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Open-Licensed Instructional Guides for Learners
Lesson: Overview and Installation of
OpenOffice.org 3
Lesson Objectives
In this lesson, you will learn the following:
Overview
The release of OpenOffice.org 3.0 has been one of the most anticipated software packages among open source advocates and corporate information system specialists. OpenOffice.org 3.0 not only has made many advances in terms of features and capabilities over previous versions, but its convenient licensing terms has brought it to the attention of corporate IT departments, small businesses and individuals alike. This book has been created to provide users in academia a hands-on approach to learning the fundamentals of one of the most popular office productivity suites.
Before proceeding with the hands-on exercises related to document creation and formatting, we must first discuss the various features and installation process of OpenOffice.org. Upon completion of this lesson, you will become familiar with the new features found in OpenOffice.org, including accessibility features for users with physical and visual impairments. The system requirements for computers to meet in order to use OpenOffice.org will also be discussed, along with instructions for completing the installation of OpenOffice.org on a Microsoft Windows-based or Linux-based computer workstation.
Lesson Structure
This book was created to give students, faculty and administrators an introduction to OpenOffice.org 3.0 and its capabilities as an office productivity suite in an academic and business environment. Individuals, who are learning the fundamentals of using an office productivity suite, or those who have had prior experience with other office applications and wish to become acquainted with OpenOffice.org, will gain much from the hands-on exercises and step-by-step instruction provided in this book.
However, this doesn’t mean that individuals who are not pursuing an education would not benefit from this book. This book was not only created to provide hands-on experience with using OpenOffice.org, but has also been designed to teach the fundamental concepts of formatting and editing documents often created by individuals both in an academic and corporate environment. The concepts could not only apply to OpenOffice.org, but to other office productivity suites as well. What makes OpenOffice.org unique to other office productivity suites is that its licensing terms and cross-platform support provides students, educational institutions, individuals and corporate enterprises a full-featured, low cost alternative to performing the fundamental tasks necessary for document creation.
This book comprises ten unique hands-on lessons to assist users to become familiar with the fundamentals of creating various documents with OpenOffice.org 3.0. These lessons walk readers step-by-step through the process of creating a variety of documents using the four core applications within the OpenOffice.org suite: Writer (word processing application), Calc (spreadsheet application), Impress (presentation application) and Base (database application). Each lesson not only provides step-by-step instruction for the creation and formatting of documents, but also provides information regarding additional resources that readers may consult to further their conceptual knowledge related to the tasks discussed within. These lessons include:
Following the ten lessons, several appendices can be found to provide a quick reference for each of the four core applications within OpenOffice.org 3.0. These quick reference guides are suitable to seek guidance regarding performing specific tasks, or to consult regarding tasks not covered within the hands-on exercises.
New Features Available in OpenOffice.org 3.0
OpenOffice.org 3.0 contains many new features over its predecessor. Users of OpenOffice.org 2.x will notice a number of enhancements both in usability and added features. Users who are familiar with other office productivity suites will find that compatibility with other formatted documents to be seamless, while providing the vast majority of tools and features they are accustomed to. Among the new features found in OpenOffice.org 3.0 are:
For additional information regarding all the new features available within OpenOffice.org 3.0, obtain the OpenOffice.org 3.0 Feature Guide at the OpenOffice.org website. The web address is http://marketing.openoffice.org/3.0/featurelistbeta.html.
About the OpenDocument File Format
The OpenDocument format (ODF) is a vendor-neutral format for exchanging editable office-related documents, including word processing, spreadsheets, and presentation files. Moreover, ODF is an open format, meaning that companies and developers, regardless of whether their software is open source or proprietary, can incorporate the format into their software and view the specifications for further development. This makes the format increasingly attractive for users and software developers alike, as it assures that documents saved in the format can be edited and accessed by many different applications, regardless of whether the application that was used originally in the creation of the document is available in the future.
Beginning with version 2.x.x, OpenOffice.org has provided native support for the XML-based OpenDocument file format and is the default format for creating and saving files within the office productivity suite. This includes the Writer word processing application, the Calc spreadsheet application, the Impress presentation application and the Base database application.
For more information regarding the OpenDocument format, visit the OASIS consortium website at http://www.oasis-open.org/home/index.php.
