Kubuntu SMB issue with OpenOffice

please recheck with openoffice.org2-writer (1.9.121)

I have the same problem with default ubuntu (hoary) install
When i browse smb hosts (network servers) OpenOffice doesn't open
doc files . This happens on a 32 bit machine with latest updates
(no backports installed)

Strange thing on my amd64 machine it works ok (the same hoary version)

Created an attachment (id=3189)
samba error

samba error in OOo

(From update of attachment 3189)
png, or images work ok with image viewer
I only have problems with .doc files and
.pdf ones

I don't know if this is the same issue, running on KDE 3.5 and Breezy, but when I go to the remote places and select a file from a
share that needs to open any MS Office doc, running OpenOffice v 1.9, no document opens up. I see the splash screen for OpenOffice and
then no document launches. If I have OpenOffice already open, then I do not see anything happening on the screen.

Does anyone still have this issue using Kubuntu Dapper?

is this a kio slave problem? OO.o2 dosen't open documents clicked on in konq

Running Dapper Flight5 this does not work, howver in my home directory if I click on an OpenOffice.org document, OO opens correctly.
When opening up the doc from a samba share I see the OpenOffice.org splash screen and then nothing else.

Getting the same problem now with a file on a CD. How can I help track this down further, kinda annoying.

Bug #3111 (https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+source/kdebase/+bug/31119) dealt with opening up files through sftp:// and is marked as closed. The last comment is that it is working in OpenOffice.org 2.0.2. However I am having all kinds of issues this way. Can we get this done for Hug Day?

This has been fixed in Dapper and is currently working for me, please reopen the bug if you are having further problems.

This was posted on Kubuntu-Users today and will check to see if others are still having problems
---------------------
From: <email address hidden> [mailto:<email address hidden>] On Behalf Of Sam Przyswa
Sent: Monday, July 24, 2006 5:00 PM
To: Kubuntu Help and User Discussions
Subject: Openoffice.org 2.0 Writer don't save in smb://

Hi,

I have a general file server for Windows machines and I want to be able
to open/write documents with Openoffice from Linux-Kubuntu but it's not
possible, I tried to mount the smb shares in NFS on my machine but
Openoffice can't write documents by this way to, I got an error message.

At this time I have to copy documents on my desktop, edit it and then
copy from my desktop to the smb share, it's not really useful.

Is there a fix ?

Sam.
-----

If others are having the problem still will re-open bug

I do confirm this bug under Kubuntu Dapper! With OO 2.0.2 it is neither possible to open a smb://xx located OO file by a click in konqueror nor to open that file with the kde file dialogue of OO2.

I would really appreciate a fix, it is pretty annoying to copy files before editing.

I can confirm that this is still not working in OO 2.0.2, in Kubuntu
Open Office splash screen comes up but dies off within a few seconds.

I thought I'd mess around a bit and found this popup message.

I opened up OO and selected the open file icon, I surfed to the folder on the smb server and double clicked on the file. OO popped up the message below:

** Protocol "smb" is supported only partially. Local copy of the file will be created. **

It did open up a local copy, so at least its some progress.

I have the same problem with Kubuntu Edgy

Hi,

I wonder if this bug is fix? Because I am also having similar error as steve in his report (https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/edgy/+source/kubuntu-meta/+bug/15451/comments/16)

Please update me if there are solution.

However, KOffice did not have this problem.

Thanks.

Hi,

I followed the method and, yes, it works but, like the instruction said,
it is a local copy. Users will have to conciously update the copy in
SAMBA.

This pose a problem when working with many documents with constant
changes.

Best regards,
Joshua Frasir Chan
IT Administrator
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-----Original Message-----
From: <email address hidden> [mailto:<email address hidden>] On Behalf Of
Joshua Chan
Sent: Wednesday, April 04, 2007 3:09 PM
To: Joshua Chan
Subject: [Bug 15451] Re: Kubuntu / KDE SMB network error using
openoffice word docs

Hi,

I wonder if this bug is fix? Because I am also having similar error as
steve in his report (https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/edgy/+source
/kubuntu-meta/+bug/15451/comments/16)

Please update me if there are solution.

However, KOffice did not have this problem.

Thanks.

--
Kubuntu / KDE SMB network error using openoffice word docs
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/15451
You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
of the bug.

