Writer crashing saving in docx format

Dear all,

I' using LibreOffice 3.4.4 on Ubuntu 11.10 and Writer crashes whenever I try
to save a document in docx format. First of all I'd like to know how to
access error logs or messages so that I can provide some more feedback on
the issue.

Thank you.

Hi :slight_smile:
Can you save in the more widely accessible format ".doc"?
Regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

Hi Luis,

I' using LibreOffice 3.4.4 on Ubuntu 11.10 and Writer crashes whenever I try
to save a document in docx format. First of all I'd like to know how to
access error logs or messages so that I can provide some more feedback on
the issue.

If you're lucky, you might be able to find a file named "core" somewhere
on your system that would have been created when the app went belly up.
It used to be quite common on Linux systems, but seems to have fallen by
the wayside in many Linux distributions unless specifically activated in
some way (on a system level, or with a debug build of the app in
question). The file may or may not be visible to the normal user, so you
might have to do a search as root or sudo to try and find it.

You would also try looking for a file "hs_error_pid.log", this also
provides a snapshot of the apps libraries loaded into memory at the time
it crashes.

Also try installing your distrib's versions of the debug symbols that
are generally provided for such purposes, and then reproduce the crash.
This should leave you with one or the other of these files.

Ultimately, you could always use the Gnu debugger gdb and attache the
soffice process to it, then make the app crash as you describe, that
would give you something to start with.

Alex

Hi :slight_smile:
These 2 guides might help
http://wiki.documentfoundation.org/BugReport
https://www.libreoffice.org/get-help/bug/
They both achieve the same result but different people prefer different approaches.
Regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

Please stop using LO to create m$ documents; either pay for m$
software or help to promote use of odf.

e-letter

Dear all,

I' using LibreOffice 3.4.4 on Ubuntu 11.10 and Writer crashes whenever I
try
to save a document in docx format. First of all I'd like to know how to
access error logs or messages so that I can provide some more feedback on
the issue.

Please stop using LO to create m$ documents; either pay for m$
software or help to promote use of odf.

If you are using Linux MSO is NOT an option because there is no Linux
version of MSO.

Stop assuming that someone has access to Windows or can afford to buy a
retail copy of MSO. Many LO users have limited finances and can not
afford to buy new software and possibly the hardware to run it.

MS is adding full ODF support in the next version of MSO but for now one
often must deal with MSO formats because others will not use anything
else. Many organizations, companies, and government agencies in the US
only support MSO formats because that is the default format of their
applications. Thus, US users must have MSO format support or LO is not a
viable option.

Until the US government switches from MSO to ODF formats being able to
open, edit, and save MSO formats will be a requirement in the US for any
office suite: FOSS or commercial. LO and AOO are viable options because
they do all three reasonably well while Calligra is not because you can
not save to MSO formats. I do not know about ODF support worldwide; I
can only comment on what I see in the US.

Deal with reality and shut up about using MSO formats.

Am 24.05.2012 16:27, Jay Lozier wrote:

If you are using Linux MSO is NOT an option because there is no Linux
version of MSO.

Stop assuming that someone has access to Windows or can afford to buy a
retail copy of MSO. Many LO users have limited finances and can not
afford to buy new software and possibly the hardware to run it.

He is perfectly right. Anyone wanting to work with one of the the most complicated file formats has to buy the one and only software that has been designed for that file format.
Assuming that some open source code monkeys spend their lives to hack equivalent software for free is mere hybris.

MS is adding full ODF support in the next version of MSO

Dreams are free.

Deal with reality and shut up about using MSO formats.

Deal with reality and stop spreading MSO formats. All we need to do in respect to MSO formats is never writing any OOXML files. Simply send back your ready made documents as PDF which always looks exactly as displayed on your screen (File>Send>Document as PDF).
If (and only if) collaboration on the same file is a requirement, then you send back the old binary file format (doc/xls/ppt) which is fully supported by MSO.
There is not a single technical reason why any user of LibreOffice should export OOXML and I wish LibO would stop trying to write this pestilence of a file format.

