SoftMaker FreeOffice 2018 - "Anniversary" update

Word processors, spreadsheets, presentations, translation, etc.
Message
Author
keniv
Posts: 583
Joined: Tue 06 Oct 2009, 21:00
Location: Scotland

#21 Post by keniv »

Hello Mike,
Thanks for this update. Have used the 2012 version on and off,
however, it would not use the key for this so I made a new one. Am running it on quite limited hardware on the 2017 update of lucid 5287 sulu 002 version.

Regards,

Ken.

User avatar
Mike Walsh
Posts: 6351
Joined: Sat 28 Jun 2014, 12:42
Location: King's Lynn, UK.

#22 Post by Mike Walsh »

Evening, boys & girls.

Well, I've finally got around to doing what I said I would attempt, 4 months ago:-
Mike Walsh wrote:The other thing I kinda miss is L.Office's StartCenter. Click on one icon, you've got access to the whole suite. FreeOffice doesn't have an equivalent.

I might study some of Smokey's GTK-dialog tutorials he's been publishing in the Newsletter, and see if I can't knock up a wee combi-box with three selection buttons.....one for each app within the suite.
And that's exactly what I've done. I've been studying Smokey's YAD tutorial:-

http://smokey01.com/yad/

...and another one in particular, which was what linked me to Grant's tutorial in the first place:-

http://www.thelinuxrain.com/articles/the-buttons-of-yad

Smokey has been given credit down the bottom of this article. Nice to see!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I've re-uploaded the modified packages; what you will now get when you go into Menu->Document is one single entry:-

The SoftMaker FreeOffice StartCenter. And when you click on that, what you will get is this:-


Image


Just a wee 3-button selector box. Click on any Button, and it opens the appropriate module. My personal version of LibreOffice's 'StartCenter' (and I can't find any reference that they've copyrighted that name, so I've, a-hem, 'borrowed' it). But it does cut down on the number of Menu entries.....which is what I wanted to do all along.

For anyone who's interested, the code looks like this:-

Code: Select all

#!/bin/sh
#
#Selector for SoftMaker FreeOffice components: © Mike Walsh Apr 2018 - with thanks to Smokey01
#
yad --center --window-icon=/usr/local/lib/X11/pixmaps/office-2-icon.png --title="SoftMaker FreeOffice2016 StartCenter" --form --width=450 --text="SOFTMAKER FREEOFFICE2016 STARTCENTER
--------------------------------------------------
Please choose your desired office module:-" \
--image="/usr/local/lib/X11/pixmaps/office-2-icon.png" \
--field="TEXTMAKER (word processor)":fbtn "textmaker16free" \
--field="PLANMAKER (spreadsheet)":fbtn "planmaker16free" \
--field="PRESENTATIONS (slideshows, etc.)":fbtn "presentations16free" \
--no-buttons --close-on-unfocus
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you use the standard YAD 'form' box, with 'Cancel' & 'OK' buttons, you have to clear the box manually.....or else it'll still be there when you close whichever module you've been using. Well, I didn't want that (and the alternate YAD 'exit' strategy looked a bit of a handful at my current skill-level), so I went with the '--no-buttons' option.....meaning it looks tidier. I also went with a fairly new option, which has only been in the last couple of versions of YAD; '--close-on-unfocus', meaning when the selected module opens, focus switches to that.....and the 'StartCenter' auto-closes.

In order for this to work properly, you may need to compile the newest version of YAD for your Puppy.....but it's incredibly easy, and older versions really want updating anyway. Just follow the instructions provided by our Editor-in-chief, Smokey01, in the very first Puppy Newsletter:-

http://smokey01.com/newsletters/2017/Ja ... 17.html#18

It's a 60-second job.....literally!


I have a sneaking suspicion I'm going to be playing around with YAD quite a bit from now on..!


Mike. :wink:

User avatar
Mike Walsh
Posts: 6351
Joined: Sat 28 Jun 2014, 12:42
Location: King's Lynn, UK.

#23 Post by Mike Walsh »

Afternoon, all.

Following from the above post, I've decided to make the 'FreeOffice StartCenter' available as an 'add-on'. It won't affect your existing installation in any way; it merely offers an alternative way of calling the modules up.

For anybody who's interested, I've included it as an attachment with this post. There's also one for those older Pups where the newest YAD may have problems compiling, due to the need for other, newer system components.....and who are therefore stuck with the default YAD 0.12.4.


Image

Enjoy.


Mike. :wink:
Attachments
FreeOffice-StartCenter-oldPups-0.1.0.pet
'StartCenter' for older Pups...
(19.37 KiB) Downloaded 556 times
FreeOffice-StartCenter-0.1.0.pet
'StartCenter' for the SoftMaker FreeOffice office suite
(19.38 KiB) Downloaded 586 times
Last edited by Mike Walsh on Sun 22 Apr 2018, 10:19, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
festus
Posts: 235
Joined: Wed 14 Jan 2015, 19:10

#24 Post by festus »

I thank you, Mike, for making the "FreeOffice StartCenter" available for all here to use.

