Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

See solved post at https://www.forum.puppylinux.com/viewto ... 26#p144626

@mikewalsh
▶—— Distro Specifications ——◀

Operating System:
Distro Name fossapup64 9.6 (x86_64)

When I attempt to download LibreOffice portable from MediaFire the download switches to an ad to upgrade MediaFire and does not activate.
How to activate download from MediaFire without upgrading MediaFire?
Must I sign up with MediaFire before I can download anything?
Thank you in advance,
Sky

@Sky Aisling :-

It's one of the few downsides of MediaFire. It's how they pay for the 'free' tier.

Did you notice the wee "X" in the top-right corner of the ad? If you click on that, it should disappear.....and after clicking the link again - if necessary - it should then take you straight to the download page. It takes ME straight in, but I have had an a/c with 'em for close on a decade now....

Let us know if that helps.

Mike.

So, I must sign in to MediaFire? Is there a fee for this site?
Sky

@Sky Aisling :-

Sky Aisling wrote: Thu Mar 13, 2025 4:40 pm

So, I must sign in to MediaFire? Is there a fee for this site?
Sky

No, no, no; you do NOT need to sign in, OR create an account. MediaFire would of course LIKE you to, but it's NOT compulsory. All I'm saying is that MediaFire WILL put ads up in front of things. It's the "name of the game" for many sites these days, and happens right across the web. MediaFire are NOT unique in doing this.

IF an advert pops up in front of what you're trying to do, simply click on the wee "X" in the top corner of the advert to get rid of it.....and THEN you can carry on with what you're trying to do.

Does that make it any clearer for you?

Mike.

That's what I'm attempting to tell you, Mike. The ad pops up, I check the wee 'x' in the corner, the ad goes away but so does the download option. So, I punch the download option again and whoopsie the ad with the little 'x' in the corner shows up again. Loopity, Loopity.

Sky

Issue Solved

To anyone else reading this and struggling downloading from MediaFire see the screen shot below.
Sky

@mikewalsh @bigpup

UPDATE

LibreOffice portable was downloaded from MediaFire.
LibreOffice portable was extracted by pExtract.
LibreOffice portable was placed in /mounthome.

I no longer have access to any document written by LibreOffice in my entire system.

The old not portable LibreOffice is still in the system and it no longer activates files.

Puppy is my primary and only system I have for maintaining files electronically.
Yes, I have a backup of files, years of backups, but ...
Yes, checksums matched.

I have no idea where to go from here.

Sky
PS - bigpup, the 'add to menu' failed also.

@Sky Aisling :-

Huh. Well, that's not supposed to happen.....

Can you launch the old LibreOffice from Menu -> Document -> Libre Office 7.0? Does it fire-up?

If not, can you let us have a screeny showing the contents of /opt, please?

Mike.

@mikewalsh

Can you launch the old LibreOffice from Menu -> Document -> Libre Office 7.0? Does it fire-up?

No

Re: /OPT - my notes say that I deleted the old LibreOffice 7.0 from /OPT after downloading Portable LibreOffice and moving it to ~/mount home.

@Sky Aisling :-

Looks to me as though you simply deleted the SFS, without unloading it first. Yes? No? If you don't unload it, the /opt/libreoffice directory will disappear at next boot, but you'll be left with a bunch of what I call "ghost" menu entries.....which don't point anywhere, and don't do anything.

You'll also probably have a dead sym-link, or link(s) in /usr/bin. And if you didn't tell Puppy it was gone (by going through the correct routine), Puppy thinks it's still loaded, y'see.....and that then generates further issues.

I'm more interested in why the 'portable' won't run. It's self-contained, and will be using its own config files from inside the portable directory.

Go into the LibreOffice-portable directory. Right-click on it -> Look Inside. Then, rt-clk in an empty space -> Window -> Terminal here. Type in

./LAUNCH

.....so you start it direct from the launch script. We need to know what's going on. What readout do you get in the terminal?

Mike.

Wait, I got another message...different than the above.
Back in a moment... Here is new message when I tried a second time...

Does this help?

@mikewalsh
Hi Mike,
A Possible Work-Around

The 'old' non-portable LibreOffice version 7.0 has been pestering me to update the program for some time now.
The most recent LibreOffice according to their website is 25.2.1.
https://www.libreoffice.org/download/release-notes/
LibreOffice 25.2.1 (2025-02-27) - Latest Release
The portable LibreOffice from MediaFire is also version 7.0.