Accessibility Features
OpenOffice.org 3.0 provides a number of features that are available to help individuals that are physically or visually impaired in using the office productivity suite. These features include support for external devices and applications for use by individuals with physical or visual impairments, access to all functions via the keyboard, improved readability of screen contents, zooming of the on-screen user interface for menus, icons and documents and more.
For detailed information regarding accessibility features available within the OpenOffice.org suite of applications, including a list of supported devices and applications, view the documentation available by selecting the Help menu and use the search term accessibility. Accessibility features can be customized within OpenOffice.org by clicking the Tools menu and selecting Options from the menu list.
OpenOffice.org 3.0 System Requirements
This training book assumes you have fundamental knowledge of operating your computer and the operating system. The fundamental knowledge you should have before proceeding with this book includes using the mouse and keyboard, launching applications and using standard menus and commands. If you need to review these techniques, see the printed or electronic documentation included with your system or enroll in a basic computer course through your local school, community college or community parks and recreation department.
System Requirements for Installing and Operating OpenOffice.org 3.0 for the Windows operating system include:
System Requirements for Installing and Operating OpenOffice.org 3.0 for the Linux operating system include:
System Requirements for Installing and Operating OpenOffice.org 3.0 for the Macintosh OS X operating system include:
Installing OpenOffice.org 3.0 for Windows
Before proceeding to the rest of the material covered in this book, your computer must have a copy of OpenOffice.org 3.0 installed on it. Below you will find step-by-step instruction to installing OpenOffice.org 3.0 on a Microsoft Windows-based computer. To utilize all of the features OpenOffice.org has to offer, however, your computer must have Java Runtime Environment (JRE) version 1.5 or higher installed. Fortunately, if you select to perform a Complete Install during the installation process, OpenOffice.org 3.0 will automatically install the JRE for you.
To install OpenOffice.org 3.0 on a Windows-based computer that meets the minimum system requirements, follow these steps:
After the installation is complete, you can find the OpenOffice.org suite of applications by clicking on the START button on your desktop, then choose the PROGRAMS option, and then select the OpenOffice.org 3.0 folder for all applications that are included with the software suite. When launching the OpenOffice.org application for the first time, a Registration Wizard will appear and ask you to enter your full name, select an online application update process and register the software. Everything within the Registration Wizard is voluntary. If you do not wish to enable any of these options, simply leave the appropriate text fields blank, select the appropriate radio buttons and checkboxes, and click the NEXT button to advance through the wizard. Once you have completed this wizard, the OpenOffice.org application is ready for use.
Installing OpenOffice.org 3.0 for Linux
Unlike the Microsoft Windows and Apple Macintosh computing platforms, a version of Microsoft Office does not exist for Linux. Therefore, many Linux users have found OpenOffice.org to be a viable substitute for their office productivity needs. Not only can OpenOffice.org produce complex word processing and spreadsheet documents, but it can also open and save documents in the various Microsoft Office formats. Such flexibility allows OpenOffice.org users to share files and communicate ideas with Microsoft Office users.
Because OpenOffice.org is an open source application suite and a favorite among many Linux users, the OpenOffice.org suite is very often included with most Linux operating system distributions. So when the installation of Linux on a computer system is complete, often OpenOffice.org has been installed within the process as well. This makes it convenient for new users of the Linux operating system, as each Linux distribution has its own peculiarities regarding the installation of applications.
Therefore, this book does not contain step-by-step instruction to installing OpenOffice.org on the Linux platform. However, if your computer workstation does not have OpenOffice.org 3.0 already installed, the official OpenOffice.org Setup Guide can provide assistance. The Setup Guide provides step-by-step instructions for RPM-based, Debian-based, Gentoo-based and Slackware-based installations, depending upon which method you need to use for the particular Linux distribution your computer workstation has installed. To download the official OpenOffice.org Setup Guide, see the Additional Resources section at the end of this lesson.
