OpenOffice.Org in a Corporate Environment? 376
robpoe asks: "I've been working on a rollout plan for OpenOffice.org 2.0 for a medium sized network. This network runs a number of different MS Office versions, and we absolutely must retain the Microsoft Office 97/2000/2002 file formats (for interoperability with the public and other entities). Getting our versions of Office to 2003 is $65k+, so we're looking closely at OOo. The problem is, since OOo keeps track of changes per user, and we have users that move around (and no, Roaming Profiles are not an option for us), and you cannot expect a user to change those preferences on every computer they log in to. Let's hear some great deployment plans for keeping the default file type, and even general rollout plans. How are you doing it?"
"It seems that nobody has done this (or documented it) that I've found. Let's see if we can get a good thing going by documenting a good, easy to manage rollout plan. Oh, and the default for saving files has to remain in Office 97/2k/xp format.
What are you using to deploy OOo automatically on your network. Assume that we have capability of login script (batch files / registry changes), but no SMS/ZenWorks/etc.
Store the OpenOffice config file on network drive (Score:5, Informative)
Once a user logs on, a logon script mounts his own personal "network drive" from a central file server.
Just configure OpenOffice so that OpenOffice will read (and write) the OO configuration from that personal "network drive".
Yes, a user could still mess up his configuration, but that would only affect himself, not others.
Use a macro (Score:5, Informative)
Remote Folders (Score:5, Informative)
Of course, if you don't already have enough space on your servers; you've got another fight on your hands.
Good luck!
Open Office (Score:5, Informative)
12-15 users all log into a central server running Fedora Core 3 using thin clients. We currently use the excellent LTSP (www.ltsp.org) packages to accomplish this. Through experience we have found that a Pentium 4 server with about 2 gigs of RAM can comfortably handle up to 15 users or so, more than that and the load gets a bit too heavy. The programs that eat up the most memory and CPU cycles are Firefox, Evolution, Open Office, and Adobe Acrobat. We do allow streaming radio with xmms, because it doesn't eat up too much bandwidth or memory, and our users like it. The desktop clients themselves are old Pentium II boxes with 64mb of ram, no hard drives, and no cd-roms.
All our sales reps use OpenOffice every day to type up their quotes, fax cover sheets, etc. My secretary uses OpenOffice Calc to do spreadsheet work for our government contracts. It's easy to set all your clients to default to MS file formats - go into the File > Save settings and set them to always use
You don't need to use thin clients, however, to use Open Office. We just went the thin client route because it was inexpensive and easy to do with existing hardware. We are planning to upgrade soon so that each user has their own desktop machine running local apps, but still mounting the home directories on the server.
I suppose if it can be done with 15 computers running linux, you could also do it with your Windows boxes. Just make sure they all have the same OO settings, and that they are all set to save in the proper file formats before your users even get a chance to work with it. OO works almost like MS Office - but be prepared for lots of complaining from users who will say "But Microsoft Office didn't work this way" . . .
Re:Store the OpenOffice config file on network dri (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Why not? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Why not? (Score:5, Informative)
Last time I checked, the retail version of MSOffice 2002/2003 doesn't allow the use of transform files which set corporate preferences for the user during profile setup.
Re:Unfair Moderation. (Score:5, Informative)
*Employees could 'report' usage to MS anonomously.
Re:Be careful about compatibility (Score:5, Informative)
And truth be told, MS Office compatibility in MS Office is not all it's cracked up to be. Opening MS Office 97/2000/2002 documents in a different version of MS Office can yield in wildly different results.
Opening an Office 2000 document in Office 2000 can also result in different results, as I noticed yet again with my resume. The bullets are NOT as I left them last week.
And here I am editing a document in Word 2003. I have a bulleted list, and I hit return. MS Word creates a new line with a bullet-- great! But it also automatically changed the font, itallics and spacing for the rest of the bulleted text in the list-- WRONG! This bug has existed since Office 1997--- I hate it!
Re:Why not? (Score:2, Informative)
Who the hell modded this up?
Re:Store the OpenOffice config file on network dri (Score:5, Informative)
Boom! Unique settings for each user without roaming profiles
Re:Why not? (Score:1, Informative)
Re:Store the OpenOffice config file on network dri (Score:3, Informative)
Re:OO.org does not have perfect file compatibility (Score:1, Informative)
The biggest problem was all our accounting Excel cross linked documents got corrupted when we saved them in Star Office.