I slipped it into my office-sfs along with my personal settings and it is a handy improvement.

bliss,
festus :)

Puppyt
Posts: 907
Joined: Fri 09 May 2008, 23:37
Location: Moorooka, Queensland
Contact:

#25 Post by Puppyt »

Cheers Mike!
Currently working on TahrPup64 + 32-bit libraries added, with the following 10s modifications to /usr/local/bin/FreeOffice.sh for my purchased SoftmakerOffice 2018. Works a treat!

Code: Select all

#!/bin/sh
#
#Selector for SoftMaker FreeOffice components: © Mike Walsh Apr 2018 - with thanks to Smokey01
#
yad --center --window-icon=/usr/local/lib/X11/pixmaps/office-2-icon.png --title="SoftMaker Office2018 StartCenter" --form --width=450 --text="SOFTMAKER OFFICE2018 STARTCENTER
--------------------------------------------------
Please choose your desired office module:-" \
--image="/usr/local/lib/X11/pixmaps/office-2-icon.png" \
--field="TEXTMAKER (word processor)":fbtn "textmaker18" \
--field="PLANMAKER (spreadsheet)":fbtn "planmaker18" \
--field="PRESENTATIONS (slideshows, etc.)":fbtn "presentations18" \
--no-buttons --close-on-unfocus
(...will later do some fiddling to include icon and have it listed in radky's tray2 dock in his JWMDesk...)
Search engines for Puppy
[url]http://puppylinux.us/psearch.html[/url]; [url=https://cse.google.com/cse?cx=015995643981050743583%3Aabvzbibgzxo&q=#gsc.tab=0]Google Custom Search[/url]; [url]http://wellminded.net63.net/[/url] others TBA...

User avatar
Mike Walsh
Posts: 6351
Joined: Sat 28 Jun 2014, 12:42
Location: King's Lynn, UK.

#26 Post by Mike Walsh »

@ festus/Puppyt:-

Glad you like it, guys. It was just one of the very few things about FreeOffice that niggled me; I'd got used to it in LibreOffice. I use FreeOffice for all that sort of stuff now, since I just like the way it handles things.

Enjoy.


Mike. :wink:

User avatar
Mike Walsh
Posts: 6351
Joined: Sat 28 Jun 2014, 12:42
Location: King's Lynn, UK.

#27 Post by Mike Walsh »

Updated StartCenter .pet package

Morning, all.

Following some experimentation, there's now just one, single StartCenter package. I've had a .pet package for yad-0.38 kicking around underfoot for some time; can't remember exactly where it came from. I tested it out in older Pups like Lucid & Racy, as well as newer Pups; this YAD binary seems to function OK in all of 'em, and the 'modern' StartCenter now seems to work well with every Pup.

So, I've re-packaged to include yad-0.38 along with everything else.....eliminating the need to have to compile a newer version of YAD before it'll function. I do like to make things as easy as I can for my fellow Puppians..!

With the inclusion of a newish version of YAD, it's taken the package size a little ways over the Forum upload limit, so you can now find it at my MediaFire a/c, here:-

http://www.mediafire.com/file/gczd6zzli ... -0.1.5.pet

Enjoy.


Mike. :wink:

User avatar
Mike Walsh
Posts: 6351
Joined: Sat 28 Jun 2014, 12:42
Location: King's Lynn, UK.

#28 Post by Mike Walsh »

The entire FreeOffice2016 package (both .pet & SFS) has been re-packed to include the suite, StartCenter and yad-0.38. It won't matter in the slightest if yad overwrites an existing version of itself, since it's 'backward-compatible'. Newer versions contain everything found in older ones, with the addition of newer functionality. Bonus!

These can be found at the existing location, as detailed in post #1. Enjoy.

Any problems, I'm easily 'find-able'.


Mike. :wink:

User avatar
Mike Walsh
Posts: 6351
Joined: Sat 28 Jun 2014, 12:42
Location: King's Lynn, UK.

FreeOffice 2018 now available...

#29 Post by Mike Walsh »

Evening, all.


SoftMaker FreeOffice 2018


Following a recent thread by Colonel Panic about SoftMaker's Office 2018, I thought it was high time I got off my backside and set about packaging the new version of FreeOffice..!

So; here it is.

A few changes of note:-

The user now has the option of the infamous 'ribbon' interface (or not). You don't have to use it, but you can (if you really think it's the best thing since sliced bread, and simply must have it!)