Installing OpenOffice.org 3.0 for Mac OS X
With the introduction of version 3.0, OpenOffice.org fully supports the native Aqua interface for Mac OS X. This means users of OpenOffice.org on the Macintosh OS X platform no longer have to rely on the X11 environment to operate the office productivity suite. To install OpenOffice.org 3.0 on a Macintosh-based computer that meets the minimum system requirements, follow these steps:
Installing OpenOffice.org Extensions
OpenOffice.org has already proven to be a powerful, feature-rich, yet flexible office productivity suite. However, with the release of version 3.0, OpenOffice.org is providing even greater flexibility and features through enhancements in its Extensions framework. OpenOffice.org Extensions are simply tools developed by third-party developers that provide additional functionality to the office productivity suite. This may include not only specific functionality, such as the ability to edit a Portable Document Format (PDF) file, but may also include image galleries and document templates as well.
Before selecting and installing extensions, you must first understand the two basic categories of extensions and how you plan to utilize them on your computer workstation. The two categories of extensions include:
After deciding the appropriate level (user or shared) for the work environment you wish to utilize the extension in, you can then proceed with the installation of an extension. OpenOffice.org provides three easy ways to install an extension. These installation methods include:
Installing Extensions Using the Extension Manager Method
To install extensions using the OpenOffice.org Extensions Manager, whether they are intended for an individual user or for shared use among multiple users, follow these steps:
Adjusting the Page View
To adjust the view of the document you are working in, click on the View menu and select Zoom from the menu list. You may also select to Zoom by clicking on the magnifying glass icon within the Standard toolbar located just beneath the main application menu.
How to Set OpenOffice.org to Automatically Open Microsoft Office Generated Files Using Windows
If you did not choose during the installation of OpenOffice.org to have the software automatically open Microsoft Office formatted documents, you may select to do so by following these steps:
INGOTs Certifications
International Grades in Office Technologies (INGOTs) is a platform and application-independent certification created and administered by the Learning Machine, Ltd. in the United Kingdom. INGOTs academies, which are schools and organizations approved to offer training and perform certification assessments, are located throughout the world, including Europe, the United States and the Western Pacific region. INGOTs provide a motivating progression route from complete beginner to professional level expertise in commonly used productivity tools found in the modern workplace, such as word processing, presenting and searching for information.
What makes INGOTs unique compared to other certification programs is that the certification is not dependent upon a user utilizing a specific office productivity suite or operating system. Rather, users are assessed for being awarded a certification based upon successfully demonstrating their ability to perform certain tasks by using the office productivity suite of their choice. Currently, there are four levels of INGOTs certification – Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum. For specific information regarding each certification level, including Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and Assessment Criteria, download the Assessor Handbook at http://theingots.org/guides/ handbook-en-2007-02-20.pdf.
Benefits of INGOTs Certification
INGOTs certifications have many benefits for users, employers and educational institutions. For a student or user, receiving an INGOTs certificate demonstrates to prospective employers that they are proficient at using office productivity applications to perform tasks demanded in today’s modern office environment. For employers, an individual holding a specific INGOTs certificate provides a way to determine the skill set of prospective employees utilizing a certificate program developed by an independent third-party. Moreover, educational institutions and training companies can add value to their services by incorporating INGOTs into their office productivity curriculum, as well as helping seek instructors with appropriate credentials.
How to Find an INGOTs Academy
For more information about INGOTs, including locating an academy in your area or for the criteria for an institution to become an academy, visit the INGOTs website at http://www.theingots.org or email at the appropriate address located at http://www.theingots.org/contact.
Lesson Objectives
In this lesson, you will learn the following:
- Become acquainted with some of the new features available in OpenOffice.org 3.0.
- Learn about the accessibility features available within the OpenOffice.org suite of applications and how to customize them.
- Learn how to install OpenOffice.org 3.0 on the Microsoft Windows, Linux and Mac OS X platforms.
- How to Set OpenOffice.org to Automatically Open Microsoft Office Generated Files.
Overview
The release of OpenOffice.org 3.0 has been one of the most anticipated software packages among open source advocates and corporate information system specialists. OpenOffice.org 3.0 not only has made many advances in terms of features and capabilities over previous versions, but its convenient licensing terms has brought it to the attention of corporate IT departments, small businesses and individuals alike. This book has been created to provide users in academia a hands-on approach to learning the fundamentals of one of the most popular office productivity suites.
