Libreoffice crashes when opening the program

[Cameron Smith]

1) lsb_release -rd:
Description: Ubuntu 12.10
Release: 12.10

2) apt-cache policy libreoffice
libreoffice:
  Installed: 1:3.6.2~rc2-0ubuntu4
  Candidate: 1:3.6.2~rc2-0ubuntu4
  Version table:
 *** 1:3.6.2~rc2-0ubuntu4 0
        500 http://193.206.139.34/ubuntu/ quantal/universe amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

3) What is expected to happen with LibreOffice via a terminal:
libreoffice

is in launches successfully.

4) What happens instead is it crashes with information:
libreoffice
[Java framework] Error in function createSettingsDocument (elements.cxx).
javaldx failed!
Warning: failed to read path from javaldx
terminate called after throwing an instance of 'com::sun::star::uno::RuntimeException'

Please see attached apport generated crash file https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/libreoffice/+bug/1074834/+attachment/3469304/+files/1074834_1-3.6.2%7Erc2-0ubuntu4.crash.zip .

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.10
Package: libreoffice 1:3.6.2~rc2-0ubuntu3
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.5.0-17.28-generic 3.5.5
Uname: Linux 3.5.0-17-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.6.1-0ubuntu3
Architecture: amd64
Date: Sun Nov 4 11:25:32 2012
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.04.1 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Release amd64 (20120822.4)
SourcePackage: libreoffice
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Marking Medium as crash report attached, but apport crashed when OR reported against crash file.

[Cameron Smith (cameron-smith)]

Since there has been no feedback on this I experimented with removing the Ubuntu version of LibreOffice, and installing 3.6.3 straight from the .debs downloaded from openoffice.org.

The install performed without any warnings, however on trying to launch soffice.bin it appeared to have the same problem as originally reported above.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Cameron Smith, thank you for reporting this and helping make Ubuntu better. However, your crash report is manually attached. Please follow these instructions to have apport report a new bug about your crash that can be dealt with by the automatic retracer. First, open the file:
/etc/apport/crashdb.conf

and comment out the line:
'problem_types': ['Bug', 'Package'],

Save and close. Now, execute at a terminal:
cd /var/crash && sudo rm * && sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get -y upgrade && sudo apt-get -y install libreoffice-dbg uno-libs3-dbg ure-dbg && sudo service apport start force_start=1

If you are running the Ubuntu Stable Release you might need to enable apport in /etc/default/apport and restart.

Now reproduce the crash, then open your file manager, navigate to your /var/crash directory and open the crash report you wish to submit.
If this fails you will have to open a terminal and file your report with 'ubuntu-bug /var/crash/_my_crash_report.crash' where _my_crash_report.crash is the crash you would like to report. If you get an error that you aren't allowed to access this report you will have to file it with 'sudo ubuntu-bug /var/crash/_my_crash_report.crash'. Please follow https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LibreOfficeBugWrangling when you file this crash report so the necessary information is provided.

I'm closing this bug report since the process outlined above will automatically open a new bug report which can then dealt with more efficiently.

Thank you for your understanding.

Helpful bug reporting tips:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ReportingBugs

[Cameron Smith (cameron-smith)]

Dear Christopher, my apologies for the delay in replying, it took me a while to make the time to follow your most recent instructions (comment #5).

I have now followed those instructions but when I executed " ubuntu-bug _usr_lib_libreoffice_program_soffice.bin.1000.crash", then clicked "continue" , the ubuntu-bug popup GUI twirled for a while and then said that my bug was a duplicate of a bug that had already been reported: https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1062900

However, I do not have permissions to view that bug so I cannot confirm that it in fact represents the same issue. Therefore I have reopened this bug so that I can be sure that my problem is not simply being ignored.

In addition, I would like to respond to your comment on 13/11/12 where you suggested that this is an upstream bug. There is not enough evidence to be sure of this, as the directly downloaded .debs do not provide a clear error message like the package-maintained .debs. Sorry if I was not clear about this previously.

Finally I would like to mention that I performed a clean install of 12.10 desktop 32-bit, including internet-updates of all packages during installation, on an older desktop PC and libreoffice worked fine from the get-go. So I suspect that the cause is some java-dependency issue specific to the 64-bit packages.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Cameron Smith, could you please reproduce the crash with the newest libreoffice:
apt-cache policy libreoffice
libreoffice:
  Installed: 1:3.6.2~rc2-0ubuntu4

and attach the crash file to this report?

