Microsoft promises ODF, OOXML interoperability

I will believe it when I see it. Until then, Microsoft has to live with the reputation they have earned by lying about "interoperability" over, and over, and over again.

Microsoft could be 100% interoperable in perpetuity, just by _using_ ODF.

It seems, however, this is just too hard for them to do.

Will appreciate it when it arrives, til then, will believe it when I see it.

I promise world peace, a perfectly balanced harmony between humans and nature, universal happiness, and non-fattening chocolate and beer.

They're just as valid as MS' promises.

Chocolate and beer?

Is that in a sundae?

That's the basis of a healthy, nourishing breakfast.

TC, I see you're running for political office.

I had a cute thing happen to me tonight.

My neighbors are moving, and they have 3 "obsolete" PCs they are going to be selling at a garage sale. One of them is an old machine of mine which I gave them with Linux on it for their kids. (they never even powered it on, I think)

Anyway, I volunteered to wipe off all their old data (by doing a fresh Linux install) for "security" reasons. They liked the idea, so I brought the first one home, put PCLinuxOS in the CD and booted.

It got about 1/8th of the "progress bar" and just stopped.

Ok, Knoppix! Nope, same thing.

Debian net install? Debian XFCE install? Neither. Knoppix? No, kernel panic as soon as it went to mount the compressed file system.

Linux just won't boot.

Just about out of ideas...minix? Hmm. I've got this Minix 3.1.1 CD that I made when Minix finally went GPL, lets try it.

Success! Oh, and look, there's a "setup" utility to install it, and Golly! I can tell it to reformat the entire disk.

So I don't know what tomorrow may bring, but today brought a new thing: My first Minix install!

Thank you for listening.

The right tool for the job.

(I wonder if AST knows his OS is a security tool, besides also being an educational OS?)

Chocolate and beer flavored sundaes?!?!?!

Where!?!?!?

Since this is way off topic. I just bought a nice little Lenovo Laptop, It's nothing flash, but it's got a 1.73 Gig single core CPU, 1 Gig of RAM, 75 Gig Harddrive, Intel Wireless, the usual assortment of USB connectors, Dial up and LAN connectors. It came pre installed with Windows Vista Home Basic, we bought it for a friend of ours, he wants a Laptop and I told him I'd keep my eyes open for a bargain, It turns out that Big W has opened a store in the Bay, and are selling everything reduced for their opening sale, these laptops are $200 off, so we got it for $498 Aussies.

I got the sales manager to sign a statement that I refused the Microsoft EULA. I then took the Microsoft Labels off and stuck them on the statement, and reformatted the hard drive. I'm now setting the machine up with Mandriva 2008.0. I'll now try to get my refund from Lenovo. Even if I don't the machine was still a good price.

tracyanne -

Sounds like you're got the same thing (or very close) to what I got. We are VERY happy with ours, I have to tell you. We had to put XP on it for work reasons, but it runs Linux live CDs with not problems.

Seems that the Novell page on this has disappeared.

"http://download.novell.com/SummaryFree.jsp?buildid=ESrjfdE4U58~"

I've searched, but can't find any OOXML -> ODF translator plug-ins. Either on Novell / OpenSUSE or Microsoft's site. I'm beginning to believe that (once again) Microsoft is blowing smoke out their.... {the visuals aren't pretty here}

You have to register with Novell before you can access the free download page. I managed to get a copy of the translator before they took that page down. It works a treat. I can open and save ooxml files from Open Office.org on Linux but not on OO.o on Windows, and not on the version of MS Office my work machine has. I find it somewhat amusing.

http://download.novell.com/index.jsp?product_id=&search=Sear...

use the following username and password

Username: tracyanneagain password: password123

Quoting:use the following username and password

Very thoughtful of you TA. You knew not many FOSSies would sign up, didn't you? Thanks.

http://img.tfd.com/wn/AD/5FAFB-gesture.gif

I don't like the way Novell are basically making Free Open Source Software less accessible, call it my protest.

Damn I can't find it now.

Novell seem to be playing some sort of a game here. If anyone wants these files and can't get them using the credentials I supplied, I'll email them to them.

TracyAnne - I found it, but not on the Novell site. Every link that I tried (even after logging in as you - and THANKS by the way) lead to either some stupid press announcement or some notice that the file had been moved/removed. I DID find the name - odf-converter-1.1-7.i586.rpm , but some comments have said it only works with the Novell OpenOffice product. Thank you again... I might be onto something now.

No it does work with the vanilla and Distro (other than SuSE) versions. But you have to install it this way http://pclosmag.com/html/Issues/200712/page02.html

BTW: Novell are playing games, they hide the translators after you've downloded them so that they can only be accessed from a new registration.

> ...they hide the translators after you've downloded them...

What's the license on the translators? If they're GPL'ed, there's nothing to stop anyone from putting them up on the web someplace where people can get to them.

They are GPLed, originally developed by Sun. The way Novell are making them available stinks

Many registration-based sites block accounts if they detect multiple IP's using the same login/password simultaneously.

[Edited.]

> Many registration-based sites block accounts if they detect multiple IP's using the same login/password.

Which means they block anyone with dynamic IP addresses (i.e., all dialup and most DSL/Cable users). That's really brilliant.

I hope I've clarified my previous comment.

> I hope I've clarified my previous comment.

Yes, you have. Though that can still bite a dialup user if they get knocked offline (which can be all too frequent with dialup accounts) and then try to access the account again.

Also that explains why I can't access my account from work.