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Text File | 2002-07-22 | 44KB | 920 lines

WordPerfect on Linux FAQ
by Rick Moen <[e-mail]>

Last Revised: 2002-07-23


1. Introduction

1.1  Nature of this FAQ.

This FAQ addresses common questions about Linux i386-binary releases of
the discontinued but enduringly popular, proprietary WordPerfect word
processor.

Some FAQs aim to present only impartial fact.  Others summarise diverse
answers typically given by members of the sponsoring community.  This
FAQ does neither:  It's one author's attempt to paint a coherent picture
of WordPerfect for Linux's place in the 21st Century open-source world,
from a Linux-centric perspective.  Some others' views will undoubtedly
differ.

I'd like to gratefully acknowledge the HOWTO documents at
http://linux-sxs.org/edit.html, which should be consulted for detailed
installation instructions for WP on current Linux distributions.  Also,
the news://cnews.corel.com/corel.wpoffice.wordperfect8-linux newsgroup's
comments have been invaluable.

I would also like to thank Leon A. Goldstein and Valentijn Sessink
specifically for their valuable feedback.

1.2  The Big Picture.

1.2.1  What's good about WordPerfect?

Several things.  In an era when leading word processors gobble dozens of
megs of RAM just launching, WP (v. 8.x) is thrifty -- about 6 MB.  By
comparison, OpenOffice.org 1.01 takes 79 MB to launch; Star Office 6.0,
about the same.  (On the other hand, AbiWord 1.02 also uses only 6 MB,
and KWord 1.1.1 a relatively decent 19 MB.)  It's a stable, fast,
polished, full-featured product.  It has "reveal codes".  It has a
nearly unique "shrink to fit" printing feature that quickly becomes
indispensible once you've experienced it.  WP's print module uses
the MS-DOS version's time-tested, robust printer drivers by default,
expanding greatly the range of compatible printers.  (WP can
alternatively hand off to standard Unix printing subsystems --
lpr/lprng/gnulpr/cups/pdq/etc. -- in "Passthru Postscript" mode.)  It has
excellent built-in mathematical, financial, logical, and string-handling
functions.  It has excellent table support and a useful
speed-table-formatting feature.  It has a robust built-in database
engine for table sorting and searching.

It's still the best tool available on Linux for reading WordPerfect .wpd
files created elsewhere.  (Star Office, AbiWord, and wp2latex also
qualify.)

1.2.2  What's wrong with WordPerfect?

It's a discontinued product (on Linux).  The most-long-term-available
version, WP 8.0 Download Personal Edition (WP 8.0 DPE), has deliberately
crippled font handling and limited multilanguage support, and won't
function without fairly antique support libraries.  The best version, WP
8.1 Personal Edition, comes only bundled with the Corel Linux OS (CLOS)
Deluxe Edition boxed set, v. 1.0 or 1.2 -- likewise discontinued.

WP used to be the best tool on Linux for reading MS-Word files, but
always faltered on some, especially those Fast Saved in MS-Word.  But
now, Star Office, OpenOffice.org, and AbiWord reportedly do better.

All 8.x versions ship with a broken MS-Word import/export module:
This third-party code ("Filtrix") fails with the message "Filtrix unable
to convert this file" if the local system clock is set to later than
September 9, 2001, because an internal time counter overflowed when
Linux system time in seconds since January 1, 1970 passed 10^9 seconds.
The problem can be fixed using a wrapper by Valentijn Sessink of the
Netherlands firm Open Office, http://www.openoffice.nl/ (not to be
confused with Sun Microsystems's OpenOffice.org project), available at
http://olivier.pk.wau.nl/~valentyn/wp8fix/ .

Last, though the point may be obvious, WP is proprietary (not open
source).  Open-source projects die only when nobody cares to maintain
them, can be fixed/improved by any motivated party, and can be easily
implemented on newer CPU architectures (IA64, PPC).  By contrast,
supplies of all but one WP versions are vanishing, the sole exception
occupies a legal grey area, and the difficulty of keeping it running
on evolving Linux systems (which can be i386 only) can only increase
over time.

It's a measure of just how good WP for Linux is/was that many people
consider it still the best word processor for Linux, despite the above.

1.2.3  Who created WordPerfect for Linux?

Old-timers may recall that WordPerfect originally emerged from Software
Development Corporation (SD Corp) of Orem, Utah, which later renamed
itself to WordPerfect Corporation.  That firm eventually sold
WordPerfect's codebase to Corel Corporation Limited of Ottawa, Canada.
Corel then hired the other firm (renamed back to SD Corp) to port WP
versions 6, 7, 8.0, and 8.1 to both Linux and several proprietary Unix
platforms.