[Cameron Smith (cameron-smith)]

Dear Christopher, I upgraded all packages to 1:3.6.2~rc2-0ubuntu4 as requested, see below. I then reproduced the problem. Crash report is attached.

cameron@cam-lap-04:/var/crash$ sudo dpkg -l | grep libreoffice
ii libreoffice 1:3.6.2~rc2-0ubuntu4 amd64 office productivity suite (metapackage)
ii libreoffice-base 1:3.6.2~rc2-0ubuntu4 amd64 office productivity suite -- database
ii libreoffice-base-core 1:3.6.2~rc2-0ubuntu4 amd64 office productivity suite -- shared library
ii libreoffice-calc 1:3.6.2~rc2-0ubuntu4 amd64 office productivity suite -- spreadsheet
ii libreoffice-common 1:3.6.2~rc2-0ubuntu4 all office productivity suite -- arch-independent files
ii libreoffice-core 1:3.6.2~rc2-0ubuntu4 amd64 office productivity suite -- arch-dependent files
ii libreoffice-dbg 1:3.6.2~rc2-0ubuntu4 amd64 office productivity suite -- debug symbols
rc libreoffice-debian-menus 3.6.3-2 all LibreOffice desktop integration
ii libreoffice-draw 1:3.6.2~rc2-0ubuntu4 amd64 office productivity suite -- drawing
ii libreoffice-emailmerge 1:3.6.2~rc2-0ubuntu4 all office productivity suite -- email mail merge
ii libreoffice-gnome 1:3.6.2~rc2-0ubuntu4 amd64 office productivity suite -- GNOME integration
ii libreoffice-gtk 1:3.6.2~rc2-0ubuntu4 amd64 office productivity suite -- GTK+ integration
ii libreoffice-impress 1:3.6.2~rc2-0ubuntu4 amd64 office productivity suite -- presentation
ii libreoffice-java-common 1:3.6.2~rc2-0ubuntu4 all office productivity suite -- arch-independent Java support files
ii libreoffice-math 1:3.6.2~rc2-0ubuntu4 amd64 office productivity suite -- equation editor
ii libreoffice-pdfimport 1.0.6+LibO3.6.2~rc2-0ubuntu4 amd64 LibreOffice extension for importing PDF documents
ii libreoffice-style-human 1:3.6.2~rc2-0ubuntu4 all office productivity suite -- Human symbol style
ii libreoffice-style-tango 1:3.6.2~rc2-0ubuntu4 all office productivity suite -- Tango symbol style
ii libreoffice-writer 1:3.6.2~rc2-0ubuntu4 amd64 office productivity suite -- word processor

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Cameron Smith, when I attempt to file your crash report via a terminal:
cd ~/Desktop && wget -c https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/libreoffice/+bug/1074834/+attachment/3469304/+files/1074834_1-3.6.2%7Erc2-0ubuntu4.crash.zip -O example.zip && file-roller -h example.zip && ubuntu-bug _usr_lib_libreoffice_program_soffice.bin.1000.crash

a window pops up noting:
Sorry, Ubuntu 12.10 has experienced an internal error.
If you notice further problems, try restarting the computer.
(CHECKED) Send an error report to help fix this problem
(UNCHECKED) Ignore future problems of this type

click button Continue and one gets a pop up window noting:
The problem cannot be reported:
The problem happened with the program /usr/lib/libreoffice/program/soffice.bin which changed since the crash occurred.

Do you also get this when you type the above at a terminal?

[Cameron Smith (cameron-smith)]

Christopher, I don't get the same when I try to file the bug report from the original crash report on my local filesystem:
cd /var/crash
ubuntu-bug _usr_lib_libreoffice_program_soffice.bin.1000.crash

a window pops up noting:
Sorry, Ubuntu 12.10 has experienced an internal error.
If you notice further problems, try restarting the computer.
(CHECKED) Send an error report to help fix this problem
(UNCHECKED) Ignore future problems of this type

click button Continue and one gets a pop up window which spins for 2 mins "Collecting information".

Then the popup says that the bug is a duplicate and once again opens the following URL which I cannot access, in my browser:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1062900
==============================
If I try redownloading and reextracting the crash report, using your exact command pasted into a terminal, I still get exactly the same behaviour, that is....
"Then the popup says that the bug is a duplicate and once again opens the following URL which I cannot access, in my browser:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1062900"

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Cameron Smith, thank you for your response. Anything change if you rename the ~/.config/libreoffice folder?

[Cameron Smith (cameron-smith)]

Thanks Christopher, that works!

cameron@cam-lap-04:~$ cd .config
cameron@cam-lap-04:~/.config$ mv libreoffice/ libreoffice2

Open any libreoffice app from "start" menu - works fine. Also works opening a file from Nautilus.

After first successful run, ~/.config/libreoffice was recreated. Can I therefore delete the old (renamed) folder?

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Cameron Smith, this bug report is being closed due to your last comment https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/libreoffice/+bug/1074834/comments/12 regarding this being an issue with a corrupt configuration folder. 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 and helping to make Ubuntu better. Please submit any future bugs you may find.

As well, feel free to delete your old cofig file as LO builds a new one ad hoc if the folder is missing.