HOWTO: Make OpenOffice.org 2 really fast

[magnusbb]

To make a perfect OpenOffice.org on your Breezy system, I've got a few tips.

First, upgrade your current beta version to the 2.0 final release by adding this repository to your /etc/apt/sources.list:

deb http://people.ubuntu.com/~doko/OOo2 ./

Then sudo a apt-get update and upgrade, and watch it download...

Then follow these speed tips published today at The Inquirer:

Goto Tools -> Options > Memory.
Increase graphics cache to 64 MB and memory per object to 8 MB.

Exit and restart OpenOffice a couple of times (it takes a few openings before it helps).

It's also important to have the correct version of Java installed. OpenOffice uses Java for a few things in version 2, and the GNU version of Java bundled with Breezy will slow it down. Download the original Java from Sun, and enable it in the Java tab under Tools -> Options.

[mangoshake]

Originally Posted by magnusbb Again, goto Tools -> Options and then click on the Java tab. Make sure that it's turned off. It really slows down OpenOffice.

Just curious, what role does Java play in OpenOffice? Following that, what effects does it have to turn Java off?

[anderss]

Aptitude is complaining about that repository not being valid or something (it returns an error at the line of where I added the repository you wrote)

[magnusbb]

Sorry for the wrong link, there was a minor mistake at the end of the line, it's now corrected.

[coldrick]

Don't know what Java you were using that made you say that Java really slowed oOo down, but I notice no performance problem with the standard Sun JRE (1.5.0_05). If you go to Tools\Options, note that the default appears to be to use gcj, which I'd avoid as much as possible: it certainly seems to have some compatability problems.

If you need help in installing Java, take a look at http://blogs.sun.com/roller/page/col...on_ubuntu_part.
That installs the jdk (and the jre) - installing just the jre is pretty straightforward.

And you're quite right about the speed increase if you set memory parameters correctly: very impressive! Thanks for the tip.

Regards,
David

[magnusbb]

Thanks for your reply. I believe you're right! I changed from the standard GNU Java to the one from Sun, and now OpenOffice works great even with Java.

I have changed parts of the tip.

[DavidTangye]

Putting "deb http://people.ubuntu.com/~doko/OOo2 ./" in /etc/apt/sources.list gives the following error in Synaptic -

"Couldn't stat source package list http://people.ubuntu.com ./ Packages (/var/lib/apt/lists/people.ubuntu.com_%7edoko_OOo2_._Packages) - stat (2 No such file or directory)"

What is the correct line? Shouldn't it end with 'universe' or something?

[magnusbb]

Well, that's very strange. Try to click on the link in your browser, and you'll surely see the packages there.

[DavidTangye]

Originally Posted by magnusbb Well, that's very strange. Try to click on the link in your browser, and you'll surely see the packages there.

Yes, I see them... but what is the correct syntax for /etc/apt/sources.list?

[cjazz]

The above line in sources.list worked fine for me.

P.S. I should add that I didn't use synaptic. I followed with "sudo apt-get update" and "sudo apt-get upgrade" from a terminal.