Perhaps I could delete the portable LibreOffice 7.0 and delete the non-portable 7.0.sfs that is in my system.
Then attempt to download a non-portable LibreOffice 25.2.1 from their home website?

I know it takes up a lot of space, but, I have the space as I download very little stuff.

Today I am using Abiword as a backup to continue working files. Abiword is bumping along for the time being.

Would this make it easier for everyone?

Just askin'...

Sky

@mikewalsh

Hi Mike,

Do you or anyone know what version LibreOffice will download if "Get LibreOffice" is used to install .sfs LibreOffice?
The reason I ask is...

The latest LibreOffice is 25.2.1 (2025-02-27).
Apparently LibreOffice 7.0 is no longer supported.
https://www.libreoffice.org/download/release-notes/

I am currently using Abiword 3.0.4 as a temporary work-around on my main desktop machine,
Abiword is not working well with LibreOffice created files.
I am hestitant to mess with the files on this desktop machine.
So...
I have set up another machine with a newly downloaded fossapup64 9.6 (x86_64) to use as a temparory work-around for this issue. I can load an updated .sfs version of LO in order to continue working text files. I use tables and other features of LO that are necessary in the work I currently need to do. Hopefully, that will avoid you and I posting a lengthy un-install process' for old 7.0 and portable 7.0.
If "Get LibreOffice" downloads the latest LO then that will be easier to do?

Whadda think?

Thank you,
Sky

@Sky Aisling :-

TBH, Sky, you're really not talking to the best person here so far as software security is concerned.

Unlike the vast majority of people, I've never been the least bit concerned about keeping software "up-to date". If summat works for me, and I like the way it looks, runs & functions, I tend to stick with it. Hell, I still use a 3-series LO that probably hasn't been updated for 8 or 9 years....and I run a copy of WORD 2000 - from 25 yrs ago! - as a stand-alone word processor. It's actually not bad, despite its age!

In all the years I've been with Puppy, I've never even looked at "GetLibreOffice", much less actually used it. I always used to get pre-built packages other Puppians had published in the 'Additional Software' section.

There IS life beyond LibreOffice, you know. There's Open Office. There's FreeOffice. There's OnlyOffice. If you have a Google a/c, there's Google Docs, Sheets and Slides. If you have a M$ a/c, there's the free online version of Office365...and probably many others out there, too.

Others will probably be able to help you better with this query.....but not me, I'm afraid. You're talking to the wrong guy. I'm not being "funny" about it, either; I'm just being honest. I would advise starting a new thread, with an appropriate title. You'll definitely get more help that way.

Mike.

Thank you Mike,
You know a whole lot more about Puppy than I do.
But, what do I do now that Portable LibreOffice isn't working and regular LibreOffice is still embedded in the distro and neither one work?

Sky

I found the link to mediafire. It opens here, https://www.mediafire.com/folder/un7het ... ibreOffice. DO NOT click the download arrow at the top. Rather, Right-Click the line which reads 'LiberOffice-portable64.tar.gz' and select download.

Mikewalsh's portable may not be working because you still have the other installed: conflict. Does LibreOffice start if you just click the LAUNCH script within the portable's folder?

If you clicked Menu-Add, click Menu-Remove to disconnect the portable from your system. Then uninstall the other LibreOffice. You didn't mention how your installed it: Synaptic?. Then run Menu>Filesystem>pFind, select System files and enter the search term 'libreoffice'. Does any listing to it appear in any /bin or /sbin folder, i.e. /usr/local/bin.

It might be best if you created a new SaveFile/Folder. But, most files just take up a little space. Executables are always located in /bin and /sbin folders and can cause conflicts. You could try Right-Clicking the listing in pfind and selecting 'delete'. Then first click the LAUNCH file in the portable to see if it's working. If so, you can click the Menu-Add file and see if the issue has been resolved.

@mikeslr
Thank you, Mikeslr,
I will follow through attempting to clear out the non-portable LibreOffice beginning immediately tonight.
I will post the results asap. If not tonight then tomorrow.
Yes, LAUNCH activates portable LibreOffice 7.0.
I used bigpup's general 'tutorial' on how to install a portable.
These instructions worked perfect except for the 'add menu' which I understand now why it failed.

In general for the portables.

When you get the portable version downloaded it is in a compressed file.

Un-compress it using some decompress program. I use PExtract and tell it to put inside a directory.