One negative aspect (for me, at least) is the dropping of the option under the Tools->Options->Appearance tab to be able to change the appearance by means of the 'System Colours'. That, unfortunately, no longer exists.....meaning you're stuck with the horrible plain light grey Windoze-style interface. The 'Linux (system colors)' option used to give a nice dark grey interface, with restrained orange/yellow highlights.....which I really liked.

Never mind..!

Aside from those minor niggles, this appears to be just as functional as the previous version. Oh, and before I forget, there is one item of interest; under the above-mentioned tab, if you hit the 'User Interface' button, you'll see, along with the options for 'Ribbon' & 'Classic' interface, there is now a check-box for something called 'Touch mode' (this is supposed to make icons, menu-entries, etc., BIGGER.....and, I guess, more 'finger-friendly'?)

----------------------------------------------------------------

I've provided SFS and .pet packages, as before. The all-in-one 'StartCenter' is still there, making app selection neater and tidier than a bunch of separate Menu entries.

This time, I will get around to packaging the 64-bit versions, for those that want them. Just be patient, and bear with me, please; I need to get the newest yad compiled for 64-bit, first.

You can find the packages at my GoogleDrive. The link is as follows:-

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing

Any feedback/problems, y'all know where to find me. I think, over the issue of the suite's appearance, I shall personally be sticking with FO 2016 for the forseeable future....but I know many of you believe the newest of everything is the 'safe' option', so; I'm not one to disappoint! :lol:

Enjoy.


Mike. :wink:
Last edited by Mike Walsh on Wed 30 May 2018, 16:36, edited 1 time in total.

anewuser
Posts: 93
Joined: Sun 05 Feb 2012, 20:00

#30 Post by anewuser »

Thank you. Is this freeoffice 2018 AND the starter application? It wasn't clear for me.


I registered Softmaker's office 2016 (student license) in win7 and linux (puppy) but I still have a series of complaints with the software. I brought it up on their forum, even. In the end it's their software yet...


I found out key features were starting to dissapear from the free version, eg:

1. Full screen support was weakened in the free version I believe by the inability to assign shortcuts to fullscreen support. Actually full screen support was eventually taken out unless you registered.
2. Needing an internet connection on "first time usage" for registration. What then if you live in the jungle (ok, in an urban area but without internet). That's of no use. That's a usuability "no" for me.

Advice for users of softmaker office:

1. save in a universal format for interoperability rather than softmaker's format. You don't know when you will be unable/willing (app crash, hdd failure, lacks of feature) to run their software and will need to migrate critical documents to other software.
2. Don't allow internet access to the software.

If they follow on the feature bandwagon with the ribbon thing, or if they first offer features to get customers but then start taking them off then I don't need that. Full screen for me it's critical because I need user space to take advantage of the little screen of my netbook. Of course, I'm very small niche, but I'm still an user...

If only libreoffice was smaller than 100MB (it sounds outrageous saying that number outloud for a text processor) Must be the dependcies and the framework used. I refuse to install 300MB of software to write a documment with some formatting.
If only abiword didn't crash so random :'(
The long quest for at least a rich text format word processor that would allow interoperability between linux and windows systems.

User avatar
Galbi
Posts: 1098
Joined: Wed 21 Sep 2011, 22:32
Location: Bs.As. - Argentina.

#31 Post by Galbi »

anewuser wrote:The long quest for at least a rich text format word processor that would allow interoperability between linux and windows systems.
Perhaps:
http://genscriber.com/genappsd/rtf-editor-85.html
(unzip and run)
Remember: [b][i]"pecunia pecuniam parere non potest"[/i][/b]

User avatar
RetroTechGuy
Posts: 2947
Joined: Tue 15 Dec 2009, 17:20
Location: USA

#32 Post by RetroTechGuy »

bigpup wrote:I think you had it correct the first time with the product key.
That key is your key and no one else's!

Softmaker requires a key, and it is assigned to each person, as their own key. :!:

I do wonder if they are using the information you have to give them to get a key, as a way to make some money. :idea:
Personal info is money to the right people!
Since this thread has revived... Quite some time ago, I registered for a key (since they said it supported Linux).

I never got around to installing it yet (I just wanted to play with it), but I get periodic emails from them offering various enhanced packages and fonts, and whizbang stuff. I assume that they make money by selling these enhanced products. And that's a fine model - the free version being more limited in some manner (most probably don't need the enhanced - and it's a free test drive, without the modern crippleware/expiring trial version game)
[url=http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=58615]Add swapfile[/url]
[url=http://wellminded.net63.net/]WellMinded Search[/url]
[url=http://puppylinux.us/psearch.html]PuppyLinux.US Search[/url]

User avatar
Burn_IT
Posts: 3650
Joined: Sat 12 Aug 2006, 19:25
Location: Tamworth UK

#33 Post by Burn_IT »

I have been using it for ages on both.
"Just think of it as leaving early to avoid the rush" - T Pratchett

User avatar
rockedge
Posts: 1864
Joined: Wed 11 Apr 2012, 13:32
Location: Connecticut, United States
Contact:

#34 Post by rockedge »

I am using the latest free version....I like it a lot..runs nice on my latest Bionic Puppy as well as Xenial Pups...