Before proceeding with the hands-on exercises related to document creation and formatting, we must first discuss the various features and installation process of OpenOffice.org. Upon completion of this lesson, you will become familiar with the new features found in OpenOffice.org, including accessibility features for users with physical and visual impairments. The system requirements for computers to meet in order to use OpenOffice.org will also be discussed, along with instructions for completing the installation of OpenOffice.org on a Microsoft Windows-based or Linux-based computer workstation.
Lesson Structure
This book was created to give students, faculty and administrators an introduction to OpenOffice.org 3.0 and its capabilities as an office productivity suite in an academic and business environment. Individuals, who are learning the fundamentals of using an office productivity suite, or those who have had prior experience with other office applications and wish to become acquainted with OpenOffice.org, will gain much from the hands-on exercises and step-by-step instruction provided in this book.
However, this doesn’t mean that individuals who are not pursuing an education would not benefit from this book. This book was not only created to provide hands-on experience with using OpenOffice.org, but has also been designed to teach the fundamental concepts of formatting and editing documents often created by individuals both in an academic and corporate environment. The concepts could not only apply to OpenOffice.org, but to other office productivity suites as well. What makes OpenOffice.org unique to other office productivity suites is that its licensing terms and cross-platform support provides students, educational institutions, individuals and corporate enterprises a full-featured, low cost alternative to performing the fundamental tasks necessary for document creation.
This book comprises ten unique hands-on lessons to assist users to become familiar with the fundamentals of creating various documents with OpenOffice.org 3.0. These lessons walk readers step-by-step through the process of creating a variety of documents using the four core applications within the OpenOffice.org suite: Writer (word processing application), Calc (spreadsheet application), Impress (presentation application) and Base (database application). Each lesson not only provides step-by-step instruction for the creation and formatting of documents, but also provides information regarding additional resources that readers may consult to further their conceptual knowledge related to the tasks discussed within. These lessons include:
- Lesson One – Overview and Installation of OpenOffice.org 3
- Lesson Two – Creating a Resume Using Writer
- Lesson Three –Formatting a Research Paper Using Writer
- Lesson Four – Creating a Brochure Using Writer
- Lesson Five – Creating a Basic Spreadsheet for Calculating Household Expenses Using Calc
- Lesson Six – Creating a Balance Sheet Using Calc
- Lesson Seven – Creating a Cash Flow Statement Using Calc
- Lesson Eight – Creating a Basic Educational Slide Presentation Using Impress
- Lesson Nine – Creating a Bulk Mailing List Using Base and Writer
- Lesson Ten – Analyzing North Atlantic Hurricane Data Using Base
Following the ten lessons, several appendices can be found to provide a quick reference for each of the four core applications within OpenOffice.org 3.0. These quick reference guides are suitable to seek guidance regarding performing specific tasks, or to consult regarding tasks not covered within the hands-on exercises.
New Features Available in OpenOffice.org 3.0
OpenOffice.org 3.0 contains many new features over its predecessor. Users of OpenOffice.org 2.x will notice a number of enhancements both in usability and added features. Users who are familiar with other office productivity suites will find that compatibility with other formatted documents to be seamless, while providing the vast majority of tools and features they are accustomed to. Among the new features found in OpenOffice.org 3.0 are:
- Native Support for the Mac OS X Operating System - OpenOffice.org fully supports the native Aqua interface for Mac OS X. This means users of OpenOffice.org on the Macintosh OS X platform no longer have to rely on the X11 environment to operate the office productivity suite.
- Support for the Microsoft Office 2007 File Format – Beginning with version 3.0, OpenOffice.org supports importing and exporting of files in the Microsoft Office Open XML file format. This includes Word 2007 (.docx), Excel 2007 (.xlsx) and PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) formats.
- Support for Microsoft Visual Basic Macros – Calc will support the execution of VBA macros from Excel files.
- Start Center – When launching OpenOffice.org 3.0, users are presented with the Start Center that allows the selection of an application within the office productivity suite without having to click the File | New menu.
- PDF/A-1 Support – OpenOffice.org now supports the popular PDF/A format for creating read-only files.
- Calc Columns Support – the new version of Calc now supports a maximum number of columns of 1024, up from 256 in the previous version.
- View Multiple Pages in Writer – OpenOffice.org 3.0 allows Writer users to view pages with single-page, two-page side-by-side and book layout options.
