[Upstream] [hardy] Writer eats X server memory when using transparent PNG as page background

[Kent deVillafranca]

Binary package hint: openoffice.org

This is in Feisty, in OpenOffice.org Writer, in a document with multiple manual page breaks with different styles on each page (that is, using a different background image / watermark on each page). As I type, memory use increases rapidly, eventually making the hard drive go nuts as all the swap space is used up.
The end result is that I have to kill OpenOffice and hope I saved recently.

WORKAROUND: Use LibreOffice Writer.

lsb_release -rd
Description: Ubuntu 11.04
Release: 11.04

apt-cache policy libreoffice-writer
libreoffice-writer:
  Installed: 1:3.3.2-1ubuntu5
  Candidate: 1:3.3.2-1ubuntu5
  Version table:
 *** 1:3.3.2-1ubuntu5 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ natty-proposed/main i386 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     1:3.3.2-1ubuntu4 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ natty/main i386 Packages

WORKAROUND: Use AbiWord.

apt-cache policy abiword
abiword:
  Installed: 2.8.6-0.3build1
  Candidate: 2.8.6-0.3build1
  Version table:
 *** 2.8.6-0.3build1 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ natty/universe i386 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

[Kent deVillafranca (kdevilla)]

Oh, and memory use also increases if I just scroll up or down through the document.

[Olivier Cortès (olive)]

Do you have any transparent PNG as background ? (this is, PNG with an alpha channel is sufficient)
Does this still happen if you convert all your backgrounds to JPEG ? I speculate you won't encounter your problem any more.

This could be related to http://www.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=76784
See my comment (karmak) on the OOO bug webpage.

[Olivier Cortès (olive)]

This happens to me with PNG with alpha channels as background.
This does NOT happen with flattened PNG and JPEG image as background.

[Kent deVillafranca (kdevilla)]

Yeah. I just tried using a JPG, and the problem only shows up when using transparent PNGs.

[Pedro Nariyoshi (pedro-nariyoshi)]

Affects maverick-rc i386 too

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Kent deVillafranca, this issue is unreproducible in Ubuntu 11.04, LibreOffice Writer. Does this work for you?

lsb_release -rd
Description: Ubuntu 11.04
Release: 11.04

apt-cache policy libreoffice-writer
libreoffice-writer:
  Installed: 1:3.3.2-1ubuntu5
  Candidate: 1:3.3.2-1ubuntu5
  Version table:
 *** 1:3.3.2-1ubuntu5 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ natty-proposed/main i386 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     1:3.3.2-1ubuntu4 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ natty/main i386 Packages

[Kent deVillafranca (kdevilla)]

Looks like it's fixed. In LibreOffice Writer on Ubuntu 11.04, I can no longer reproduce this bug.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Kent deVillafranca, this bug report is being closed due to your last comment regarding this being fixed in LibreOffice. It will remain open for OpenOffice. For future reference you can manage the status of your own bugs by clicking on the current status in the yellow line and then choosing a new status in the revealed drop down box. You can learn more about bug statuses at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/Status. Thank you again for taking the time to report this bug and helpinwith an updateg to make Ubuntu better. Please submit any future bugs you may find.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Unreproducible in Abiword.

lsb_release -rd
Description: Ubuntu 11.04
Release: 11.04

apt-cache policy abiword
abiword:
  Installed: 2.8.6-0.3build1
  Candidate: 2.8.6-0.3build1
  Version table:
 *** 2.8.6-0.3build1 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ natty/universe i386 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

[Björn Michaelsen (bjoern-michaelsen)]

[This is an automated message.]
There are no new official OpenOffice.org releases in Ubuntu packaging anymore => Won't Fix

If the problem persists, please mark this bug as "also affects project Libreoffice" or "also affects distribution Libreoffice (Ubuntu)" if that has not happened already.

Please leave references to upstream OpenOffice.org bugs in place to allow cross pollination.