The latest and seemingly final WP version for Linux was v. 9, better
known as WordPerfect Office 2000 (which was technically WordPerfect
joined at the hip to several other Corel programs such as Quattro Pro,
Paradox, etc.), was produced by Corel Corporation Limited, alone.




2  Taxonomy and History

2.1 Corel WordPerfect Product Strategy

To understand Corel's WP versions for Linux, and what they're like, it
helps to know the company's product history.  As a proprietary software
company, Corel wants customers to buy its boxed-set products.
WordPerfect is one such product.  CLOS was another.  The Corel
Netwinder Linux-based computer was a third.

Proprietary software companies are motivated to keep development
costs down and product-development cycles short.  So, Corel always
attempts to use one main codebase (the Win32 version -- the MacOS
one having been axed in May 2001, per
http://www.geocities.com/bulgybear/wp.html) as the flagship version, and
minimises time and money spent on other OSes' versions.

For similar reasons, the WP product line is always fundamentally less
diverse than it seems:  To fill different niches and hit various price
points, WP is/was offered in different "editions", with more features
omitted or disabled from the base "Server" edition (about US $500, boxed
set) as one descends the price scale.

2.2  Versions and Editions

WP versions 6 and 7 for Linux (native ports coded by SD Corp) are
long gone from the market, at this date.  The (premium-priced) Server
Edition boxed-set version included multiuser support and NFS locking,
and included both an X11 version ("xwp") and a text-mode/console one
("wp").  The lower-priced Personal Edition boxed set omitted both
multiuser/NFS support and the console version.  (By "boxed set", I mean
that the product was not available for download, only in a retail box,
via stores or mail-order.)

WP 8.0 for Linux was mostly similar:  The Server Edition and Personal
Edition boxed-set versions were as detailed for prior versions.
However, Corel also introduced a Download Personal Edition, which could
be downloaded free of charge as a gzipped tar archive, and was also
redistributed for the cost of media on CD-ROMs, in either tar.gz or RPM
format.  In May 2001, Corel disabled download of 8.0 from its ftp site,
but it remains available elsewhere.

WP 8.0 DPE for Linux differed from the boxed-set versions in lacking the
other versions' font-installer module, most of their fonts, their
multilanguage support, and their documentation.  (The program could
call up an HTML manual from http://linux.corel.com/, now removed.)
Also, after 90 days, it refuses to run until you enter a registration
key, available free of charge (for now) on a page linked from
http://linux.corel.com/ (or use one of the ones people have posted in
public).  Also, the licence permitted only personal, non-commercial use.
Last, it was compiled dynamically linked against some now-obsolete
libraries, which must thus be furnished for its benefit.

Balanced against these drawbacks is supplies of 8.0 DPE being
effectively inexhaustible -- despite legal questions.

WP 8.0 Personal Edition for Linux was offered in boxed sets, and was
offered bundled with the book "WordPerfect for Linux Bible" by Stephen
E. Harris and Erwin Zijleman.  It included 150 fonts, the font-installer
module "xwpfi" (see:
http://www.rodsbooks.com/wpfonts/wpfonts-fonts.html), and support for
grammar/spelling checkers and thesaurus lookups in additional
(non-English) languages.  The CD-ROM includes a text file with a
registration key.

WP 8.0 Light Edition for Linux was the bundled WP copy included in boxed
sets of CLOS Standard Edition.  My best guess is that this was
exactly the same program as WP 8.0 DPE except in .deb package format,
licensed without the prohibition against commercial use, and probably
furnished with a registration key (or fixed to not need one).

Next came WP 8.1 Personal Edition for Linux (WP 8.1 PE), arguably the
best version to date.  It came only in boxed sets of CLOS Deluxe Edition
versions 1.0 and 1.2.  (CLOS 1.2 was better known as "Second Edition", a
name Corel evidently pitched at MS-Windows users.)

WP 8.1 PE differed from prior versions in several ways.  It wasn't
licensed for multiuser (only Server Editions included multiuser support
and console-mode WP; I know of no 8.1 Server Editions), but was licensed
for commercial use.  As part of CLOS Deluxe Edition, it was in .deb
package format.  Redistribution was/is strictly prohibited.  It came
with a full set of 300 fonts, the font-installer module, network
support, WP Draw, and equation editor, and a printed manual.  It ships
with and installs all required libraries.

