How to open .docx files with OOWriter
by Forum Members
If you don't mind getting your hands a little dirty, I'm going to show you how to "fix" OpenOffice so you can open, edit and create .docx files.
- First things first. Make sure you have updated OOo, then go get the odf-converter-1.0.0-5.i586.rpm
- You also need software to get into the rpm. I prefer file-roller (aka Archive Manager), so in Synaptic, mark and install file-roller.
- Right click on the odf-converter rpm -> Open With -> Archive Manager.
- Navigate to and extract /usr/lib/ooo-2.0 from inside the rpm to your desktop.
You should now have a folder named "ooo-2.0" on your Desktop. There are 3 files buried in this folder that we want.
The first one is located in /ooo-2.0/program, named "OdfConverter".
- In Konsole, as root, type on one line:
cp /home/YourUsername/Desktop/ooo-2.0/program/OdfConverter /usr/lib/ooo-2.3/program
Second, there is a file named "MOOXFilter_cpp.xcu" located in /ooo-2.0/share/registry/modules/org/openoffice/TypeDetection/Filter.
- Once again, as root, type on one line:
cp /home/YourUsername/Desktop/ooo-2.0/share/registry/modules/org/openoffice/TypeDetection/Filter/MOOXFilter_cpp.xcu /usr/lib/ooo-2.3/share/registry/modules/org/openoffice/TypeDetection/Filter
The third file is named "MOOXTypeDetection.xcu" and is located in /ooo-2.0/share/registry/modules/org/openoffice/TypeDetection/Types.
- As root, type on one line:
cp /home/YourUsername/Desktop/ooo-2.0/share/registry/modules/org/openoffice/TypeDetection/Types/MOOXTypeDetection.xcu /usr/lib/ooo-2.3/share/registry/modules/org/openoffice/TypeDetection/Types
- (Re)Start OpenOffice and try to open or create .docx file. It works!
Notes: This will have to be done each time OOo updates. This solution is working properly with small, basic documents with few pages but bigger files won't work.
The absolute latest Writer 2.3.0.4.1-2, with updates (not yet available in the PCLinuxOS Repositories) opens .docx...AND, you can interact with it, writing to it etc., but you CANNOT save as .docx. The open function only works from within Writer. You cannot simply click on a file and have Writer open it. When you open a .docx file, save it in an Office XP/2000/97 format (the old and loved by all .doc format) and you are good to go!