Hi,

Same here, in Edgy. Also pdfs don't open in acrobat remotely. But I believed they did open in Evince, which I un-defaulted. This is quite a annoying thing for in an office environment.

Hi,

I like to add that opening either .ods or .odt or .xls or .doc by
OpenOffice in Kubuntu Edgy has similar problem: open as local copy only
and does not update remote copy when save. So it is not limited to word
docs only.

If it is a KDE's problem, than it should work in Ubuntu or Xubuntu, but
it is not. Furthermore, other workstations with OpenSuSE, Mandriva and
PC-BSD, all on KDE, work just fine: editable and updates directly on the
remote file when save.

Hope this help.

Best regards,
Joshua Frasir Chan

I confirm this bug on Kubuntu 6.10 (Edgy/32-bit) with latest OpenOffice package 2.0.4-0ubuntu5 I could find.

Reproducable use-case A:
Start OpenOffice Writer
File -> Open
cd to Samba Shares, Windows network, select server, directory, and then select a .doc or .odt file
click OK
Error message pops up:
Protocol "smb" is supported only partially. Local copy of the file will be created.

The document is open, but is located in /tmp/kde-$USERNAME/

Reproducable use-case B: (as already described by others here)
OpenOffice Writer is not running yet!
Start Konqueror
cd to Samba Shares, Windows network, select server, directory, and then select a .doc or .odt file
OOo splash screen pops up and disappears after a while
No OOo came up, no document shown, no error message shown.

This error prevents me from working reasonably with OOo in the office. I have always to take care to move the files from the temp directory to the original samba directory and vice versa, all in the correct versions and so on... this costs time and is error-prone... that's not really funny. I wonder why this error is still "unconfirmed" since it seems to be that this bug is pretty old.

Still erroneous in Ubuntu 7.04 Feisty Fawn with OOo 2.2 :(

Maybe it helps to know exactly the same thing happens with Suse Linux Enterprise Desktop. I run:
fluxbox
+
Konqueror,
 Qt: 3.3.5
KDE: 3.5.1 Level "a"
Konqueror: 3.5.1
+
openoffice 2.0.4, build 2.0.4.17 (the novell one, so they didn't fix this either)

If I run gnome-settings-daemon and gnome-volume-manager at startup, and use nautilus, I can edit files on the network without problems (except that nautilus is slower than konq).

Just my 2 cents to bump this error away from kubuntu specificness....

Changing to openoffice.org and not Kubuntu-meta because of reports of this happening on other distros not using KDE.

Correction, ignore the bit about not using KDE.

Another thing is that attaching a samba document to send as email attachment in thunderbird 1.5 doesn't go. So smb://file_surver/file.doc
This starts to looks more and more like a Samba issue to me?

I have done a little testing now.
I installed 'ubuntu' Feisty and ran some tests. I set up samba to be share instead of user and ran placed some word docs and some OO odt docs in a folder that was accessible for everyone with no passwords. I went through the server location option, selceted a server, selected a word doc and selected to open it with Openoffice. The file opened fine, I made changes and saved the doc. I then saved-as and created a new doc with a different name. The was no problems here, none it all worked fine.

I then connected to my main server which runs samba in user mode (same ubuntu as above) I was asked for my password and username, I entered as per normal, clicked on the same docs as above, made changes and saved-as like above and had NO ERRORS, it all worked fine.

I cannot replicate the bug in feisty UBUNTU.

I then used KUBUNTU and replicated (or tried to) the tests above, firstly I could not navigate with the netbios names, eg in this case first the server is called mercury (this is the samba server in share mode, not user, it could not be found and a pop up suggested a firewall, a quick change to an IP address and it has found it just fine. I navigate to the same file as used in the UBUNTU test and it tells me SMB is only partly supported and a local copy will be opened instead. This message has been reported before (I'm sure) I can then open the file, but alas it is a local copy.

Next test I navigate to the same file, using the network tools and select the file, I then ask it to be opened in Openoffice and openoffice half loads and then just dies.

I would like to call this a KDE (Kubuntu) BUG, I'll try SuSE 10 tomorrow and report back. Also, as a Kubuntu user and advocate, I cannot in all honesty say to any small business use Kubuntu in this situation, working on docs odt or otherwise on a sever is bread and butter.

