Dear Timothy:
All my thanks for your kind help. Your letter is a real breakthrough: I
actually understand what you are saying. I need to add those lines to my
.bash_profile file.
If only I could figure out the rest!
I am too exhausted to go on.
Once again, my deep thanks.
Benjamin
Here is a copy of my letter to the Helios-Expert and the Hedwig lists:
Dear friends:
I just spent the better part of the night trying my very best (as a
newbie and a non-techie at that) to understand the documentation for
installing Java in StarOffice51a's fine web browser. The Documentation
is availble as a pdf file in the Documentation subdirectory under
so51inst.
I might add that the 1,500 page Special Edition Using StarOffice 5.1 by
Que has very little to say about Java in StarOffice.
I very much like StarOffice (and I hope that KOffice will be at least as
good), but if Sun is really trying to get ordinary people who are not
computer programmers to use Star Office WITH Java, they have done a very
poor job of it. And they expect to defeat Microsoft with this kind of
contortionist act?!
I would like to very much to thank the many people who have come forward
with suggestions and solutions. They have all been very helpful.
I have downloaded as instructed the two jre files that I am supposed to
install (first they mention one of three files, then one of a set of
three packages, each containing two files -- very confusing), as
follows:
[sher@adsl-77-232-189 sher]$ cd jre
[sher@adsl-77-232-189 jre]$ ls
jre_1.1.7-v1a-glibc-x86-native.tar.gz jre_1.1.7-v1a-glibc-x86.tar.gz
[sher@adsl-77-232-189 jre]$
They say that I am supposed to install both of these files in proper
numerical order (???), then that I am supposed to edit the setup.ini
file (which is actually called setup.ins), etc. etc.
Rarely in my experience have I ever seen such cryptic instructions
designed to drive a normal (or not so normal) person completely out of
his or her mind.
What is needed is a simple, absolutely clear STEP-BY-STEP set of
instructions that begins with step 1 and ends with the final step of
successful Java installation. And with troubleshooting instructions as
to possible conflicts with KDE's Kaffee Java Virtual Machine (which may
or may not have to be uninstalled).
QUESTION 1) Has anyone, I mean, anyone on this continet or any continent
succeeded so far in installing Java in StarOffice? I mean SUCCESSFULLY.
Can you view and hear Java applets in StarOffice. If so, please go to:
http://www.mediaviewer.com
and test the demo for me and tell me if it really works in StarOffice.
Most unfortunately, as we all know, Netscape Java is very unstable.
Hopefully, the new Netscape 5.0 just around the corner will give Linux
the modern browser it deserves.
What has motivated me to go on with this StarOffice Java madness? Well,
madness itself. Sheer obstinate, dogged madness. That, of course, is MY
problem. But if Sun wants to make a real success of StarOffice, they had
better AUTOMATE this Java business from a to z before they send their
users to an insane asylum. To tempt the user with Java and then drive
him/her out of their mind is not my idea of furthering the cause of
Linux.
Sorry for my rant.
If any of you gurus could be so kind as to write step-by-step
instructions on how to install Java for StarOffice and make it available
to everyone on various Linux sites, you will be rendering a great
service to the cause of Linux. Never mind that Sun is using Linux for
its own purposes. Let's make StarOffice work for Linux until Linux's own
office suites are ready to challenge Microsoft on the desktop.
How about it, Linux gurus? Can you translate StarOffice's cryptic
instructions into plain, effective English, spelling out every step and
every file and every directory for us newbies and non-techie users?
It would be a most generous gesture, I assure you, appreciated by all.
Thank you.
Benjamin
--
Benjamin and Anna Sher
Email:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sher's Russian Web
http://www.websher.net