- Improved Notes – The new version of Notes in OpenOffice.org 3.0 provides additional formatting, spell checking and accessibility features while displaying notes within the margins.
- Impress Tables – The Impress application now provides native table support.
- Enhanced Monitor Support for Impress – The Impress presentation application supports multiple monitors.
For additional information regarding all the new features available within OpenOffice.org 3.0, obtain the OpenOffice.org 3.0 Feature Guide at the OpenOffice.org website. The web address is http://marketing.openoffice.org/3.0/featurelistbeta.html.
About the OpenDocument File Format
The OpenDocument format (ODF) is a vendor-neutral format for exchanging editable office-related documents, including word processing, spreadsheets, and presentation files. Moreover, ODF is an open format, meaning that companies and developers, regardless of whether their software is open source or proprietary, can incorporate the format into their software and view the specifications for further development. This makes the format increasingly attractive for users and software developers alike, as it assures that documents saved in the format can be edited and accessed by many different applications, regardless of whether the application that was used originally in the creation of the document is available in the future.
Beginning with version 2.x.x, OpenOffice.org has provided native support for the XML-based OpenDocument file format and is the default format for creating and saving files within the office productivity suite. This includes the Writer word processing application, the Calc spreadsheet application, the Impress presentation application and the Base database application.
For more information regarding the OpenDocument format, visit the OASIS consortium website at http://www.oasis-open.org/home/index.php.
Accessibility Features
OpenOffice.org 3.0 provides a number of features that are available to help individuals that are physically or visually impaired in using the office productivity suite. These features include support for external devices and applications for use by individuals with physical or visual impairments, access to all functions via the keyboard, improved readability of screen contents, zooming of the on-screen user interface for menus, icons and documents and more.
For detailed information regarding accessibility features available within the OpenOffice.org suite of applications, including a list of supported devices and applications, view the documentation available by selecting the Help menu and use the search term accessibility. Accessibility features can be customized within OpenOffice.org by clicking the Tools menu and selecting Options from the menu list.
OpenOffice.org 3.0 System Requirements
This training book assumes you have fundamental knowledge of operating your computer and the operating system. The fundamental knowledge you should have before proceeding with this book includes using the mouse and keyboard, launching applications and using standard menus and commands. If you need to review these techniques, see the printed or electronic documentation included with your system or enroll in a basic computer course through your local school, community college or community parks and recreation department.
System Requirements for Installing and Operating OpenOffice.org 3.0 for the Windows operating system include:
- Windows 2000 (Service Pack 4 or higher), Windows XP, Windows 2003
- 128 MB Random Access Memory (RAM)
- 200 MB available hard drive space
- CD-ROM
- Monitor that displays a minimum 256 colors and 800x600 pixels.
System Requirements for Installing and Operating OpenOffice.org 3.0 for the Linux operating system include:
- Linux kernel version 2.2.13 or higher, glibc2 version 2.3.0 or higher
- 128 MB Random Access Memory (RAM)
- 200 MB available hard drive space
- CD-ROM
- Graphic interface environment that displays a minimum 256 colors and 800x600 pixels (Gnome 3.0 or higher required for use of the OpenOffice.org Assistive Technology Tools).
System Requirements for Installing and Operating OpenOffice.org 3.0 for the Macintosh OS X operating system include:
- PowerPC or Intel-based Macintosh
- Mac OS 10.4 or higher
- 128 MB Random Access Memory (RAM)
- 200 MB available hard drive space
- CD-ROM
Installing OpenOffice.org 3.0 for Windows
Before proceeding to the rest of the material covered in this book, your computer must have a copy of OpenOffice.org 3.0 installed on it. Below you will find step-by-step instruction to installing OpenOffice.org 3.0 on a Microsoft Windows-based computer. To utilize all of the features OpenOffice.org has to offer, however, your computer must have Java Runtime Environment (JRE) version 1.5 or higher installed. Fortunately, if you select to perform a Complete Install during the installation process, OpenOffice.org 3.0 will automatically install the JRE for you.