What happens is the formatting for importing some of the columns from a date field worked fine. Re-opening looked fine in Star Office. But when re-opening in Excel, the date field had been converted to some other type of field which didn't display in Excel.
My personal business has used Star Office / Open Office for years. But I could not recommend it for the multi-millon dollar company I work for.
Re:OO.org does not have perfect file compatibility (Score:5, Informative)
No, no, I think you misunderstood.
OOo is just fine on huge, complex documents. It's very stable, predictable and reliable.
OOo has a hard time with rendering large, complex MS Word documents, though. They get all screwed up.
MS Word, on the other hand, also has a hard time with large complex MS Word documents. The formatting is okay, but Word crashes constantly and tends to corrupt your files and lose all of your work.
Does that clear it up?
For all users, specify default Writer file format (Score:2, Informative)
Look at Flex profiles (Score:1, Informative)
You can find it at http://www.loginconsultants.nl/ [loginconsultants.nl] and it's free (I have no association with these guys other than using the kit).
Re:OO.org does not have perfect file compatibility (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Unfair Moderation. (Score:2, Informative)
Test test test (Score:0, Informative)
Also, most project managers speak in terms of seats/users, not network size when discussing software roll-outs for client apps. So it's specious to say you're rolling out a client app on a medium sized network and expecting people to make the connection between network size and user-base.
I'm not flaming, I'm just filling in some logistical gaps you're going to encounter using the wrong lingo.
I'm going to assume medium sized network translates to roughly under 500 licenses.
Have you had a user-base test out OO yet? Do you know if there will be any user acceptance? If users don't accept your 'free roll-out' you will run into rampant pirating of MS licenses. Try using the least technically apt people and the most technically apt users for a test base. If it works for both, you'll get a solid acceptance level.
Remember, client apps are to make work smoother for users, not harder and frankly OO is not intuitive at all.
Did this come up outside of a budget scope? Did you not plan out a budget for end-user applications? Or is this a knee-jerk reaction to feel cool when talking with other techies?
Re:Why not? (Score:4, Informative)
OpenOffice Defaults (Score:2, Informative)
I posted one possible solution to the OpenOffice.org forum on November 9th. Link here:
http://www.oooforum.org/forum/viewtopic.
The following is for Windows System admins who want to maintain their sanity while transitioning users from MS Office to OpenOffice2 or StarOffice8. The idea is to introduce OO/Star without requiring an immediate switch to a new document format and to allow users to begin using OO2 or StarOffice8 without having to accept a license agreement and answer questions they may not know how to answer.
Depending whether you are using StarOffice8 or OpenOffice.org 2.0 - Do the following on workstation after a a fresh installation of OO2 or StarOffice8::
Add these lines to "C:\Program Files\Sun\StarOffice 8\share\registry\data\org\openoffice\Setup.xcu" at line 38:
((OR))
Add these lines to "C:\Program Files\OpenOffice.org 2.0\share\registry\data\org\openoffice\Setup.xcu" at line 38:
<prop oor:name="LicenseAcceptDate" oor:type="xs:string">
<value>2005-11-05T18:30:11
</prop>
<prop oor:name="FirstStartWizardCompleted" oor:type="xs:boolean">
<value>true</value>
</pr
In C:\Program Files\Sun\StarOffice 8\share\registry\modules\org\openoffice\Setup
((
In C:\Program Files\OpenOffice.org 2.0\share\registry\modules\org\openoffice\Setup
Locate file: Setup-calc.xcu
Replace " calc8" with "MS Excel 97"
Locate file: Setup-impress.xcu
Replace " impress8" with " MS PowerPoint 97"
Locate file: Setup-writer.xcu
Replace "writerglobal8" with " MS Word 97" **see note below**
Replace "writer8" with " MS Word 97"
After this is done, I suggest storing the modified files with the OO/StarOffice8
installation (CD, Network share etc.). Write a post-installation batch file
to replace these files on target computers immediately after installation.
You may want to change out the respective files in the installation
The result is that all users of the target computer (new and existing) will
not be prompted for user information on first use and will have the
default file format set for compatibility with Microsoft Office 97/2000/XP.
