This isn't exactly right under API, but it's for more advanced and programming use, so I think this is probably the best group for these questions.
I have a small business and have been using OpenOffice in it for a while. I generate reports for my clients with data that I process. On their computers (which are usually running Windows), I have a Java program that loads OOo in a headless instance to generate and print out the reports. For a number of reasons, I'm thinking of changing my setup to something less centralized for me. This would involve buying embedded systems from Soekris and putting one in each client's office. (I know this sounds expensive, but there are many solid reasons for this.) I can run Linux, specifically Debian Linux, on these embedded systems. In the past, I was experimenting with a Linux box that had only the command line system and no X windows, but OOo used the X font server, so there was no way I could run a headless instance of OOo to print out documents unless X was there and, if I remember, X had to be running as well. Is it possible to run OOo, now, on Linux, without having to have X on the same system? If it's on there, does it have to be running, or just there so OOo can use the libraries needed? It'd be just great, for me, if there were a way to run OOo on an embedded Linux system without needing X or any of the assorted files there or running. Also, there's another problem that's similar. Whenever I run any word processor on different computers, there's always the chance that each computer could be using slightly different fonts. Sometimes a document I write on one computer that takes up 1 page will, on another computer, be one page with a line or two on the next page. The formatting can change from computer to computer. This is a problem because along with reports, I generate cover letters. Of course, if the client has formatted a report for one page, I need it to print on just one page. As for cover letters, I have to be sure the address will always be in the same place. That leads to my second question. I have used Linux and OS X before, on my own LAN, and used X Windows and ssh with forwarding so I can run a program like OOo on one computer, but have the display show on another computer. However, when I do this, there are often issues with fonts and display size. The windows don't look quite the same on the client system as they do on the server system, when I run it directly on the server. Is there some way to set up a server instance of OOo that can be run, across the network, so a user can access that server version of OOo on another computer and be sure they're looking at a window and display that shows the document on the client computer exactly as it will be printed if, at some later date, it's printed from the server computer? In other words, if I have a central server computer with OOo on it, that would be the "master" system that would do all the printing. I want a way to make sure a client can use OOo, in some way, from their desktop box, and be sure that when they finish with a document and save it, the formatting will stay exactly the same, with no changes in font size or anything, when it's printed from the server. (Also, some of their text will be replaced, for instance [#Current Quarter#] may be replace with "Jan-March." Since that would change some formatting, it makes it even more critical that the image of the document is the same on every system and it's also why I can't just have a client print out a PDF file of the document instead of saving it as a .odt file.) I'll be glad to clarify any of these questions. I think what I'm doing may be kind of complex and I won't be surprised if I can do things in quite this way, so I'm open to alternatives and suggestions. Thanks for any answers or help! Hal --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: dev-unsubscr...@api.openoffice.org For additional commands, e-mail: dev-h...@api.openoffice.org