To install OpenOffice.org 3.0 on a Windows-based computer that meets the minimum system requirements, follow these steps:
- Using a web browser, go to http://download.openoffice.org/. When the web page appears, click on the Installation Sets link for OpenOffice.org 3.x.x. Using the popup menus that appear, select the appropriate version of OpenOffice.org for your operating system. After completing the selection, the software will begin downloading. Once the software has completed downloading, find the location where you selected to save the Setup installer file and double-click it to begin the installation process.
- After double-clicking the installation setup file, a window will appear prompting for the preparation of the installation process. Click the NEXT button to continue the installation.
- After progressing from the welcome window, the installer wizard will ask you to specify a location as to where you would like to unpack the necessary installation files. You may choose whichever location you prefer, but typically the ideal location would be within the Program Files folder located on the main hard drive (C:). Specify the location you wish to unpack the installation files using the BROWSE button provided and click the UNPACK button.
- After the installation files have completely unpacked, a window will appear to welcome you to the installation program. Click the NEXT button to continue the installation.
- The next window will ask whether to perform an installation of OpenOffice.org for use by all users of the computer workstation or for individual use by the installer of the application only. In most circumstances, you would want to select the All Users option by clicking on the appropriate radio button provided. You may also type your contact information related to the installation of the software. If you would like to skip the contact information portion of this step, simply leave the provided text fields blank, click the NEXT button and no information will be entered into them.
- In the next step, choose “Complete Installation” to install all of the software features that accompany OpenOffice.org version 3.0 by clicking on the radio button provided. Then click the NEXT button.
- In the next step, a window will appear to ask what file types to automatically open with OpenOffice.org. OpenOffice.org will automatically open Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint applications if you wish the application to do so. If you do not own a licensed copy of Microsoft Office, this can be useful. Place a checkmark next to each selection that you wish OpenOffice.org to automatically open on your computer. If you wish Microsoft Office or another application to be the primary application for opening these file types, leave the selections unchecked. Then click the NEXT button.
- The next window will indicate that the installation of OpenOffice.org is ready to begin. To do so, click the INSTALL button. The Installation Wizard will begin the installation process. The installation process is performed in two primary stages. The first stage is the installation of the Java Runtime Environment (JRE), which is necessary to utilize all of the features OpenOffice.org has to offer. The second stage is the installation of the OpenOffice.org program itself. Both stages of the installation should not require any additional interaction by the user.
- When the installation has completed, click the FINISH button.
After the installation is complete, you can find the OpenOffice.org suite of applications by clicking on the START button on your desktop, then choose the PROGRAMS option, and then select the OpenOffice.org 3.0 folder for all applications that are included with the software suite. When launching the OpenOffice.org application for the first time, a Registration Wizard will appear and ask you to enter your full name, select an online application update process and register the software. Everything within the Registration Wizard is voluntary. If you do not wish to enable any of these options, simply leave the appropriate text fields blank, select the appropriate radio buttons and checkboxes, and click the NEXT button to advance through the wizard. Once you have completed this wizard, the OpenOffice.org application is ready for use.
Installing OpenOffice.org 3.0 for Linux
Unlike the Microsoft Windows and Apple Macintosh computing platforms, a version of Microsoft Office does not exist for Linux. Therefore, many Linux users have found OpenOffice.org to be a viable substitute for their office productivity needs. Not only can OpenOffice.org produce complex word processing and spreadsheet documents, but it can also open and save documents in the various Microsoft Office formats. Such flexibility allows OpenOffice.org users to share files and communicate ideas with Microsoft Office users.
Because OpenOffice.org is an open source application suite and a favorite among many Linux users, the OpenOffice.org suite is very often included with most Linux operating system distributions. So when the installation of Linux on a computer system is complete, often OpenOffice.org has been installed within the process as well. This makes it convenient for new users of the Linux operating system, as each Linux distribution has its own peculiarities regarding the installation of applications.
Therefore, this book does not contain step-by-step instruction to installing OpenOffice.org on the Linux platform. However, if your computer workstation does not have OpenOffice.org 3.0 already installed, the official OpenOffice.org Setup Guide can provide assistance. The Setup Guide provides step-by-step instructions for RPM-based, Debian-based, Gentoo-based and Slackware-based installations, depending upon which method you need to use for the particular Linux distribution your computer workstation has installed. To download the official OpenOffice.org Setup Guide, see the Additional Resources section at the end of this lesson.
