Files will not open

[wtb32141]

I spoke too soon. Only 3 files are open, and the saving of a file is taking forever! The saving has been going for at least 3 minutes, and the progress bar shows it not even 50% complete.

[wtb32141]

Snowhog, I found some file settings for Writer. They are at Tools--Options--Load/Save--General. The 4 items under Default File Format and ODF Settings qualify as file settings. I never became aware of these settings because the default values always worked for me.

[wtb32141]

I have some new and interesting info about the long times it sometimes takes to open or save a Writer file on my laptop that’s running Ubuntu 22.04; Libre Office version 7.3.7.2. I began this morning with 3 files open in Writer. The computer had been asleep overnight. Each file is a chapter in a 40-chapter book on A. Einstein that I’ve written with Writer. Chapter 37 has 14 pages. I changed “A. Sommerfeld” to “Arnold Sommerfeld”; then I told Writer to save the file. It took Writer more than 20 minutes to save the file! I timed it with my phone’s stopwatch. Then I rebooted the laptop. I then reopened Chapter 37, and I changed “Arnold Sommerfeld” back to “A. Sommerfeld”, and I saved that change. The length of time it took to save that change was normal (no more than a second). That interesting info tells me that the file containing Chapter 37 is not corrupt—that the file is not the source of the long times it sometimes takes to open or close a file. Unfortunately, it doesn’t tell me the source of the problem, but I’m a step closer to identifying the real problem.

[claydoh]

Starting Writer from the command line and then using it normally can provide data which might help.
Especially when it is hanging or taking ages to do something.

Also:
Where is this file that you are opening - on an external drive, or directly on the computer?
Are you saving it to the computer, or to an external drive?
If using an external device, have you tried using a different one? That drive may be failing, which might be a possible cause for the slow saving as well.

[wtb32141]

Further info re Chapter 37: I sometimes have trouble opening files (it takes forever!); so I closed the Chapter 37 file and then reopened it. No problem occurred; the file opened normally!

[wtb32141]

Claydoh, the file is on the laptop's hard drive. I never have used an external drive. I will start Writer from the command line and then use it normally as you have suggested. I'll report the results.

[claydoh]

I never have used an external drive.

Not even a thumb drive? I do hope you have backup files somewhere not on your computer.

I've lost some writing from not doing that. Nowadays I overdo it bit, to be honest.

[wtb32141]

Yes, I back up my files to a thumb drive. By "external", I meant sending it over the internet to an external site. I love Grsync.

[Snowhog]

Starting Writer from the command line and then using it normally can provide data which might help.

In order for this to be beneficial, in your use case, ensure that the Writer window isn't full screen. Allow enough of the Desktop to accommodate both Writer and Konsole (from which you launch Writer as claydoh previously explained). Then, when the slowness is experienced, note the last few lines in the Konsole window.

[dejjanku]

The computer had been asleep overnight.

There is your problem. Always shut down and start fresh.

[wtb32141]

Then why do computer manufacturers make computers that go to sleep? I must admit, I was suspecting that the "going to sleep" aspect has something to do with my problem since rebooting the computer solved the problem.

I sometimes have a problem in getting my mobile hotspot to work. I have found that rebooting the computer and/or my phone (also a computer) always solves that problem.

What is it about the sleep period that screws things up?

One more thing: I have had this Dell computer for 6 years and 4 months. I did not just start putting it to sleep.

And last, thank you for your help!

[wtb32141]

dejjanku, your advice is probably good advice, but it did NOT solve my problem. I turned my computer off, and I left it off for at least 30 minutes. When I turned it back on, I told Writer to open a document called "Chapter 27.odt." It took 30 minutes and 21 seconds to open that 12-page document! I timed it with my phone's stopwatch.

[wtb32141]

Claydoh, you asked, "Where is this file that you are opening - on an external drive, or directly on the computer?
Are you saving it to the computer, or to an external drive?" My answer: All of the files I've been working with are on my laptop's hard drive. They are in a folder named "Einstein book-2023". I open them from that folder, and I save them to that folder. I will get to work now on opening Writer from a terminal.

[wtb32141]

Cladoh, I opened Dolphin, and I hit F4 to get the terminal. That worked. Then I tried to open the book's first chapter, but as the last line says, the terminal did not recognize "LibreOffice" as a command.

bb@bb-Precision-3520:~$ cd '/home/bb/Documents/My 5 Books/paper_book_files/Writer_files/Einstein book--2023'
bb@bb-Precision-3520:~/Documents/My 5 Books/paper_book_files/Writer_files/Einstein book--2023$ ^C
bb@bb-Precision-3520:~/Documents/My 5 Books/paper_book_files/Writer_files/Einstein book--2023$ cd /
bb@bb-Precision-3520:/$ ^C
bb@bb-Precision-3520:/$ cd '/home/bb/Documents/My 5 Books/paper_book_files/Writer_files/Einstein book--2023'
bb@bb-Precision-3520:~/Documents/My 5 Books/paper_book_files/Writer_files/Einstein book--2023$ LibreOffice Chapter 1--2023.odt
bash: LibreOffice: command not found

[wtb32141]

Claydoh, I decided to try "libreoffice" with all small letters. Here's the result:

bb@bb-Precision-3520:~/Documents/My 5 Books/paper_book_files/Writer_files/Einstein book--2023$ libreoffice Chapter 1--2023.odt

After I hit "Enter", the cursor went to the next line, but no text followed that last line. I do not know what to expect, but I'm trying to open the file; so surely some text of some sort should have followed those 2 lines.