Steve

Steve, Thanks for your efforts.

Our samba server doesn't ask for passwords but it limits access to a range of IP's.
Is there some kind of default password which OOo uses?

Adding to my comment on 2007-04-19:

The file-server I mentioned is a Windows 2003 server. I use Kubuntu 6.10 with smb-client to access the particular directory on this server. The user-account on the server is with-out password.

This Windows server should be replaced but as you reported the problem is also with Samba server, so it wouldn't solve my problem.

@steve: I'm looking forward to your SuSE 10 report.

Anastasios

Ok, to add to my last report. (I ran the same tests from a Centos4.4 box)
I logged into my centos 4.4 (KDE X desktop) , installed openoffice (version 1.1.5 - it's the default for this version) I used this box to then accessed the samba server that was in user settings (ie a password is required for each user), a popup box asked for my password and username (as expected) before allowing me to open the word doc on the screen.
I did not get any warnings about smb being only partially supported (as reported by Kubuntu, 6.6, 6.10 and 7 - so is this pointing to a Kubuntu issue?), I edit and saved to doc with the usual warnings about saving word and not odt format. Now here comes the strange thing, after saving - nothing happened- no reports of any kind, that is until I *went to exit openoffice* - I was asked if I would like to --- 'upload the changed document--- (the service was KIOexec) It appears that I had been working on a local copy (there was no hint or warning that I was) The KIO exec process was about to upload the changed doc back to the server. And yes after uploading it did save it just fine, I checked and sure enough the changes had taken place, albeit having to upload is a very clunky mechanism.

To add, KDE uses a service called KIOexec that 'works' fine in KDE, in CCentOS 4.4 and OO 1.1.5 (if asking for permission to upload can be called fine) This may mean that something is awry in Kubuntu. SusE10 is installing as I post this, will let you know soon how it goes.

Google finds some links aka
--
static const char description[] =
00046 I18N_NOOP("KIO Exec - Opens remote files, watches modifications, asks for upload");
--
http://api.kde.org/cvs-api/kdelibs-apidocs/kio/kioexec/html/main_8cpp-source.html

Someone else having issues with video files attempting to download themselves to a temp file and not streaming (may or may not be related in bug)
http://www.nabble.com/Streaming-video-over-SMB-in-KDE--t3424447.html

Steve

Update:
SuSE10 SLED, this is the enterprise desktop GOLD release

To recap I have two servers, one set with samba in share mode, the other in user mode and we are trying to narrow down a networking bug in file sharing in openoffice.
SuSE KDE - browse to share mode server, select word doc, left click - I have the option to open on openoffice 2 x.x The file opens just fine, I make some changes and viola the changes are saved on the server.
Next test, I browse to server in user mode, a popup asked me for a username and passord, I apply the appropriate details, I next select a word doc, it opens fine and I make changes and it saves the changes just fine, the changes are confirmed upon re-opening.

So in SuSE10 we have a working openoffice and KDE, HOWEVER, there are limitations, I was unable to use the save-as feature in any of the examples above - this is where the popup box complaining about the smb protocol is not supported in openoffice makes itself known. I googled and found an interesting chat about the very same thing.
http://mail.kde.org/pipermail/kde-quality/2006-April/002084.html

I cannot put a finger on which program is cause the issue, has openoffice had more work done on it for Gnome inter operation, is it a KDE limitation? Either way it should be escalated to a high priority, especially if KDE/Kubuntu are interested in the desktop.

Steve

Hi,

I also would like the defect to be escalated to a higher priority.
Just after edgy came out I tried ubuntu as well as kubuntu.
In Edgy I experienced the bug only in kubtuntu. Ubuntu worked well.
Now I installed Feisty kubuntu and the first step was to check if this bug still exists. It does.

By the way: when using the live cd I wasn't able to log on to the samba share although I could see it.

For me, kubuntu is totally useless without smb support with open office, since I store all my important data on a embedded raid server.

Markus

hi

for me, finally it works if i mount the shares with smbfs in my fstab:

fyi:

//server/share /mnt/website smbfs dmask=777,username=,password= 0 0

daniel

Added link to upstream:
http://www.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=54567

I have reassigned this bug to kubuntu-meta. It may really be a bug in OpenOffice's KDE support but I am not sure.

