Something wrong with GetOpenOffice - happened twice now

[fatninja90]

Hi everyone

I am a new user to these forums and PCLinuxOS, and the only thing hampering my love for this distribution is the inability of GetOpenOffice to function correctly.

Basically what is happening is that at several points during the openoffice download I get a message to do with Error reading from server - remote end closed (or something). This has happened twice now (consecutively) on two different systems (LXDE and KDE). I have tried downloading it without changing repositories, with a changed repository to one Australian mirror (And then another the second time) and it has happened both times.

Please assist me on this matter ASAP as I am strongly considering the move to a distribution where I can actually get some work done from the get go.

Thanks in advance.

Edit: I should also mention that there is no Australian locale (for some unknown reason) and that it keeps downloading from some random belnet server regardless of mirror I selected. As a side note.......why isn't OpenOffice included anymore (LXDE version I can understand, but KDE? Seriously.)

[Texstar]

I suspect it some kind of connection problem between you and the server which is beyond our control. I'm not sure where you expect us to put Open Office on the CD especially when there are over 110 language versions and only 11 mb free. I'm sure our international users would also complain about having the English version only on a CD. Do you know you can select to save the packages and restart your OO installation without having to download all the packages again?

[Neal ManBear]

Did you fully update before running getopenoffice?

[ravi_npatty]

I was having problem installing OO through getopenoffice during 2009 versions. Problem was getopenoffice was not updated. Once I updated the small package getopenoffice, there was not problem and OO was installed successfully. I hope just updating getopenoffice will solve your problem, but I recommend a complete update of all the packages installed.

P.S. Remember to reload the package list from repository before updating.

[pinoc]

Hi fatninja90,

do you use the latest version of PClinuxOS? The last time getopenoffice downloaded from the belnet mirror is about one year ago, when we had the now no longer supported 2009 release...
Please ensure to start with the latest 2010.07 release, then fully update your system, and then run getopenoffice. This will work fine, trust me 
-p.

[fatninja90]

Hi Pinoc,

I am using the newest one (well, I was trying it just before 2010.7 came out) - 2010.1. I did use mark all upgrades in synaptic before trying but I don't recall seeing getopenoffice updates?

It worked once before but it was still using the belnet server at that time, if I recall.

Is there a reason I am only connecting to the belnet server? Is there anyway to change this?

[ravi_npatty]

Hi Pinoc,
It worked once before but it was still using the belnet server at that time, if I recall.
Is there a reason I am only connecting to the belnet server? Is there anyway to change this?

You can run Repository speed test from 'Start --> Software center'. This will set whichever the fastest repository for you. Alternatively you can change the server from 'Settings--> Repositories' in synaptic. You can select whichever repository you like. I am using 'heanet.ie' no problem.

[pinoc]

Hi Pinoc,

I am using the newest one (well, I was trying it just before 2010.7 came out) - 2010.1. I did use mark all upgrades in synaptic before trying but I don't recall seeing getopenoffice updates?

It worked once before but it was still using the belnet server at that time, if I recall.

Is there a reason I am only connecting to the belnet server? Is there anyway to change this?

Don't know how you got the belnet mirror set, unless you specified it yourself? Please use a reliable server such as heanet.
Getopenoffice can be used to install and/or update OO. It will also temporarily configure a different server from where the OO-rpms are downloaded. For this reason it doesn't matter which server you have specified in Synaptic. The server specified in Synaptic is only used to maintain your system and has nothing to do with OO, that is dealt with in Getopenoffice. Just make sure you have no broken packages in your system, the latest version of Getopenoffice, and then run it to install OO.
good luck,
-p.

[ravi_npatty]

Don't know how you got the belnet mirror set, unless you specified it yourself? Please use a reliable server such as heanet.

Belnet is also listed in the repo list. So no use in discussion about how he got belnet. If that is the problem, he can run repository speed test or set some other repo manually in synaptic.

[fatninja90]

Well I eventually got it working but every now and then a package wouldn't download from the repo I selected, so I had to use about three different servers (listed from speed-test) 

All good now! Thanks for the advice

[johnmart]

fatninja90:
Glad you got OO up & running.
You may know this but from your post it wasn't obvious;
If your update/download gets inerrupted you will get asked if you want to continue without downloading the missing packages. Always reply no, & then simply apply & apply in synaptics. This will continue getting your packages til the end. I have continued an interrupted update many times until all were finally downloaded. (Big update!! )
Then, as texstar commented, with a big download like OO you can save your packages, in case of some disaster. Very helpful if you have limited broadband or slow connection.
In case it's helpful!
John