[K12OSN] setting .doc globally for OO

Tue Mar 28 00:32:51 UTC 2006

All,

The best way to accomplish what you want is to use the default user
method mentioned in an earlier email. That is how we do it in our school
district and it works flawlessly. There is no group policy option to my
knowledge. This is one issue in OpenOffice I would seriously like to see
resolved. However, on another note, there is a way to manage Firefox via
group policy the way you manage IE.

-Paul

On Mon, 2006-03-27 at 18:52 -0500, Steven Santos wrote:
> Google just turned up this:
> 
> Open Office 2.0/StarOffice8 do not make it easy to configure defaults.  The
> first time any user opens the program on a given computer they are greeted
> with a EULA, and series of configuration screens. File save formats will
> default to OpenDoc.  One possible solution is to use scripting to copy the
> setup.xcu file from a fully configured user to the profile of each user.
> This approach turns out to be rather clumsy. A solution that works involves
> modifying the installation files so that OO2/StarOffice8 sets up and
> configures each user with the desired defaults.
> 
> I posted one possible solution to the OpenOffice.org forum on November 9th.
> Link here:
> 
> http://www.oooforum.org/forum/viewtopic.p
> html?t=24737&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15&sid
> =5c103f13a5f7aa0f198eb26452b22b36
> 
> 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< /value>
> </prop>
> 
> <prop oor:name="FirstStartWizardCompleted" oor:type="xs:boolean">
> <value>true</value>
> </pro p>
> 
> In C:\Program Files\Sun\StarOffice
> 8\share\registry\modules\org\openoffice\Setup
> ((O R))
> 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 .cab
> files in the distribution. Doing so will eliminate the need for a
> post-installation script.
> 
> 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. .
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> Steven Santos
> Director, Simply Circus, Inc.
> Email: Steven at SimplyCircus.com
>  Mail: PO BOX 620753
>        Newton, MA 02462
> Phone: 781-799-4938
>  eFax: 309-214-0899
>   Web: www.SimplyCircus.com
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: k12osn-bounces at redhat.com [mailto:k12osn-bounces at redhat.com]On
> Behalf Of john
> Sent: Monday, March 27, 2006 6:10 PM
> To: Support list for opensource software in schools.
> Subject: Re: [K12OSN] setting .doc globally for OO
> 
> 
> Yeah,
> 
> That's what I am thinking as well. As i read the OO forums I see that
> other folks have been wanting a global parameter accessable from the
> option menu for a while. I guess the OO devs/Sun aren't interested in
> doing this. I guess it's complex enough that normal hackers aren't
> able to add a widget to this? Dunno. \
> 
> Anyway here's what I ended up doing. I wrote a little .bat file and
> stuck it on a hidden share on the network:
> 
> xcopy /E /Y "\\my_server\hide$\OpenOffice.org2\*.*"
> "%userprofile%\Application Data\OpenOffice.org2"
> 
> That seemed to do the trick.
> 
> Thanks Huck.
> 
> John
> 
> On 3/27/06, Huck <dhuckaby at paasda.org> wrote:
> > Perhaps you can do it for ONE user...
> > then copy the folder "user" in C:\Documents and
> > Settings\dhuckaby\Application Data\OpenOffice.org2\
> > to all of the other users, in a login script maybe?
> >
> > --Huck
> >
> > john wrote:
> > > Hi Huck,
> > >
> > > Thanks, however, I need this to work for ALL users, regardless of
> > > whether they have ever logged on to a particular machine running XP,
> > > and it needs to happen automatically e.g. just like it does under
> > > k12ltsp.
> > >
> > > I appreciate the response!
> > >
> > > John
> > >
> > > On 3/27/06, Huck <dhuckaby at paasda.org> wrote:
> > >> On your window's installation:
> > >>
> > >> tools->options->load/save->
> > >>
> > >> there are 4 sections:
> > >> General
> > >> VBA Properties
> > >> Microsoft Office
> > >> HTML Compatibility
> > >>
> > >> The GENERAL and Microsoft OFFICE sections are the two you will want to
> > >> edit. The options are self-explanatory on each of the pages.
> > >>
> > >> --Huck
> > >>
> > >> john wrote:
> > >>> Hi all,
> > >>>
> > >>> This isn't really a question about k12LTSP, rather a request for
> > >>> information about how to set a global preference for .doc .xls .ppt
> > >>> for all users of Open Office on Windows XP? That is. i want ANY domain
> > >>> user to be able to log on to any computer with OO 2.x and have their
> > >>> save preferences automagically set to MS formats. Can this actually be
> > >>> done?
> > >>>
> > >>> Thanks in advance!
> > >>>
> > >>> John
> > >>>
> > >>> _______________________________________________
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> > >>>
> > >>>
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> > >>
> > >
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> >
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> 
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