OpenOffice.org for Mac OS X : FAQ : Installing

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Installing X11 for Mac OSX

X11 is NOT needed for OpenOffice.org Aqua

Installing X11 on Mac OSX depends on the Mac OS X version you are using:

Mac OSX 10.5 (Leopard)
Mac OSX 10.4 (Tiger)
Mac OSX 10.3 (Panther)

To find out please go to the Apple menu and choose 'About This Mac'. The Mac OS X version is shown above the "Software Update..." button. Please ignore the last digit of the version, as it is irrelevant.

If you encounter problems during the X11 installation please check the answers to the list of common problems below first.

Installing X11 for Mac OSX 10.5 (Leopard)

X11 comes pre-installed on Mac OSX 10.5, so you can install OpenOffice.org directly.

Installing X11 for Mac OS X 10.4.x (Tiger)

Useful instructions are provided also on Apple's web site.

You are required to use the Mac OS X Install or Restore discs that came with your computer.
An image of a Mac OS X install disk

Look for the "Optional Installs" Installer on your install discs. You will need to scroll down to find it.
Select the optional installs installer

Click continue in the installer
Click "Continue" in the installer window

Select your startup disk as the destination, then click "Continue"
Click "continue" to progress with the install

In the installer, choose "X11", as your "custom install". (You may need to click the triangle to the left of "Applications" and/or scroll down to see it.)
Choose X11 to install

Complete the instructions given by the installer.

You should now have the correct X11 installed in the folder "/Applications/Utilities/"
X11 in the Utilities folder

X11 for Mac OS X 10.3.x (Panther)

Go to Apple's X11 download page
Download the file mentioned there and run through the installer.
X11 should now be able to be found in the System "Applications" folder.

I get the following message when I try to Install X11:

Screenshot showing the error: You cannot install X11 on this volume. Newer Software already exists on your computer

If you get an error message similar to the one above, then you are trying to install the version of X11 that is available for download from Apple's website for Mac OS X 10.3.x only. You need to use the optional installer that is on your install disks that came with your computer or in the retail box for the upgrade version of Mac OS X.

Please look above for the instruction on installing X11 under Mac OS X 10.4.x (Tiger).

The Installer is claiming that X11 is already installed

Sometimes you can get a problem, that will mean that you cannot install X11. This often occurs if you have removed X11. By removing the Install Receipt, you will make Installer think that it has not been installed before. To remove the Install Receipt you look for the file X11User.pkg in the folder /Library/Receipts/, and remove it.

I installed X11, but can't find it in my Applications folder, or Utilities folder

Are you sure you installed the correct installation package? You may have installed X11SDK.pkg instead of X11User.pkg. If you installed X11 on Mac OS X 10.3, and then upgraded to Mac OS X 10.4, you will need to watch, because the old version of X11, is not compatible with the new version of the Operating System. The installer also does not automatically update X11 if you had it installed before.