Installing OpenOffice.org 3.0 for Mac OS X
With the introduction of version 3.0, OpenOffice.org fully supports the native Aqua interface for Mac OS X. This means users of OpenOffice.org on the Macintosh OS X platform no longer have to rely on the X11 environment to operate the office productivity suite. To install OpenOffice.org 3.0 on a Macintosh-based computer that meets the minimum system requirements, follow these steps:
- Using a web browser, go to http://porting.openoffice.org/mac/index.html. When the web page appears, click on the appropriate link to download the OpenOffice.org 3.x.x installer for Mac OS X. After completing the selection, the software disk image will begin downloading.
- Once the software has completed downloading, find the location where you selected to save the disk image (typically the Desktop) and double-click the image to begin the installation process.
- Once the disk image has opened (mounted), simply drag the OpenOffice.org application icon into your computer’s Applications folder. If you are currently logged in as a standard user, the Mac OS X operating system will prompt you to enter your system’s Administrator username and password to complete the installation. Once the OpenOffice.org application has completed its copying process into the Applications folder, the installation process is over. You can then launch the OpenOffice.org application, complete its setup wizard and begin using the application.
Installing OpenOffice.org Extensions
OpenOffice.org has already proven to be a powerful, feature-rich, yet flexible office productivity suite. However, with the release of version 3.0, OpenOffice.org is providing even greater flexibility and features through enhancements in its Extensions framework. OpenOffice.org Extensions are simply tools developed by third-party developers that provide additional functionality to the office productivity suite. This may include not only specific functionality, such as the ability to edit a Portable Document Format (PDF) file, but may also include image galleries and document templates as well.
Before selecting and installing extensions, you must first understand the two basic categories of extensions and how you plan to utilize them on your computer workstation. The two categories of extensions include:
- User Extensions – User extensions are those that are installed and are only available to the user who initiated the installation process. User extensions are installed within the ‘My Extensions’ directory folder, and Administrative Write privileges to the OpenOffice.org installation directory is not needed to install and maintain them.
- Shared Extensions – Shared extensions are those that are installed for intended use by all users of a computer workstation. Shared extensions are installed within the ‘OpenOffice.org Extensions’ directory folder, and Administrative Write privileges to the OpenOffice.org installation directory is needed to install and maintain them.
After deciding the appropriate level (user or shared) for the work environment you wish to utilize the extension in, you can then proceed with the installation of an extension. OpenOffice.org provides three easy ways to install an extension. These installation methods include:
- Open File Method – You can install an extension by downloading the extension file (*.oxt) from the Internet to your computer, then double-clicking the extension file icon on your computer.
- Hyperlink Method – You can also initiate the installation of an extension simply by clicking the hyperlink to an extension found on a webpage. The hyperlink must be linking directly to the extension file (*.oxt) hosted on the web for the installation to be successful.
- Extension Manager Method – Within the OpenOffice.org application, you may click the Tools menu and then select the Extensions Manager menu option to perform an installation of an extension. For details regarding how to perform an installation using this method, follow the step-by-step instructions provided next.
Installing Extensions Using the Extension Manager Method
To install extensions using the OpenOffice.org Extensions Manager, whether they are intended for an individual user or for shared use among multiple users, follow these steps:
- Go to the OpenOffice.org Online Extension Repository at http://extensions.services.openoffice.org/ and select the extension you wish to install. You may also install an extension from any webpage where a hyperlink is provided with a direct link to a hosted extension file (*.oxt). Once you have selected the extension you wish to install, click the GET IT button located on the repository’s Extension product page to initiate the downloading process for the extension. You may also download an extension by clicking your computer’s right mouse button on a hyperlink and selecting Download File from the contextual menu that appears. Macintosh users who have a one-button mouse can initiate the same process by holding down the CONTROL button on the keyboard and click their mouse button on a webpage’s hyperlink. (HINT: If your operating system provides you with an option for selecting where you wish the file to be downloaded and stored on your computer, select the Desktop for easiest access later in the installation process.)
- Within the OpenOffice.org application, click on the Tools menu and select the Extensions Manager menu option that appears.
