LibreOffice will not open remote USB files

[wiilow]

I cannot open (Libreoffice) files in a remote USB, connected to my router.
I am using the USB as a 'backup' to my laptop via a direct plugin into my wireless router. My connection to the USB is via smb (http) and
although I can see the files (and interestingly), other programs can open them, for instance Okular will open LO 'Write' files, while LibreOffice just does nothing!

Can someone please explain what I am doing wrong?

w.

[horusfalcon]

I cannot open (Libreoffice) files in a remote USB, connected to my router.
I am using the USB as a 'backup' to my laptop via a direct plugin into my wireless router. My connection to the USB is via smb (http) and
although I can see the files (and interestingly), other programs can open them, for instance Okular will open LO 'Write' files, while LibreOffice just does nothing!

Can someone please explain what I am doing wrong?

w.

First of all, what kind of "remote USB, connected to my router" are we talking about here?  It seems your router may be a relatively new device if it has USB ports to allow direct connection of USB devices.  Is it treating these devices as though they are NAS (Network Attached Storage) or as some other kind of device.  (What make and model router is it, please?)

Do you get any error messages attempting to open the files?  (It wouldn't seem so... you say, "Libre Office does nothing".)  Do your router's logs show any strangeness in the file transactions from Libre Office?  (Might be worth a look...)

If your Linux system can see the device and access files on it, check the permissions/ownership of the files in question that you're trying to use with Libre Office?

As a work-around, can you copy files from the remote device to your local system and then work on them?  If you can do this, something in your communications protocol is hostile to Libre Office, maybe?  (I'm not a Samba expert, by any means... just trying to help.)

Hopefully, someone with more knowledge in this area than I currently possess will chime in and ask the right questions to spur your thoughts toward a solution.

Later On,
D

[kjpetrie]

The USB port on a router is usually designed to accommodate a wireless dongle. Using it for storage is somewhat novel, as is setting a router up as a samba server. Is this router a small dedicated box or a PC with several network cards being used as a router?

I would be a little concerned about firewalling, as it's not clear which network (WAN or LAN) that USB port is on (probably LAN but I'd want to be sure).

If it's a dedicated router then we don't know how it's mounted the USB device or what its userid is, so ownership and permissions is a likely cause of problems.

[wiilow]

Thank you horusfalcon and kjpetrie for your replies and suggestions.

The router is a Netgear wnd3400 with 4 wired (etho) and wireless (Wlan) connection - and with a USB port that is used via ftp or http.
When using this USB, other OS's (using LibreOffice) open the files normally with read and write access,  with no problem but when using
LibreOffice in PCLinux clicking the specific LO action gives no indication of action whatsoever.

I can open all other types of files on the USB and even open the 'Write' LO files with Okular - very strange!
There are no indications from any 'Logs' that an Error is occuring and the Firewall is turned off.
Having used this setup with several other Linux OS's where it works also with Windows (Samba), I find that it is only with the LibreOffice
in PCLinux that it does not work.
My (very inexpert) view is that it is some way in which Libreoffice is installed in PClinux although it - (Libreoffice) works perfectly well on the Laptop.

w.

[pags]

You mention that Okular can open files, while LibreOffice cannot...

How are you accessing the files?  Since you mention Okular, is it a safe assumption that you're using KDE?  Are you accessing the files with Dolphin over smb://ip.ofrouter/some/share ?  If so, then yes, LibreOffice will have problems.  Can you mount the remote USB properly (to the local filesystem)?  This could be done with smb4k, or the command line...

More (detailed) information, please.

[wiilow]

I am using KDE 4.8  and I have set up access with a network 'folder'  -  smb:// 192.168.xx.xx/USB_Readyshare (the router naming convention) and it works fine,
with total access to ALL files, videos,photos etc,etc. with no problems. I have used exactly the same system (smb:// ip .. etc) with opensuse, Kubuntu and even
Mageia, (which uses the similar 'drakx' system to PCLinux) and I am able to access all files and open the relevant LO files with LibreOffice.

I have been able to mount the USB through the router, and (of course) when it's directly connected. I have also added the IP as a share in fstab, but these actions didn't change anything, LO would not open the LO files!

The question then becomes, 'why is there a problem with LO through PCLinux, but no difficulties using LO and the same method with other OS's'?
I do think that this is not a 'hardware' (connection) issue it seems like a "PCLinux linked with LibreOffice"  software issue and I am surprised that no other similar
cases have occurred.

w.

[pags]

I am using KDE 4.8  and I have set up access with a network 'folder'  -  smb:// 192.168.xx.xx/USB_Readyshare (the router naming convention) and it works fine,
with total access to ALL files, videos,photos etc,etc. with no problems. I have used exactly the same system (smb:// ip .. etc) with opensuse, Kubuntu and even
Mageia, (which uses the similar 'drakx' system to PCLinux) and I am able to access all files and open the relevant LO files with LibreOffice.

I have been able to mount the USB through the router, and (of course) when it's directly connected. I have also added the IP as a share in fstab, but these actions didn't change anything, LO would not open the LO files!

The question then becomes, 'why is there a problem with LO through PCLinux, but no difficulties using LO and the same method with other OS's'?
I do think that this is not a 'hardware' (connection) issue it seems like a "PCLinux linked with LibreOffice"  software issue and I am surprised that no other similar
cases have occurred.

w.

In KDE (specifically), using the "smb://" protocol does not "mount" the share...it uses a "kioslave" to transfer the data, and if an application (such as LO) doesn't use the kioslave to handle communication, it won't be able to access it.  There are work-arounds that other distros might use, such as "gvfs" (developed from the Gnome project), that uses fusefs and creates a "hidden" mount "on-the-fly".  PCLinuxOS doesn't do that "by default" (that isn't to say the software is unavailable and can't be setup...just that is isn't the "out-of-the-box" default).

A better (application agnostic) approach is to actually mount the drive into the local filesystem (using "mount.cifs" from a command line; or modifying the "fstab" file; or using "pcc" to create the config files and mount it; or using "smb4k" to browse and mount the drive).  Which approach you want to use may depend on your level of comfort, so ask for opinions.

Personally, I like the command line, so I would open a "knosole" and use the following:

Code: [Select]

mount.cifs3 //path/to/network/share /path/to/local/directory
where //path/to/network/share may be an IP address or hostname followed by the share name, such as:

//192.168.xx.xx/USB_Readyshare

and /path/to/local/directory would be a directory you've previously created, such as:

/mnt/Readyshare

or

/home/youruserID/mnt/smb

or any other local directory you wish.  After that, everything on that share will be available inside that directory to every application or utility you have installed...

Depending on the security settings on your share, you might need to supply username and/or password, also.  That would look like this:

Code: [Select]

mount.cifs3 //path/to/network/share /path/to/local/directory -o user=username,pass=password


[wiilow]

pags,
thank you for your response and your help, I do appreciate it.
I am familiar (albeit limited) with some 'konsole' actions and I have tried mounting the file as you suggested. I have also added the file to fstab
but unfortunately these efforts did not produce the result - opening an individual file in LibreOffice!
In every case I am able to mount and open the USB files and have 'sight' of the individual files however, any file other than a LibreOffice file can be opened.

I am completely at a loss to understand how this can be!

My only other thought has been that some other 'additional' file is needed, but missing from the LO install process within PCLinux, even though it loads from the
LO Server??

Any other thoughts?

w.