The directory will be made with the name of the portable you downloaded.

Inside it will be the portable directory.

Look inside the portable directory and you will see all the files that make up the program.

In Rox file manager copy this portable directory into /mnt/home or /opt/

To make a menu entry.
Inside the portable directory is a file addmenu.
Click on that and run it to make a menu entry.

Sky

@mikeslr

Mikeslr writes:

I found the link to mediafire. It opens here, https://www.mediafire.com/folder/un7het ... ibreOffice. DO NOT click the download arrow at the top. Rather, Right-Click the line which reads 'LiberOffice-portable64.tar.gz' and select download. Right

Mikewalsh's portable may not be working because you still have the other installed: conflict. Does LibreOffice start if you just click the LAUNCH script within the portable's folder? Yes

If you clicked Menu-Add, Yes, I did click Menu-Remove to disconnect the portable from your system. Yes done Then uninstall the other LibreOffice. [b]??? see screenshot[/b] You didn't mention how your installed it: Synaptic?. I used bigpup's general 'tutorial' on how to install a portable.

Then run Menu>Filesystem>pFind, select System files and enter the search term 'libreoffice'. Does any listing to it appear in any /bin or /sbin folder, i.e. /usr/local/bin. Yes

It might be best if you created a new SaveFile/Folder. But, most files just take up a little space. Executables are always located in /bin and /sbin folders and can cause conflicts. You could try Right-Clicking the listing in pfind and selecting 'delete'. Yes, did that Then first click the LAUNCH file in the portable to see if it's working. Yes, it is If so, you can click the Menu-Add file and see if the issue has been resolved. Almost - See question in screenshot

Before I report more...does this question below matter?

@Sky Aisling. The pfind listings you've noted with red-dots are likely from an earlier install. LibreOffice portable didn't write them. AFAIK, it also won't use them. And while they won't do any harm, you can easily delete them. Again run pfind. One-at-time, Right-Click the files you want to delete; Select delete from the pop-up menu; and confirm your intent to delete.

Now that LibreOffice-portable is working, you might want to install LibreOfficeAppImage_Apps-menus.pet from here, https://www.forum.puppylinux.com/viewto ... 493#p95493. It will create separate Menu listing for Calc, Draw, Impress and Writer and Calc and Writer to your Start-Menu. Menu entries are necessary if you want to have a panel launcher for an application.

It will also add LibreOffice-Writer and LibreOffice-Calc to Right-Click menus for appropriate file-types.

@mikeslr

Well, LibreOffice Portable 7.0.3.1 isn't quite working.
Here is the situation.
I can write and save text documents now in the LibreOffice Portable.
But, they only save in /mnt/home where the portable is housed. see screenshot.
Then they can only be accessed by Abiword.
Abiword is the default word processor.
Changing the default word processor from Abiword to LibreOffice portable doesn't seem to work with the entry "LibreOffice-Portable". I must need a different object than "LibreOffice-Portable"? see screenshot.
Abiword accesses all documents created originally in non-portable Libreoffice 7.0.
Abiword isn't always compatible with LibreOffice, particularly with table presentations.

You write:

Now that LibreOffice-portable is working, you might want to install LibreOfficeAppImage_Apps-menus.pet from here, https://www.forum.puppylinux.com/viewto ... 493#p95493. It will create separate Menu listing for Calc, Draw, Impress and Writer and Calc and Writer to your Start-Menu. Menu entries are necessary if you want to have a panel launcher for an application.

It will also add LibreOffice-Writer and LibreOffice-Calc to Right-Click menus for appropriate file-types.

As soon as the portable is working correctly, I intend to do the above suggestions.

Thank you, Mike

Sky

About the location LibreOffice saves files to: My best guess is that it defaults to offering to save to the last location used and since you hadn't used it yet, it defaulted to it's home=portable's folder. I just tried the following: Saved a new 'junk' file I named steed to my download folder on /mnt/home. To save it there, I had to select Other Locations on the Left Panel and File-Browse to it. Then created another junk text file and just clicked Save. As this screenshot shows, it's now defaulted to offerinng to Save to the last folder used, the aforementioned Downloads folder.

Don't wait to Install the LibreOfficeAppImage_Apps-menus.pet. Installation alone may clear up the other issues. If not, it will install files which Default Application Chooser's GUI finds and offers to use, to wit: libreoffice-cal, libreoffice-writer, libreoffice-draw.