1. It works fine under Gnome with Ubuntu 7.04
2. It halfway works under KDE with Kubuntu 7.04 - ** Protocol "smb" is supported only partially. Local copy of the file will be created. **

So it is a bug with KDE and/or OpenOffice under KDE. If someone working on Kubuntu can take a look I would appreciate it. If it turns out it should be reassigned to OpenOffice feel free to do so, but please comment as well as to what is at fault, if you can.

Thanks,

Chris Cheney

I am having the same problem with OO 2.2.0 on Kubuntu Feisty,

>I would really appreciate a fix, it is pretty annoying to copy files before editing.
me too.

I tested the following konqueror-url with .doc and .xls files:
1. sftp://user@server/path/to/file
2. smb://user@server/path/to/file
3. fish://user@server:22/path/to/file

TEST RESULTS

Right-click and open with -> Open Office
1. doesn't work
2. doesn't work
3. doesn't work

Right-click and open with -> Kword/Kspread
1. works
2. works
3. works

Test output (by enabling open terminal window)

Open Office (I get the same result running "oowriter -o url" from konsole, I get no output if url is a simple unix path)
#################################################
X Error: BadDevice, invalid or uninitialized input device 170
  Major opcode: 147
  Minor opcode: 3
  Resource id: 0x0
Failed to open device
X Error: BadDevice, invalid or uninitialized input device 170
  Major opcode: 147
  Minor opcode: 3
  Resource id: 0x0
Failed to open device

(process:7777): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: gtype.c:2242: initialization assertion failed, use IA__g_type_init() prior to this function

(process:7777): Gdk-CRITICAL **: gdk_screen_get_font_options: assertion `GDK_IS_SCREEN (screen)' failed
#################################################

Koffice: (I get the same result running "kword url" from konsole, ALSO when url is a simple unix path)
#################################################
X Error: BadDevice, invalid or uninitialized input device 170
  Major opcode: 147
  Minor opcode: 3
  Resource id: 0x0
Failed to open device
X Error: BadDevice, invalid or uninitialized input device 170
  Major opcode: 147
  Minor opcode: 3
  Resource id: 0x0
Failed to open device
kword: WARNING: Gruppo di riquadri di testo 1 frame 0 rightborder outside page (798>595.25), shrinking
#################################################

not much, but hope it helps a bit.

Hello all. I have been experiencing the same problem that has plagued many people in this post. That is, I've been getting this message in openoffice (running under kubuntu feisty):

** Protocol "smb" is supported only partially. Local copy of the file will be created. **

I can access .doc files from the server i'm connecting to, but i can only save the .doc locally (and then manually copy/move the file to the server using dolphin/konqueror [For those of you who aren't familiar with dolphin, it is a very good alternative to konqueror for file management under KDE. ])

Anyway, I think I have located a solution to the SMB bug with openoffice/kubuntu. I'd like to extend a "thank you" to DMIZER over at the ubuntu forums (he's the guy who actually formulated the solution) Here's a link to his post that solves the problem:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=288534

Basically, you permanently (or manually each time) mount the samba share as a local drive. This allows open office to read/edit/write from a smb server. In my case, i'm connecting to a windows server, so i have no idea if it works when connecting to a linux samba server.

The howto has quite a few steps. But as I mentioned, it's worked great for me.

I'd like to mention one other thing: I'm not familiar with the launchpad bug submitting process. If this solution works for others, could someone explain how to submit this as a possible bug solution? Thanks, and I hope this helps!

Greg

I don't think this is a solution. It i a workaround. We should be able to just browse to a samba share, and op the document, without necessarily making it a permanent mount.

Also it got me from the frying pan into the fire, because of bug https://bugs.launchpad.net/nautilus/+bug/44874https://bugs.launchpad.net/nautilus/+bug/44874 - which again i worked around with http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=3012125 .... Yeah. Ubuntu.

Haven't seen any updates on this, what is the current status of this bug? Especially in light of Gutsy?

Jonathan

I ended up going around in circles on this, so I went to Ubuntu because
the issues do not exist in gnome. The problem lies (AFAIK) in the
network implementation of KDE. Until its sorted I am unable to recommend
KDE for a network based desktop.

