Apache OpenOffice (AOO) Bugzilla – Issue 12390
Setup cannot find unicows.dll
Last modified: 2003-09-18 10:38:08 UTC
I ran setup.exe on Windows98SE and it gave me a dialog box "Setup cannot find unicows.dll." I went to unicode Microsoft link on OOo developer page, downloaded unicows.exe, ran unicows.exe, and extracted the files to \windows\system directory. I tried setup again and it started successfully.
Feel free to have a look at the readme: The Microsoft Layer for Unicode - unicows.dll - is a runtime requirement for Windows 95/98/ME (not for NT/2000/XP). The file "unicows.dll" (versions 1.0.3590.0 or 1.0.3665.0) has to be downloaded and installed in the system or windows directory (i.e. C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM or C:\WINDOWS, respectively). A self-extracting file is available for download at http://download.microsoft.com/download/platformsdk/Redist/1.0/W9XMe/EN-US/unicows.exe. For technical details see http://porting.openoffice.org/servlets/ReadMsg?msgId=116287&listName=dev and http://porting.openoffice.org/servlets/ProjectDocumentList?dcID=515&action=download.
Not an OOo issue.
This is an OOo installer issue - the OOo installer will not run if the files are not present. I don't think the user of the install program should have to jump through hoops in order to get the install program to run. Can these files be packaged with the installer, or can the installer not rely on these files?
OOo needs this dll, that's why we mention this in the readme. On some Win9X systems this dll is missing. Due to legal problems OOo is not allowed to bundle this file. "This is an OOo installer issue - the OOo installer will not run if the files are not present." It's not always a setup issue if important files are missing!
It's not an OOo problem.
The following text from unicows.exe file redist.txt suggest that you are permitted to bundle unicows.dll: =============================================== Microsoft Layer for Unicode on Windows 95/98/ME =============================================== In addition to the rights granted in Section 1 of the Agreement ("Agreement"), with respect to UNICOWS.DLL, you have the following non-exclusive, royalty free rights subject to the Distribution Requirements detailed in Section 1 of the Agreement: (1) You may distribute UNICOWS.DLL on the following operating systems: Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows Millennium, Windows NT4, Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows .Net Server.
Hennes, can you please explain why there is no unicows.dll in OOo version.
hro@Steve Karg: The redistribution of unicows is allowed pursuant to an end user license (EULA) in the file license.txt with further restrictions. OOo releases are just a template for vendor release that may come along with an appropriate license. Setup cannot run without this library.
For OOO 2.0 we'll use a different setup that will be independant from unicows.dll.
closed
This has apparently been fixed as of OpenOffice 1.1rc3, so I am opening this so that we can close it as fixed.
Invalid, and no need to download unicows in 1.1 Rc3
Closed.