[KLUG Members] Re: openoffice/staroffice network installs

[Bryan J. Smith]

On Mon, 2002-04-08 at 21:31, Rusty Yonkers wrote:
> At one time I saw a network install for staroffice, or
> should I call it a multiuser install...  I did the
> install with some switch and it installed things in a
> common place.  I then had to do a separate small
> install to get a few files in the users home
> directory.  I cannot find the instructions for doing
> this install.  Can anyone help??
> I am assuming that it would be the same for
> openoffice...

Use the option:  "/net"

Yes, it's a very _inappropriate_nomenclature_ for UNIX (see "HISTORY"
below).

- INSTALLING ON UNIX:

1.  Run the "main" "setup" program as root, with the "/net" option
2.  Install in /usr/local/officeXX, /opt/officeXX or other, publicly
accessable location (NOT the default of /root/officeXX!)
3.  Login as users and run /usr/local/officeXX/program/setup to setup
the user's own files

#3 only needs to be done once for each user's home directory (if you NFS
mount, you only need to do it once per network -- not per system).

- HISTORY OF "/net" OPTION:

The "/net" is a legacy Windows thing.  DOS-based Windows doesn't
understand the concept of "multiuser."  As such, the great majority of
Windows applications, including Microsoft's own, are multi-user ignorant
(long story).  So there is no need for a "multiuser" install.

When Star/OpenOffice is installed on Windows, any user usually has
_full_write_access_ to its install directory (since all versions of
Windows default to this, even on NT with NTFS unless you post-install
configure NT otherwise), so any user can modify it.  So you only need 1
copy of all files, including config files.

But on UNIX, _all_ directories are setup with restricted/specific
permissions (outside of /tmp and other "temporary" locations).  So
Star/OpenOffice defaults to installing in the installing user's home
directory, since that is the only place the user is, usually, guaranteed
to have write access.

Sun allows you to do a "centralized network" install for Windows, hence
the "/net" option.  You install the main binaries on one system, and
then install per-system specific config files on each.

Conveniently, this worked out perfectly for when they created a UNIX
port to overcome the "directory security by default."  You install the
main binaries in a "publicly accessible location" and then install
per-user specific config files.  So they just used the "/net" option for
UNIX, even though you are targeting just one system.

But this is _ultra_confusing_ to admins.  Most don't realize that "/net"
is required so more than one user can access the installation.  As such,
I have _repeatedly_recommended_ to Sun over the years that they need to:

  A)  Make "/net" the _default_ for UNIX versions _and_ have the
default, "global" target directory be /usr/local/officeXX,
/opt/officeXX, etc... *OR*

  B)  Add a new option, e.g., "/user," to designate that the user want's
to install the UNIX version only in their home directory.

Both these changes would only affect the UNIX version.

-- Bryan

-- 
  Would you trust a vendor who doesn't rely on its own products?
Ask Microsoft why it uses mainly UNIX servers and Linux providers!
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Bryan J. Smith, SmithConcepts, Inc.      mailto:b.j.smith@ieee.org
Engineers and IT Professionals        http://www.SmithConcepts.com