Mail Merge Wizard crashes OpenOffice

[Oliver Maunder]

Binary package hint: openoffice.org-writer

I'm using Kubuntu Feisty (i386) with openoffice.org-writer version 2.2.0-1ubuntu3

When I try to use the Mail Merge Wizard in OpenOffice, the application crashes. There is no error message,

To reproduce:
Launch OpenOffice.org Word Processor from the K menu.

Go to Tools|Mail Merge Wizard

Application disappears, and is replaced with the OpenOffice Document Recovery window, which says:
"Due to an unexpected error, OpenOffice.org crashed. All the files you were working on will be saved now. The next time OpenOffice.org is launched, your files will be recovered automatically.
The following files will be recovered: Untitled 1"

[Oliver Maunder (ollym)]

I have now fixed the problem.

I first tried renaming my .openoffice2 directory in case there was a problem with the settings. OO.org still crashed when using the Mail Merge Wizard.

I then tried purging openoffice.org-writer in Adept, deleting the ,openoffice2 directory, then reinstalling openoffice.org-writer. This fixed the problem and I can now use mail merge.

Another person on the kubuntu-users mailing list has reported having the same issue.

[Brian Murray (brian-murray)]

Thanks for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. Is this a fresh install of Kubuntu or was it an upgrade? Thanks in advance.

[Oliver Maunder (ollym)]

On 5/22/07, Brian Murray <email address hidden> wrote:
>
> Thanks for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu
> better. Is this a fresh install of Kubuntu or was it an upgrade?
> Thanks in advance.

Hi Brian

It was a fresh install of a pre-release version of Feisty - probably Herd 4
or 5.

The problem went away after I removed and re-installed openoffice, so
obviously I can't reproduce it again now. Also, I had 100 wedding
invitations to print, so I didn't have a lot of time for debugging!

Olly

[yus budiyono (yusbu)]

The problem is things when we choose a file (database, csv, etc) seems not loaded since we cannot proceed by pressing the next button. I think this bug goes the same direction when we create forms in openoffice base using by means of wizard or manually. Hence, as people discuss in the later case, the bug is with java in Debian.

Similar resolve, perhaps is by reinstalling Oo by means of Oo.deb downloaded from Oo website.

Otherwise, you may try glabels which is simpler to use but richer in feature than Oo's mail merge.

[Miguel Montes (miguel-montes-gmail)]

I have the same problem, in two different computers with a fresh install of Feisty x86_64. As soon as I select Tools|Mail Merge Wizard Oo crashes. I've uninstalled and reinstalled openoffice.org-writer, but the problem didn't go away.

[Topher (hunt-topher)]

I just experienced the same crash - which I repeated a few times to ensure I could replicate it - I'm using a Xubuntu install which I've modified some but not hugely. I'm dual-booting Xubuntu Feisty on an Inspiron 1100.

As I remember, on the orig Xubuntu install only Writer was installed; so I uninstalled it and then re-installed the entire suite from the repository. However since reinstall, when I open Calc, Writer, Impress etc. it only opens the base OOo window, not Calc- or Writer-specific with an empty document ready like it did in Ubuntu. Not sure if that is related.. has anyone else here noticed that same thing? Maybe it's an Xfce quirk.

[GymSmoke (gymsmoke)]

Kubuntu 7.04 running OpenOffice 2.2.0 . As of 29 August, 2007, this is still going on. Very easy to reproduce. Open Writer, select Mail Merge... *bork* .... Re-install doesn't do it, either.

Is there a tweak for this in the works? It's been happening since early June... I've had at least two updates to the .deb packages that I know of...

Thanks, guys. Great tool! Just needs a little touch-up here and there.

[Wanton (bob-mclatchie)]

Kubuntu 7.04, running OpenOffice 2.2.0 lubuntu4 on an AMD64 X2 3800+
I am still getting this problem. I tried the purge writer, delete .openoffice2, install writer "fix" but that produced no effect.

[Wanton (bob-mclatchie)]

Kubuntu 7.04, running OpenOffice 2.2.0-1ubuntu4 on an AMD64 X2 3800+ as before

I have now tried a much more radical purge of Open Office:

sudo aptitude purge openoffice.org openoffice.org-base openoffice.org-calc openoffice.org-common openoffice.org-core openoffice.org-draw openoffice.org-evolution openoffice.org-filter-mobiledev openoffice.org-gnome openoffice.org-gtk openoffice.org-hyphenation openoffice.org-impress openoffice.org-java-common openoffice.org-math openoffice.org-style-human openoffice.org-writer

(Thanks to guidance at www.stchman.com/install_oo.html)

followed by a re-install
sudo aptitude install openoffice.org openoffice.org-base openoffice.org-calc openoffice.org-common openoffice.org-core openoffice.org-draw openoffice.org-evolution openoffice.org-filter-mobiledev openoffice.org-gnome openoffice.org-gtk openoffice.org-hyphenation openoffice.org-impress openoffice.org-java-common openoffice.org-math openoffice.org-style-human openoffice.org-writer

I noticed that this introduced the Evolution Groupware suite that I did not have before but - MUCH more importantly - I can now launch the mail merge wizard without crashing OO.

Hope this helps someone else too.

[Chris Cheney (ccheney)]

For everyone seeing this problem does installing the openoffice.org meta-package and/or openoffice.org-base fix the problem for you? I believe that it should.

Thanks,

Chris Cheney

[Miguel Montes (miguel-montes-gmail)]

That's right, it solved de problem. I had upgraded to gutsy and
openoffice.org 2.3, and the problem was still there. Installing the
openoffice.org meta-package solved the issue.

On 10/21/07, Chris Cheney <email address hidden> wrote:
>
> For everyone seeing this problem does installing the openoffice.org
> meta-package and/or openoffice.org-base fix the problem for you? I
> believe that it should.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Chris Cheney
>
> ** Changed in: openoffice.org (Ubuntu)
> Importance: Medium => Undecided
> Assignee: (unassigned) => Chris Cheney (ccheney)
> Status: Triaged => Incomplete
>
> --
> Mail Merge Wizard crashes OpenOffice
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/112408
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>

--
Miguel Montes

[Rolf Campos (rolf-ucla)]

Installing openoffice.org-base alone also solves the problem.

[Michael Franzl (michaelfranzl)]

Open Office Writer crashes for me during rendering of a single Mail Merged Document (File -> Print), but only if the document contains a text box. When the text box is deleted, it works fine.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

There are no new official OpenOffice.org releases in Ubuntu, as we have transitioned to LibreOffice. => Won't Fix

You are welcome to test for this problem in LibreOffice. If reproducible, please follow these instructions to have apport report a new bug about your crash that can be dealt with by the automatic retracer. First, 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'. If you run the command against the crash report and it does nothing, you may be affected by https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/apport/+bug/994921 . In order to WORKAROUND this, one would need to open the following file via a command line:
gksudo gedit /etc/apport/crashdb.conf

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

Save, close, and try to file the crash report again via:
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.

Thank you for your understanding.

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