The Program CD | Point & Click OpenOffice.org

The program CD included with this book contains Windows and Linux versions of OpenOffice.org and Windows versions of Firefox and Thunderbird.

When you open the program CD you will see two folders. The Windows folder contains three files: OOo2.exe, Firebird.exe, and Thunderbird.exe. Clicking on one of these files while running Windows should automatically install the program that shares the file's name. If this does not work, copy the program you want to install from the CD to your Desktop folder and open it by clicking on the program icon that will be automatically created there.

The Linux folder contains OOo2 as a series of RPM files that will install correctly on most RPM-based distributions but will need to be repackaged through the "Alien" utility to install correctly on a computer running Debian or a Debian-derived Linux distribution.

Ideally, you should use the programs on this CD only for testing purposes. Once you decide to make OpenOffice.org, Firefox, and Thunderbird part of your day-to-day computing life, you should download the latest versions of these programs from their respective Web sites:

You can find OpenOffice.org at www.openoffice.org.
Firefox and Thunderbird downloads are available at www.mozilla.org.

Note for Linux Users

Before you install the versions of OpenOffice.org, Firefox, or Thunderbird that are on this book's CD or download the latest versions from the programs' Web sites, you should check your Linux distribution's software repository to see if it contains a version that is already integrated with your favorite Linux packaging and menu system. Almost all major Linux distributors include these three programs either as part of their base offerings or as downloadable add-ons. You will find installing distribution-specific versions of them easier than installing the "generic" versions you find elsewhere.

Note for Mac Users

When this appendix was written, there was no current Mac OS X port. However, a set of "build" instructions was available for using OOo 2 as an X11 program within Mac OS X. Up-to-date information on OOo for Mac OS X can be found at http://porting.openoffice.org/mac.

Another alternative for Mac OS X users is NeoOffice, the "Neolithic Office" version of OOo for Mac OS X whose development lags behind development of OOo itself. You can learn more about NeoOffice (and find the latest downloadable version) at www.neooffice.org. NeoOffice integrates well with the Mac OS X desktop and has most or all of the same features as its Linux/Windows counterpart.

Java Note

All versions of OpenOffice.org depend on Java for some of their functionality. Most computers have recent versions of Java installed. If yours does not, you can learn more about Java from your operating system supplier (Microsoft, Apple, or any Linux distributor) or directly from www.java.com.

Software Licenses and Source Code

All software on the program CD is licensed under terms approved by the Open Source Initiative (www.opensource.org), which means you are free to copy and redistribute all or part of the Point & Click OpenOffice.org! program CD however you wish. License terms and source code for the programs on the CD are available from the programs' respective Web sites, listed at the beginning of this appendix.