*** Jorge, as I respond to your email I find out a range of things of note, as I try and support or refute my ideas. It is enlightening to read the entire post but you can just as easily jump to >>HERE<< ***
Sorry Jorge,
I suppose it is confusing.
The problem is the corruption due to the insertion of the image is not immediately obvious. Then as the file becomes more progressively more corrupt.
The sequence was like this
1. Cut-and-paste data
2. Reinsert images and objects
3. Other stuff...
4. Issue with comments noted
What surprised me was after recreating a clean file for use I then ended up with an error popping up. No comments were found anywhere.
So I stripped the file back to the individual components -- data, format, images, etc. Adding each one separately then testing extensively.
On adding the images I noted some funny stuff happening to the file size. as I saved, re-saved, deleted sheets, re-saved, etc... I noticed that the file showed more problems rendering images (images disappeared as well as references to files disappeared). Soon afterwards the file had problems saving after deletion of the sheet.
So I presume that the images caused the corruption of the structure, the problem progressively got worse, then the comments field tipped the scale and caused the error in saving after the deletion of the sheet. anyway that seems as plausible as any explanation I have seen already.
As stated I am unable to reproduce these errors on new files. despite trying repeatedly for hours.
As stated previously I was able to shake the problem by cutting-and-pasting the data into the spreadsheet. This included everything images and all. I could not trigger the error despite hours of testing. Consequently I posted the 'solution' to this thread.
After several hours of adding and deleting data, the problem reappeared.
As stated I then recreated the file including data-formula-format, minus other objects then progressively built up the file until it mimicked the original. Each step I tested, retested and checked yet again. In the end I noted things got 'wonky' after insertion of the images-artwork. this did not particularly make sense to me but I persisted in splitting the objects being inserted in the document until I could identify the culprit. This eventually identified a single image (originally a GIF that was converted to a PNG). Add this image to the sheet and progressively problems appear. If I recreate a PNG file using GIMP and insert this I can't get the problems to appear. This is using the same file, data and files - side by side. Very confusing.
There is only two conclusions
(a) that the file is corrupt, something corrupted it and at present the first thing I notice a problem occurring after it is inserted is this image.
(b) that LO accesses and manipulated the file incorrectly. In other words their is a bug in the code.
As I am not inclined to post a file with all my financial details on the Internet, and I have no other versions of LO around to test the second theory I am in a quantry.
>>HERE<<<
Well... As it turns out I have an old version of OpenOffice 3.1.0 OOO310m11 (Build: 9399) lying around on an old Windows Vista laptop I was unaware about.
Exact same file (except for one computer is accessing the local drive and the other a SAMBA network drive)...
- LO baulks with the error "blah blah unable to write"
- OO does not! Whaaaa?
Alright I am on Ununtu. I opened a copy of the file via nautilus from a local drive mounted using fstab - the error occurs. If I use nautilus to locate and access the same samba share the windows machine used - the error occurs.
Somehow I am relieved.
OK, I test using another machine ubuntu-ubuntu using LO 3.3.2, both via a NFS mount and Samba share. Both sheet deletions and saved worked on the exact same file that my machine baulks with - that is the error did not occur.
I am bloody confused! The problem is "computer specific and file specific". As part of the entire exercise I completely uninstalled every LO related package and reinstalled them with all the dependencies.
I have check and rechecked the file permissions, ownerships and groups. Nothing untoward.
Anyone got any ideas? if the disk was damaged then then all computer would complain. This leaves be with some conflict or background process that is interfering with the operation I am trying to do... you know the operation I can reproduce on any other file, except when I cut and paste data from the original file. Sound a lot like a corrupt disk, but how does the NFS and Samba Shares NOT trigger this error.