Petr Mladek has posted the availability of OpenOffice 3.0 package on stable openSUSE repository. The package based on GO-OO project, and most likely using same package as built for OpenOffice Novell Edition. Compared to OpenOffice community edition, it has a lot optimization, bug fixes, and add the key features for enterprise support (VBA, import capabilities and interoperability)

How to update current OpenOffice into latest version ?

• Using YAST
  1. Add Installation source : YAST | Software | Software Repositories. I’m using  http://ftp5.gwdg.de/pub/opensuse/repositories/OpenOffice.org:/STABLE/openSUSE_11.0/ as y base repository. Try to used nearest mirror instead.
  2. Update : YAST | Software | Software Management. Choose OpenOffice Repositories and use “Package | All in This List | Update if Newer Version Available”, then click Accept
• Using Zypper

  zypper ar http://en.opensuse.org/Additional_YaST_Package_Repositories#OpenOffice.org_STABLE openoffice
  zypper ref
  zypper up
  

Note:

openSUSE-11.1-betaX and FACTORY include totaly reworked packages where the build is split into many source packages. It is a bit broken right now. We would like to put it into the Build Service as soon as possible but it will take some time to fix the build on older distributions again. Please be patient.

The easiest way maybe by using Network Print Server and printing with TCP-IP printing protocol. You must buy a network print server or designed a host as network print server. If you have attached the printer into Windows system, you may using another trick : Using LPD protocol. This method is easy to setup and you do not need to buy anything.

We need 2 step to make this possible. Initial phase is preparing Windows to provide LPD protocol and the second phase is add printer on the Linux host.

Preparing Windows Host :

1. Install printer driver and test local printing.
2. Go to Setting | Control Panel | Add-Remove Program
3. Choose Windows Component
4. Install (give a thick on) Other Network File and Print Services
5. Click Next and following the wizard
6. Activating the services so the protocol will be activated during Windows boot. Go to Setting | Control Panel | Administrative Tools | Services. Enable the TCP-IP Print Server service
7. Share the printer
8. Write down your Windows IP Address. You could checked this by typing IPConfig on the command prompt

Preparing Linux Host

1. Add printer using KDE Control Center or Personal Setting or Desktop Setting
2. Choose LPD Protocol on the protocol wizard entry
3. Entry the Windows host IP Address and name of shared printer
4. Testing the printer

Reference (Indonesian) :

1. Tips Koneksi dari Linux ke Windows

What is the different between OpenOffice Novell Edition and Upstream (community) edition ? Well, The community or upstream edition of OpenOffice.org lacks the enterprise support that is essential for business
customers . The community edition of OpenOffice.org also lacks some of the key features such as stronger
interoperability with Microsoft Office files and rich file import capabilities. Some of the missing import capabilities include Microsoft Works files, WordPerfect files and scalable vector graphics.

In fact, it would be a blessing in disguise with the Novell-Microsoft Agreement. The agreement give Novell a right and opportuinity to provide better support for key features on interoperability with Microsoft Office files and rich file import capabilities. If you have heard about Go-oo project which provide ‘future version’ of OpenOffice, the project was initiated by Michael Meeks, an engineer employed by Novell.

So, what is the benefit by using OpenOffice Novell Edition instead of community edition ? Below is the description about OpenOffice Novell Edition for Windows and the requirement. If you wish to use OpenOffice Novell Edition for Linux, try openSUSE

OpenOffice.org Novell® Edition for Windows* is a full productivity suite which provides word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, drawing and database capabilities. With OpenOffice.org Novell Edition for Windows, enterprises can dramatically lower costs while gaining the key functionality of Microsoft* Office and interoperability with Microsoft Office file formats.

Key Features of OpenOffice.org Novell Edition for Windows OpenOffice.org Novell Edition for Windows contains enhancements and bug fixes, especially for interoperability with Microsoft Office and other word processing programs, that are not available in the standard edition. These enhancements include:

• Microsoft Excel*: Compatibility: Improved Excel compatibility for certain built-in functions (e.g., CELL, INFO, INDIRECT), hyperlinks and filters, improved ergonomics, and support for “R1C1″ style addresses. Improved performance on certain text functions such as SEARCH. Natural sorting option in cell range sorting.
• Excel VBA Macro Interoperability: OpenOffice.org Novell Edition eases the migration of many macros from Microsoft Excel. Although not all macros can be successfully migrated, this interoperability offers more than the standard edition, which does not support migration of macros.
• Data Pilots: Data Pilots are interoperable with Microsoft Office PivotTables*. OpenOffice.org Novell Edition substantially improves the Data Pilot feature, making it possible to edit pilots after creation.
• Enhanced Fonts: Licensed fonts from Agfa* Monotype* which are metrically identical and visually compatible with some of the key Microsoft fonts. This allows OpenOffice.org Novell Edition to match fonts when opening documents originally composed in Microsoft Office, and very closely match pagination and page formatting.
• EMF+Support: The ability to render EMF+ formatted graphics
• SVG Support: The ability to import scalable vector graphics.
• Import File Formats: Microsoft Works, WordPerfect* text and graphics, T602 files, OfficeOpen XML, and more.
• Groupwise® Integration:OpenOffice.org Novell Edition includes improved integration with ODMA (Open Document Management Architecture) services, for example for GroupWise. If you have the GroupWise client installed on the machine, OpenOffice.org Novell Edition will offer to open documents from GroupWise, or save documents in GroupWise.

System Requirements

Microsoft Windows minimum system requirements:

• Windows 2000* (Service Pack 3 or higher), Windows XP* (Service Pack 2 or higher), Windows Vista*
• 128 MB RAM
• 200 MB available disk space
• 800 x 600 or higher resolution with at least 256 colors

Microsoft Windows recommended system requirements

• Windows 2000 (Service Pack 3 or higher), Windows XP (Service Pack 2 or higher), Windows Vista
• 512 MB RAM
• 200 MB available disk space
• 1024 x 600 or higher resolution with at least 65,536 colors

Download

You may download the iso and zip file from Novell Download page or  If you need direct download links, you may download the iso from this link.