- When the Extensions Manager window appears, select to perform a User Extension installation or a Shared Extension installation by single-clicking the appropriate directory. Remember, you would select the ‘OpenOffice.org Extension’ directory to perform a Shared Extension installation and the ‘My Extensions’ directory to perform an installation of an extension for use by only the user who initiates the installation process.
- Once you have selected the appropriate directory to perform a specific installation type, click the ADD button located within the Extensions Manager window.
- When the Add Extensions window appears, use the file browser navigation buttons located in the upper-right corner of the window to locate the extension file (*.oxt) you downloaded. Once you have located the extension file, single-click it within the window. Then click the OPEN button to begin the installation.
- When the installation is complete, you should be automatically returned to the Extension Manager window. To double-check to make sure the installation successfully completed, double-click the directory you selected for installation in Step #3. When the directory list collapses, the extension should appear in the directory’s content list. If the ENABLE button located on the right side of the window is greyed out, this signifies that the installation is successful and is ready for use.
- In some instances, you may need to shut down the OpenOffice.org application and relaunch it for an extension to become available for use. If you have problems accessing the functionality of an extension that has been installed, perform this operation. You can double-check to see if an extension is enabled at this point simply by returning to the Extension Manager and see if the ENABLE button is greyed out within its window. Many extensions also install a guide within the OpenOffice.org Help menu that can assist you with the use of the extension as well.
Adjusting the Page View
To adjust the view of the document you are working in, click on the View menu and select Zoom from the menu list. You may also select to Zoom by clicking on the magnifying glass icon within the Standard toolbar located just beneath the main application menu.
How to Set OpenOffice.org to Automatically Open Microsoft Office Generated Files Using Windows
If you did not choose during the installation of OpenOffice.org to have the software automatically open Microsoft Office formatted documents, you may select to do so by following these steps:
- Close all OpenOffice.org applications and return to your desktop.
- Click on the Windows operating system Start button and select Control Panel from the list that appears. Then choose Add or Remove Programs from the submenu that appears, followed by the OpenOffice.org 3.0 list option, then click Install/Uninstall.
- In the window that appears, click the NEXT button, select the Modify option and click NEXT until the wizard prompts you to select the file types you wish OpenOffice.org to automatically open for you.
- Select or deselect the file types you wish OpenOffice.org to automatically open for you. Click NEXT until it prompts you to click Install to complete the setup. Clicking the Install button will make the necessary changes to automatically open the file types you selected. You should not need to have the installation CD inserted into your computer’s CD-ROM to complete this process.
INGOTs Certifications
International Grades in Office Technologies (INGOTs) is a platform and application-independent certification created and administered by the Learning Machine, Ltd. in the United Kingdom. INGOTs academies, which are schools and organizations approved to offer training and perform certification assessments, are located throughout the world, including Europe, the United States and the Western Pacific region. INGOTs provide a motivating progression route from complete beginner to professional level expertise in commonly used productivity tools found in the modern workplace, such as word processing, presenting and searching for information.
What makes INGOTs unique compared to other certification programs is that the certification is not dependent upon a user utilizing a specific office productivity suite or operating system. Rather, users are assessed for being awarded a certification based upon successfully demonstrating their ability to perform certain tasks by using the office productivity suite of their choice. Currently, there are four levels of INGOTs certification – Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum. For specific information regarding each certification level, including Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and Assessment Criteria, download the Assessor Handbook at http://theingots.org/guides/ handbook-en-2007-02-20.pdf.
Benefits of INGOTs Certification
INGOTs certifications have many benefits for users, employers and educational institutions. For a student or user, receiving an INGOTs certificate demonstrates to prospective employers that they are proficient at using office productivity applications to perform tasks demanded in today’s modern office environment. For employers, an individual holding a specific INGOTs certificate provides a way to determine the skill set of prospective employees utilizing a certificate program developed by an independent third-party. Moreover, educational institutions and training companies can add value to their services by incorporating INGOTs into their office productivity curriculum, as well as helping seek instructors with appropriate credentials.
How to Find an INGOTs Academy
For more information about INGOTs, including locating an academy in your area or for the criteria for an institution to become an academy, visit the INGOTs website at http://www.theingots.org or email at the appropriate address located at http://www.theingots.org/contact.