SolusUmbra
Posts: 120
Joined: Thu 11 May 2017, 13:42

#35 Post by SolusUmbra »

I downloaded and installed the .pet of free office from mike’s google drive page and I couldn’t get the program to run at all.
In the end I ended up downloading and installing the .deb file from the free office site and everything runs just fine.
However I’m still wondering if anyone else has had that problem or what I might of done wrong.

User avatar
Mike Walsh
Posts: 6351
Joined: Sat 28 Jun 2014, 12:42
Location: King's Lynn, UK.

#36 Post by Mike Walsh »

@ SolusUmbra:-

Hey, no problem. If the .deb package works, that's fine.

Use whatever works for you. There's no hard & fast rule about it.....and certainly no point is being so 'dogmatic' (:lol:) about it that you end up shooting yourself in the foot.

You wouldn't believe the combination of .pets, SFSs. .debs, AppImages, Electron apps, self-extracting scripts, etc., etc., that I have running throughout my own 'kennels'. Even a number of Windoze 'portables' running under WINE.....

There's no shame in running Windoze stuff alongside Linux stuff. Some Windoze stuff is better for the job than its Linux counterparts. The same goes for vice-versa. If it does what you want it to.....that's the whole point of the exercise. In a nutshell.


Mike. :wink:

User avatar
Mike Walsh
Posts: 6351
Joined: Sat 28 Jun 2014, 12:42
Location: King's Lynn, UK.

#37 Post by Mike Walsh »

Evening, boys & girls.

An update for FreeOffice 2018 has come down the tubes, so I've packaged it up for you.

https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2019/09/fre ... -dark-mode

Couple of items of interest:-

Even further compatibility with M$ Office.....although, curiously, this is about being able to save to older file formats (like .doc, .xls and .ppt). Free Office already supports compatibility with the current formats, like .docx and .pptx, so this seems perhaps a wee bit pointless.

Free Office now has the ability to save to .odt files; previously, it was only able to open & read them. This makes it far more compatible with the Open Document Foundation as well as MicroSoft Office, which in turn makes it much more cross-platform 'friendly'.

The biggest change, and one which I in particular welcome, is the return of the 'dark mode'. I used this exclusively when I first started using this, back when I produced the 2016 packages. With the arrival of the 2018 packages last year, the 'dark mode' had vanished, along with the arrival of the infamous 'ribbon' interface. Which is fine if you like it; thankfully, the option is still there to use the traditional interface, too.

(Since I suffer from permanently sensitive vision following years at my previous full-time place of employment, this is indeed a very useful re-work for me.)

--------------------------------------------------------

No need for a new product key with this update (the '970', 'Anniversary' update); simply uninstall/unload the 'old' 2018 package, and install/load the update in its place. Your /root/Softmaker & /root/.softmaker config directories will continue to work as usual.

You can find them here, at my Google Drive:-

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing

Navigate through, and help yourselves; there's .pet and SFS packages (only 32-bit ATM; I'll get the 64-bit packages sorted out in the next few days for y'all), so.....you 'pays your money, and makes your choice'.

Enjoy.


Mike. :wink:

User avatar
Mike Walsh
Posts: 6351
Joined: Sat 28 Jun 2014, 12:42
Location: King's Lynn, UK.

#38 Post by Mike Walsh »

Evening, all.

As promised, here are the 64-bit .pet & SFS packages of the 'Anniversary' update for FreeOffice 2018. You can find them at the same location as the above 32-bit packages.

Navigate through, and help yourselves.

Hope they're useful.


Mike. :wink:

User avatar
gjuhasz
Posts: 422
Joined: Mon 29 Sep 2008, 14:28

Version 971

#39 Post by gjuhasz »

Hi All,

Version 971 is announced, Bugfixes only.

The softmaker18-971_64hup.sfs file is available at

https://sourceforge.net/projects/puppys ... /packages/

Supports en_US and hu_HU languages.


Have fun!

Regards,

gjuhasz
Last edited by gjuhasz on Sun 22 Sep 2019, 20:37, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
Mike Walsh
Posts: 6351
Joined: Sat 28 Jun 2014, 12:42
Location: King's Lynn, UK.

#40 Post by Mike Walsh »

@ gjuhasz:-

Yah, I know, I know; don't tell me..! Within 24 hrs of downloading and packaging the 970 'Anniversary' update, 971 had been released.....

It'll have to wait a wee while. I don't think anybody's that obsessed about having the very latest version.....are they? (Perhaps so...)

I'll get around to 'em sooner or later..! :)


Mike. :wink:

Post Reply