I just checked the above. Although LibreOffice-Portable shows up as a Menu listing, Set Default Apps doesn't see it as applicable to any of its listings. You could write it in. Just type Libreoffice, with a capital L.

@mikeslr,

Ok, I’m out shopping right now. Will get back to this in an hour or so.
Sky

Re-Read my last post. I edited it. Not sure if that was before or after your last reply.
Update: The Save function defaults to the last location saved-to. Just opened an .odt file located in /mnt/home/my-notes. Closed it and created a new 'junk' file. Save still defaulted to ..,/my-stuff/Downloads.

@mikeslr

I think I have a possbile success, Mikeslr...

I changed the default changer to "Libreoffice --writer".
I "saved as" and Libreoffice put the writer file into /mnt/home/LibreOffice-portable64.
The file now opens with Libreoffice portable not Abiword.
I moved the file from /mnt/home/LibreOffice-portable64 to a location in one of my personal data directories.
The file continues to be opened by the LibreOffice-portable.
LibreOffice-portable64 now reads other files created by the non-portable LibreOffice 7.0 through out the years.
This hopefully recovers these files.

Do you see any pitfalls in this?
Is there even a better way to do this?

Now, if I can only remember how I did this.

Sky

Sky Aisling "I changed the default changer to "Libreoffice --writer". I should have thought of that.
"Do you see any pitfalls in this?
Is there even a better way to do this?"

No, except that as I wrote Libreoffice--writer's default save location is the last location you saved to. So, until you use the GUI's 'Other Location' option and select the "location in one of my personal data directories" it will continue to default to saving to the LIbreOffice-portable's folder. I think.

I just discovered something useful. I've stored LibreOffice--writer's .odt files in several folders on /mnt/home: each folder intended to hold documents of a particular category. But the categories can overlap and sometimes I don't remember which category I chose or exactly what I named the document. I can select* the /mnt/home partition, Right-Click it and select "Search with pfind" using '.odt' as the search criterior. [When pfind is activated by Right-Clicking a folder it defaults to Search Current Directory]. pfind will produce a list of all .odt files in that folder; with a partition selected the entire partition. Scrolling thru the list usually refreshes my memory as to the name of the document I'm looking for. With LibreWriter selected as the default for .odt files, I can select an .odt file on pfind's list and double-click it. It will open in Libre-Writer.

* To select the entire "Home" partition, open Rox, file-browse UP to /mnt/home, which is a symlink to /initrd/mnt/dev_save.

@Sky Aisling / @mikeslr :-

mikeslr wrote: Thu Mar 20, 2025 8:42 pm

About the location LibreOffice saves files to: My best guess is that it defaults to offering to save to the last location used and since you hadn't used it yet, it defaulted to it's home=portable's folder. I just tried the following: Saved a new 'junk' file I named steed to my download folder on /mnt/home. To save it there, I had to select Other Locations on the Left Panel and File-Browse to it. Then created another junk text file and just clicked Save. As this screenshot shows, it's now defaulted to offering to Save to the last folder used, the aforementioned Downloads folder.

Yah; makes perfect sense (about the 'Home' directory).

The way the XDG protocol has been used in LibreOffice portable - to keep everything within the portable's directory (thanks to MochiMoppel for educating me about that stuff) - the $HOME variable is set to the $HERE one used in the LAUNCH script. Thus, unless otherwise specified, anything 'created' (i.e., 'saved') by any of the LibreOffice apps WILL default to that location.

I've noticed this with other portables, too. If I take a still photo with GuvcView-portable, I no longer bother to specify a location; I automatically look in the portable's own directory, because for me it just makes more sense to auto-save them there. Keeps everything together in one place.....and with the way it's set up, when presented with the 'Save/Save as' dialogue it initially opens within the portable's directory anyway.

I created a directory there named 'Captures'.....and after specifying that location the first time, all still captures now go there automatically. To me, that's useful behaviour.....and means I don't have to remember WHERE I've saved the things, because they ALWAYS save to the same place.

This behaviour should apply to the LibreOffice-portable, I would imagine...and indeed, any of the portables where I've employed the XDG protocol stuff. Not all portables use it; for some, it just doesn't appear to work, because they seem to be 'hard-coded' to only look in 'global' default locations.....and many others, I simply haven't got around to modifying them yet. Some, I daresay I probably never will.

(*shrug...*)

Mike.