Gnome and Ubuntu are working very nicely

Sorry I cannot add more to this solution

Regards

Steve

__________________________
Stephen Donaldson
General Manager
OpenOZ Pty Ltd
RedHat Certified Engineer
Novell Authorised Partner
www.openoz.net

Jonathan Jesse wrote:
> Haven't seen any updates on this, what is the current status of this
> bug? Especially in light of Gutsy?
>
> Jonathan
>
>

"The problem lies (AFAIK) in the network implementation of KDE."

I think it's related to OOo, not KDE, as you can see here:
http://www.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=54567

I use Debian Sid on my Desktop (KDE 3.5.8 / OOo 2.2.1).
I opened a samba shared file using "smb:/" ioslave. Instead of double-clicking the remote file on konqueror, I right clicked that file and choosed "Open with: soffice".

I could change the file and, when I closed OOo, a window asked me if I'd like to send the changes to the server. I clicked "Yes" and the file was sent to the server with no problem.

I've tried the same (with success) with:
- Kubuntu 7.04 - Feisty (KDE 3.5.6 / OOo 2.2.0)
- Kubuntu 7.10 - Gibsy (KDE 3.5.8 / OOo 2.3.0).

Known issue:
- If you open two (or more) files using this method, only one file will be saved on the server (the last you close). Two processes remains opened:
- kioexec soffice smb://user@server/share/Doc1.doc
- kio_smb [kdeinit] smb /tmp/ksocket-$USER/klauncherGjwCea.sl

Regards,

Marcelo Barreto Nees.

I have just a bit more to add on the subject. I'm having the same issue. Can't open OOo files over smb share on Kubuntu Gutsy install. OOo splash screen displays then disappears, calc never opens. Browsing shares and trying to open via the OOo file dialog produces the following message - Protocal "smb" is supported only partially. Local copy of the file will be created.

I decided to try to replicate the problem on my Ubuntu machine by installing the Kubuntu desktop. Strange thing is - it actually works! That is, you can actually open the files while browsing an smb share with konqueror or dolphin... running Kubuntu desktop over Ubuntu Gutsy.

So it seems there should be a rather easy solution, right??

P.S. - I new here, please be gentle.

Another Interesting Development...

Installing the ubuntu-desktop on the kubuntu box made the problem go away. After installing the ubuntu-desktop I fired up the kubuntu-desktop and was able to browse to and open OOo files without issue.

Hello everyone!
I just made Kubuntu 8.04 clean install and openoffice doesn't open documents (openoffice starts but no files opened and openoffice closes itself) from konqueror using samba (smb://....) neither Thunderbird opens attached oo documents and pdf files (the only documents types I have proved). I don't know if there is any relationship between this annoying issues but it seems that yes because:

I have solved this two issues installing ubuntu-desktop package as HomerSimpson748 has said.

This is a big problem and this solution is not a serious one. Hope to help if someone ask me for more information from my system.

Regards,
Kelvalok.

Hello everyone !

There is a simple solution to workaround this problem.

When we open an OpenOffice document through a Network via SMB, the command (for OpenOffice Writer) is :

----> ooffice -writer %U

If you change this by

----> ooffice -writer %f

The document can be opened... modified... but not saved.
Arglllll

I continue to find a solution.

Alain Fischele
www.informalys.com

If installing ubuntu-desktop fixes the problem, there must be some package included as a dependency that fixes the problem. Can we figure out which package(s) it is rather than installing all of the packages included with ubuntu-desktop and all of the Gnome packages that come with it just to fix this problem?

In reference to Anthony post on 2008-05-15, I added these two packages (part of the ubuntu-desktop full install packages):

 sudo apt-get install openoffice.org-gnome openoffice.org-gtk

and got it working. Now I can open files from any Windows share.

My Ubuntu installation was a minimal Gnome installation over a 8.1 server edition so I could get a Vmware Windows XP virtual machines running faster. A full ubuntu-desktop was taking lots of CPU resources.

Needs to be re-evaluated for KDE 4

From what I have seen, samba works fine in normal KDE dialogs. Any bugs with the KDE4 OOo integration would likely be with the integration patches themselves. Due to the complete difference of the KDE3 and KDE4 integration patches, I would advocate that a new bug be reported for any smb issues found with OpenOffice in Kubuntu 9.10 and above.

This

sudo apt-get install openoffice.org-gnome openoffice.org-gtk

did not worked for me in a kubuntu 10.4 install