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View Full Version : [ubuntu] Openoffice.org writer documents get set to (false) read-only



HandeH
August 4th, 2010, 12:47 PM
Using OpenOffice.org 3.2.0 (with Lucid Lynx). There is a long lasting (already in Jaunty, at least) bug: you cannot edit some .odt documents originally made as .doc. Mine example is a fill-in form made with tables, has a header, is one page long, has a Drawing Object and a Graphics/Picture/bit-map image.

Sometimes you can fill it in partially, sometimes not at all. When trying to write to a cell of a table, a pop-up announcement comes:

Readonly content cannot be changed.
No modifications will be accepted.

None of the tips I have seen has helped (eg. Format>Sections...>Write Protection). An old thread (in AMD 64 bit section) FYI: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=839383

How to report this bug?

ytsurk
August 4th, 2010, 01:16 PM
did you hit the read-only button next to the save buttons in the menubar ?!

HandeH
August 7th, 2010, 11:42 AM
;), it's a bug. That button does not change it.

Hagar Delest
August 7th, 2010, 01:12 PM
Can you upload the file somewhere so that we try?

HandeH
August 9th, 2010, 07:01 PM
This one:
http://www.kissaliitto.fi/lomakkeet/srk_ilmo.doc
Compare to this RTF, where the header part seems to be broken:
http://www.kissaliitto.fi/lomakkeet/srk_ilmo.rtf

Hagar Delest
August 9th, 2010, 08:03 PM
I don't see the problem. I've saved in .odt and I can fill in the whole form. Activate the fields shadings (Ctrl+F8 or View menu) and then double-click the gray areas to type the text. Of course, if I try to write something outside those areas, I get the read-only message. But unprotecting the section fixes that.

HandeH
August 9th, 2010, 09:07 PM
Please, keep on trying!

Sometimes you are able to fill in one letter, sometimes half of the form and sometimes you could fill in the hole form. Sometimes you cannot delete contents (typing errors). In these cases you get that erroneous message about write-protection.

mwildam
August 10th, 2010, 08:11 AM
I can reproduce your problem and this occurs when you put the cursor at the end of the input field. Then you can enter exactly one character and after that it shows the error.

It is not the complete document that is read only it is only the field that does not accept any more input. If you position the cursor at the beginning or in the middle then no problem.

Look at the video: http://www.sendspace.com/file/upgih9

Hagar Delest
August 10th, 2010, 08:25 PM
Weird, I can't see how you can put the cursor directly in the field. For such input fields, OOo pops up a dialog asking for the data to be entered. I can't type in the middle of the fields (even if it has been already filled in).

HandeH
August 12th, 2010, 03:44 PM
If you position the cursor at the beginning ... then no problem.


In this case the problem is that you are not able to delete or add anything to the particular field.

If you navigate by tab key, you are able to insert two letters or numbers at the time. :rolleyes: and things like that.

mbck
December 6th, 2010, 11:53 PM
I confirm with OOo 3.2.0 on Ubuntu (1:3.2.0-7ubuntu4.1)
(a) If attempting to enter data at the end of a form field entry is not allowed
(b) However, entry of 1 or 2 characters is possible in some cases
(c) Tabbing between fields gets you to a position in fields where the problem does happen,
(d) Such entries cannot be undone (Edit->Undo or Ctrl-Z won't work) or otherwise erased.
Because of (d) it is necessary to close without saving, restore last saved copy and resume data entry from last saved point.

This is a major annoyance. If the "abnormal entry" could be undone, the issue would be minor.

falsifian
February 22nd, 2012, 01:28 AM
I'm on Debian not Ubuntu (Openoffice 3.2.1) but in case it helps anyone, I had to do one thing in addition to mbck's advice to use the tab key: after tabbing to a text field, I have to enter the last character first, and then press the back arrow and type the rest. If I just tab and start typing, it stops me after two characters.

HandeH
February 23rd, 2012, 06:06 AM
On Lucid Lynx with OO.o 3.2.0 the problem still exists and the tabbing does not help. So, here is a work-around, which might feel a bit complicated at first, but it just works.

Install Inkscape (http://packages.ubuntu.com/lucid/inkscape) and pdfshuffler (http://packages.ubuntu.com/lucid/pdfshuffler)
Export the problematic document (with tables) as PDF.
Open the PDF with Inkscape and do your editing there one page at a time. Save the completed sheets as PDFs (use Save as...).
If you have a multi-paged document, you have to open, edit and save pages separately in Inkscape. Fortunately, you can very easily merge the single paged pdf files into one individual pdf file with pdfshuffler (drag from Nautilus and drop into pdfshuffler's window).
That's it!


Inkscape tips: while editing the sheets consider using fullscreen mode by pressing F11. When saving remember to use Save as and proper naming for the individual pages, eg. from Document.pdf save as separate pages like Document-page1.pdf, Document-page2.pdf, Document-page3.pdf, and in the end merge with pdfshuffler as Document-ready.pdf.