Apache OpenOffice (AOO) Bugzilla – Issue 12773
The system requirements for OOo 1.1 have changed
Last modified: 2004-08-12 18:12:02 UTC
We are not going support StarOffice 6.1 on Windows95 anylonger. Therefore OOo 1.1 doesn't support Win95 either. We should change this on the sys_req:html. You also should add that OOo 1.1 need the unicows.dll to install and to run. The user has to download this library if it's not present on the system. Quoted from 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.
Please have a look.
The system requirements page (sys_reqs.html) also needs to be more user-friendly, especially for the Windows section. Specifically: * The simple reference on sys_reqs.html to the UnicoWS.dll requirement is meaningless to the average Windows-based computer user. A step-by-step explanation on how to check if it is on the users system and/or how to download and install it should be provided. Also, though a minor issue, with "unicows.dll" most English-speaking people would naturally put an emphasis on uniCOWS.dll, so it wouldn't hurt to capitalize it properly (i.e. UnicoWS.dll). * The reference in this issue to dropping support for Windows 95 is not clear. Do all versions of Windows 95 no longer work with OOo 1.1? Do some work with downloadable updates (i.e. SP1, IE4...)? Or is it that Windows 95 will only not be considered for maintaining compatibility? Clarification should be made on sys_reqs.html with specifics, of course. * Once the previous point is determined, then differentiating the 1.0.x and 1.1.x versions' requirements on sys_reqs.html will be needed. So, at the absolute latest, most of these above-mentioned issues need to be resolved before the final release of OOo 1.1.
OK, as to my first point, on the instructions page the 'how-to install UnicoWS.dll' is already there (see issue 12809). So, a link to the instructions page on the sys-reqs page would be be better.
moving to component tools
The link to the unicows file does not work and a search with GetRight for Mirrors turns up nothing! You people need to make sure these things work before including them.
This a link that works for "unicows" http://grouin.free.fr/pub/win/dll/unicows.exe I found it doing a search on AllTheWeb. You can't trust MicroSoft to leave it where people can find it. You have to go to other sources. I hope this helps someone.
the link we are going to use in 1.1rc is http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=14851 i thinkit would be a bad practice to publish a link not pointing at microsoft
1.1rc now has its own system requirements page and unicows.dll is no longer needed (at least not needed for users to download it)
mark as verified.
Closing ...