But there is no need to save it in docX format... just save it as a .doc and forget about it...

Am 24.05.2012 16:27, Jay Lozier wrote:

Stop assuming that someone has access to Windows or can afford to buy a
retail copy of MSO. Many LO users have limited finances and can not
afford to buy new software and possibly the hardware to run it.

A Pentium PC with Office '97 reads and writes doc/xls/ppt almost perfectly. There are "free" viewers and "free" online versions of MSO.
Thanks to our software, MSO removed their "Genuine Advantage" model from their office suite so every MS addict can have his "free copy" of MSO.
Reportedly, some capable converters exist (I tried zamzar.com with more satifying results than LibO). So far not a single doc/xls coming from my Linux machine has been rejected by any MS user. Just do not write OOXML!

Hi :slight_smile:
+1
I think some companies and agencies specifically state that documents MUST be produced in docX, xlsX etc.  For the moment people could probably get away with the older MS formats that everyone can read.

The alternatives seem to be
1.  Use MS formats or
2.  Don't work for or with anyone

Even when MS Office supposedly introduces support for ODF you can be fairly sure they will botch it badly. 
Regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

My aggravation is the assumption that someone can afford MSO or Windows
or has access to Windows. The OS is Ubuntu. I do not know the particular
situation but to tell someone to buy MSO when it may be unrealistic is
rude if not idiotic. Some can not afford to be spending money on
proprietary software even if they wanted it. Telling them to spend what
they do not have is insulting. Many cash strapped users find LO's
support of MSO formats critical.

Also, do not forget that many MSO users are not truly skilled computer
users. Expecting them to do something like change the default file
format is unrealistic.

The reality is MSO support will be needed by many users because of what
others are doing such as the US government, I am in the US. Until the
Federal government mandates ODF only use within the government this will
not change. Given the low level of technical competence in both the
Executive branch and Congress I do not see this happening very soon.
Remember you are dealing with the idiots behind SOPA/PIPA and other
similar stupidities. Or as one Speaker of US House of Representatives
observed many members of Congress subtract from the sum total of human
knowledge every time they open their mouths (Thomas Bracken Reed,
Speaker 1890's).

Dear all, thank you for the multitude of replies.

I am writing an article for a conference. Usually I do this with Latex, but
for this particular conference they requiest a file in docx or doc format.
The docx file is totally unusable by LibreOffice, it can open it but not
save any changes, this despite the file looking rather simple. Luckily
LibreOffice deals quite well with the doc format, so I'll manage to write
and submit the article. Still I'd like to report the error to promote the
perfecting of Libre Office.

In the good old days of C programing at the Faculty, core files where never
of much help, so I'm not that inclined to go that route. I'll just try to
follow the guides provided by Tom.

The sugestions to buy M$ Office or download a "free" version for Ubuntu
where quite hilarious and entertaining. Let's just hope some less savy user
don't follow them inadverdly, for the first is stupid and the second stupid
and illegal.

Thanks to everyone that took the issue seriously, but also to the comedians,
free laughing is always welcome.

Dear all, thank you for the multitude of replies.

I am writing an article for a conference. Usually I do this with Latex, but
for this particular conference they requiest a file in docx or doc format.
The docx file is totally unusable by LibreOffice, it can open it but not
save any changes, this despite the file looking rather simple. Luckily
LibreOffice deals quite well with the doc format, so I'll manage to write
and submit the article. Still I'd like to report the error to promote the
perfecting of Libre Office.

In the good old days of C programing at the Faculty, core files where never
of much help, so I'm not that inclined to go that route. I'll just try to
follow the guides provided by Tom.

The sugestions to buy M$ Office or download a "free" version for Ubuntu
where quite hilarious and entertaining. Let's just hope some less savy user
don't follow them inadverdly, for the first is stupid and the second stupid
and illegal.

+1 As Ubuntu user, I do not know of any MSO version that is available
for any Linux distro. MS would need to port the code to Linux.