times as you like....clicking on the outer 'shell' merely transfers the executable action to the 'AppRun' file one layer in. This is what actually starts everything rolling....

Mike.

About 5 yrs ago I uploaded a compact en_US version of FO 2012 (vers. 697). All three parts are shrunk to a 18Mb zip file. The secrect to GG's download is to register and then include the dot softmaker folder (belongs in root) in the package. The stripped down versions to a single language are VERY small (mine abt 39Mb inflated... thats all three functions). The user manual is pdf and will not compress much at all... one might keep it as a separate D/L.

Regards
8Geee

greengeek wrote: ↑Sat Oct 16, 2021 8:18 pm

MochiMoppel wrote: ↑Sat Oct 16, 2021 7:21 am

I prefer to use
4) A "supernanobarebone" version containing the only 3 files (= 23MB) Textmaker requires to start:
textmaker
textmaker.iwr
textmaker_us.dwr

Clever idea. Here is a trial pet and sfs using that idea (and incorporating a menu entry). Seems to have a clear user interface (at least with the basic fonts already in my current system) and after minimal testing seems to be fine. I don't know if there will be any downstream issues but it will be very handy if this supernano idea proves reliable.
Thanks MM!

https://www.mediafire.com/file/wfucwzlj ... gg-0.1.pet (11MB)

https://www.mediafire.com/file/ge25m426 ... gg-0.1.sfs (9MB)

Hi greengeek,
Just tried the .sfs version of the above with Dpup Stretch. It opened and did not immediately demand registration or a product key. I did not make changes to anything in the pop-up boxes. I started a "test" document which I named Test. I saved it as a .docx. All of this worked. I re-opened it, made a change and closed it again and this also worked. Menu entry in "Document" also works. I have closed textmaker then reopened it, a number of times, using the menu and this also works. I have a /root/Softmaker folder but no hidden .softmaker file. Fonts and sharpness of the display seem fine to me. I only have one issue. When I click on File>Discover SoftMaker Office>Information my default browser opens but only as far as the start page. I assume it should take me to the SoftMaker site. However, for a 9MB .sfs so far I'm very impressed.

Regards,

Ken.

@keniv - thank you very much for the testing. That seems very positive and encouraging and matches my testing without savefile (I use adrv techniques for personalisation). I would note that MochiMoppel has highlighted the presence of an /etc/SoftMaker directory that may also contain relevant license info - so it may be prudent to copy (or delete) that directory also - in order to maintain license integrity. (Sorry that I don't have more complete advice at this stage -it appears that /root/SoftMaker is not the only directory to consider. I have not been aware of the /etc/SoftMaker directory before now so it is something I may need to track to see what/when it has an effect)
Cheers!

keniv wrote: ↑Mon Oct 18, 2021 3:39 pm

I only have one issue. When I click on File>Discover SoftMaker Office>Information my default browser opens but only as far as the start page. I assume it should take me to the SoftMaker site. However, for a 9MB .sfs so far I'm very impressed

I an not sure of the best way to handle this missing function but I suspect it may be due to a couple of files missing from the reduced textmaker.

If you feel like testing further you could maybe try installing either of the following pet or sfs (in addition to the main Textmaker pet or sfs).
They add an html file that i think may activate the link you were using (not sure - just a guess...)

keniv wrote: ↑Mon Oct 18, 2021 3:39 pm

I only have one issue. When I click on File>Discover SoftMaker Office>Information my default browser opens but only as far as the start page. I assume it should take me to the SoftMaker site.

Which menu? Do you mean menu item Help -> Discover SoftMaker Office? Works for me. Opens https://www.softmaker.com/en/

Other items like Help -> User Manual or Help -> Softmaker web site require local files which may be missing from your installation, however Textmaker would open a message with the path and name of the missing file.

I've downloaded the sfs, seems to be a fair alternative. Thanks greengeek. Like with my browsers, I moved the programme's entries from /root and symlinked it back. If you are online it wants to check stuff (registration?). I rather just use it offline, then nothing happens. Also - if the application is already running BEFORE you go online, it won't bother you with a licence key or whatever it's trying to access.

greengeek wrote: ↑Tue Oct 19, 2021 7:08 am

I have not been aware of the /etc/SoftMaker directory before now so it is something I may need to track to see what/when it has an effect)

Holds the (scrambled) product key - after you've obtained one.

Works with Racy and Precise too.