(This does not prevent the user from changing the default file save format
any time she chooses)
Then go forth - install and evangelize!
Sell your users on the fact that OO/StarOffice8 is an *upgrade* from MS office.
After about a year, go back and switch to OpenDoc and the battle is won.
**note**
I still have lingering questions about changing the ext.GlobalDocument
ooSetupFactoryDefaultFilter from "writerglobal8" to "MS Word 97.
It would be good for someone to test this to see if it is the right
thing to do.
Re:Why not? (Score:2, Informative)
The only "subscription" based software licensing program Microsoft has right now is the Enterprise Subscription Agreement. On everything else, you OWN THE LICENSES once you purchase them, and not just for the term of the agreement.
Tip: import MS, convert to OOo, export to MS (Score:5, Informative)
So the trick is this: when you edit a .DOC file with OOo, convert it to the OOo format (.sxw) as soon as you start. Make sure the format is OK. Keep the file in .sxw format inside the company.
When you need to interface with the outside world, publish the .DOC by saving in this format if needed. If you don't need outside people to actually edit the document, export it from OOo as a PDF, which is read-only, and publish the PDF instead of the DOC.
And remember to edit only the .sxw file.
Re:hire a programmer? (Score:2, Informative)
Silent installs are easy with OpenOffice:
msiexec /qb /i openofficeorg<version>.msi
Re:Why not? (Score:2, Informative)
Not quite... Check here [microsoft.com]. Scroll down to the 'Open Value Options' section. Note there are three options of Open Value licenses, one of which is subscription. It is that option that is nonperpetual and also according to this page not an option in the US or Canada.
Compatibilty Issues (Score:3, Informative)
These files were edited using the "Track changes" option in MS Office, that allows you to automatically mark changes that you have made to the file. Openoffice simply does not understand such a file and loads it without the accompanying change tracking information.
Admiteddly, I liked OpenOffice at first and thought that MS Office could finally be replaced. However, several experiences (problems with huge loading time, slowing down the PC, OpenDocument format not popular etc.), including the above mentioned one, have forced me back to MS Office, and my personal conclusion is that MS Office has a lot more features and is much better as a regular word processing app. I hate paying Microsoft, but in this case, they take the cake. I'll have to wait for Oo3.
PS : The only OO features that I noticed MS does not have, are the ability to render equations and make PDFs. However, MS Office + MathType + Adobe Acrobat Prof./any free PDF renderer can take care of that.
Re:Why not? (Score:2, Informative)
I am certainly not trying to say you don't have battle experience with MS Licensing. I am trying to say that from MS's Open licensing web page mentioned in my previous link that the following is said:
Open Value Company-wide Option: And you'll have access to your licenses for as long as you need them (perpetual).
In that scenario there is no reason anyone should be asking you to remove software from your machines. Now if you obtained your licenses outside of the US or Canada then there may have been a subscription based license involved (described in my previous links) where removing the software very well may have been requested.
Re:Use the source, Luke? (Score:3, Informative)
You cannot expect a user to do this on every machine.
I either need this globally set or some other elegant solution.
Re:is it worth it? (Score:4, Informative)
(one 40 hour per week and 1 20 hour per week).
The network is Novell/Email is Groupwise/Desktops are a mix of 98, 2K and XP.
Existing licenses were purchased
$65k for an office upgrade isn't in the cards, when we're having trouble getting $ budgeted for things we REALLY need, much less upgrading Office.
We're doing mostly real plain jane documents, so complexity is not really an issue.
Re:Use the source, Luke? (Score:3, Informative)
Additional startup tip (Score:1, Informative)
Tools -> options -> OO.org -> memory -> Graphics cache -> Use for OO.org (increase this one, try increasing 8 mb at a time, experiment, don't remember the default setting). - Graphics Cache -> Memory per object (try increasing this one also, it is set low, so try doubling, then adding 4-8 mb, first setting above should give better results).
Don't forget that once started and shut down, subsequent startup of OOo will be faster because some processes are still running or in memory. You'll need a reboot for windows, and for you GNU/Linux users, you'll either need a reboot or for you individuals that only reboot during blue moons, you'll need to wait a few hours or days depending on usage for most of OOo to clear out before you can reliably test startup times.
While OOo quickstart process running in the background allows OOo to startup faster, it also uses up resources, so I don't run it since I don't use OOo that much. If you are a regular office user and can spare the resources (not much but on some systems every bit counts), then by all means use the quickstarter.
It's a shame what Sun has done to OOo because they feel the need to push that pos java on us. That's the tradeoff to using a FOSS suite. Luckily Debian systems don't install java by default, and I haven't had luck in getting it to work on my server, so neither OOo nor the web browsers have java functionality (or its slowness) so it isn't a big issue. The only complaint I've had on the lack of java is the inability to do speed tests at third party sites when troubleshooting voip or connectivity issues.
OpenOffice memory/startup tips: here [theinquirer.net]
and the blog about the memory hog that OOo is:
here [zdnet.com]
Re:hire a programmer? (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Store the OpenOffice config file on network dri (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Why not? (Score:3, Informative)
He should also consider whether everyone needs full Office--perhaps many users just need Word. Since he's considering OO the users don't need Access, so he could get away with Office Small Business. In the quantities that he should get a discount.
Office Upgrade (Small Business=Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher) costs about $200. So he must be talking about a $65,000/$200 = 325 person upgrade. At that quantity there is room for negoitated prices. Also, if the environment requires outlook (for shared calendars or contacts) then he probably needs Office--or at least Outlook.
Re:Use the source, Luke? (Score:3, Informative)
In OOo with multiple user profiles, this is saved PER USER!
So what?
You cannot expect a user to do this on every machine.
No, why would I?
I either need this globally set or some other elegant solution.
If you can't propagate a configuration value like this or even a software installation to all the machines you administer in seconds with minimal user impact you are a very poor system administrator and no amount of advice on /. is going to help you. It's just a file copy operation, no elegance needed.
---
DRM =>Total Customer Control = Ultimate Customer Lockin = Death of the free market.
Re:Why not? (Score:2, Informative)
That's funny. Where I am, we are using Office 97/2000, but we buy licenses of whatever's current. And it's been clearly established that there is no such requirement that we "upgrade" in so many years or the BSA will come down on us. If Microsoft went around demanding that people upgraded every x number of months they'd rapidly lose business to competitors who didn't.
Last time I checked, the retail version of MSOffice 2002/2003 doesn't allow the use of transform files which set corporate preferences for the user during profile setup.
Must not have checked very hard then. You can pretty much write whatever you want to into a transform file if you know what you're doing. Which your statements make increasingly clear you do not.
Re:This is word processing, not desktop publishing (Score:3, Informative)
There's a bug open for OOo to add normal view, and there's been a lot of noise recently on it, but since the bug has been there a couple of years and OOo 2.0 still hasn't implemented it, I'm not sure if we'll ever see a normal view. Which is a shame.
OOo 2.0 Network Installation Script (Score:5, Informative)
You can Download it at
http://www.pcc-services.com/kixtart/scripts.html [pcc-services.com]
For the default saving into Office filetypes - All of the user settings are saved in XML files and you can edit these files before you roll-out OpenOffice.org. To do this simply adjust the settings on a separate machine, find out what file was modified to see what you need to change in the default installation. For instance I created a menu item for my script to add a "From Gallery" option to the "Insert - Picture" Menu.
Re:OOo 2.0 Network Installation Script (Score:3, Informative)
To redirect folders, simply use Active Directory's Group Policy Objects, or use the older System Policy Editor to create an ntconfig.pol file to place in the netlogon directory of your Domain Controllers. (I also have a custom template for the System Policy Editor to use with Samba on my website.)
Re:Store the OpenOffice config file on network dri (Score:2, Informative)
Are you nuts? Do you really think you're going to get a whole organization to run in that fashion? Do you think end users are going to keep up with thumb drives and live CDs?
More to the point, if the network security policy of the client organisation bans the use of "thumb" drives etc. you're stuffed. (As several of my client companies do. I often carry a hand-held computer with a serial cable and a terminal emulator because it's more reliable than floppies these days.)
A good reason for doing this is to ensure that any data entering/ leaving the network goes through "sheepdip" computers. Another good reason is to stop the cow-orkers from downloading stuff on the work's internet charges and taking it home. Plenty of good reasons for doing it - see "diskless workstation" in the Jargon File.
Where did I put that copy of Petter's NT electronic crowbar http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/ [eunet.no] ? Oh, it's in my briefcase where it should be.