The latest and apparently final WP version for Linux was v. 9, promoted
by Corel as "WordPerfect Office 2000".  This FAQ will have little to say
about WP 9 for Linux, as it was not a true native port, but rather
consisted of Win32 binary code running in a winelib emulation
environment -- with predictable RAM bloat and instability, as a result.
(Boxed sets only were offered.)




3.  Technical Problems.

3.1  WP 8.0 DPE for Linux installs but won't start on my Linux
distribution.  How do I fix that?

WP 8.0 for Linux was distributed as a dynamically linked binary, linked
against the libc (C library), libm (the related math library), and the
dynamic linker current on Linux at that time.  Those libraries are often
omitted from current Linux distributions.  In such cases, you need to
retrofit those libraries.  (You can see the exact library links by
running "ldd" = list library dependencies against the WordPerfect "xwp"
main executable file.) You need to install ld-linux.so.1.9.5 and
ld.so-1.9.5 (both usually in an ld.so package), libc of some version
from 5.3.12 through 5.4.46, and libm.so.5.* (both usually in the libc5
package).  Don't forget to ensure the libraries' directory is in
/etc/ld.so.conf, and then re-run /sbin/ldconfig.

What binary packages these libs and dynamic loader will occupy differs
between distributions.  If in doubt, documents linked from
http://linux-sxs.org/edit.html may give details for your distribution.

3.2  How do I fix MS-Word import/export filters (the Filtrix module) on WP
8.0/8.1 for Linux?

The third-party Filtrix module, because of a programming oversight
concerning date-handling, doesn't work on systems whose current date is
set later than September 9, 2001:  On attempts to import/export MS-Word
files, it fails with error message "Filtrix unable to convert this
file".  The problem can be fixed by installing a wrapper by Valentijn
Sessink, available at http://olivier.pk.wau.nl/~valentyn/wp8fix/

Note:  Reportedly, the Filtrix module will not process MS-Word .doc
files that were saved in MS-Word with password-protection applied.
This is not a bug:  Filtrix never handled such files.  (Nor can Filtrix
handle MS-Word documents with embedded non-MS-Word COM objects such
as spreadsheet tables from MS-Excel.)

3.3  Why didn't Corel itself release any fix for the MS-Word / Filtrix
problem, especially given its obligations to purchasers of boxed-set
versions?

Good question.  By the time the problem cropped up, Corel had
discontinued all involvement in Linux.  Just before that, Microsoft
Corporation made a major investment in Corel, preventing the latter
firm's collapse.  It's possible that lack of Linux-competent staffing
was an issue, that Corel didn't wish to displease its investor, that the
firm perceived inexpensive Linux versions to be impairing sales of its
US $500 versions for other Unixes (especially given increasingly common
support for Linux-native binaries on those Unixes), or that corporate
inertia after liquidating the entire Linux division accounted for this
lapse.

Corel's only comment (November 5, 2001) was "The corporation is not
prepared to make any comment."

3.4  How do I make WP for Linux's integration with KDE Address Book
("kab") work with KDE2/KDE3?

You don't.  WP is compatible with the "kab" version in KDE 1.1, only,
that being the KDE version shipped with CLOS.  For unexplained reasions,
this feature also doesn't work on Linux 2.4.x kernels.

3.5  I get rendering problems with icons and other graphical objects
when running WP for Linux at greater than 16 bits per pixel.  How do I
fix that?

This is a frequent symptom of colour palette exhaustion.  The only real
cure is to run X11 at a lower colour depth.  32 bpp will sometimes
work where 24 bpp doesn't, but 16 bpp always works (assuming hardware
support).

3.6  Can I make WP for Linux use TrueType fonts?

No.  WP can use Abobe Postscript Type 1 fonts, and Bitstream fonts,
only.  The issue is covered comprehensively by Rod Smith, here:
http://www.rodsbooks.com/wpfonts/wpfonts-fonts.html

3.7  How do I get printing to work?

By default, WP for Linux (uniquely) ignores Linux's system printing
facilities, and uses its own print engine and drivers.  (The latter are
the same as for WP on MS-DOS, giving the program very broad printer
support.  More are available at http://www.wpdos.org/ .)  You need to
configure the printing subsystem.  As the root user, start xwp with the
-admin (or -adm) command-line option, then select and install an
appropriate printer driver, using the Add Printer Driver widget.  (In
such cases but not the Passthru option discussed next, specify "-oraw"
in the Lpr options of Select Destination.) Alternatively, select
"Passthru Postscript" to hand off jobs to the system printing daemon.

3.8  I see the process "wpexc" still running in my system process table,
even after quitting WordPerfect.  If the WordPerfect program is "xwp",
what's "wpexc", and why does it need to remain running?

Tests by Valentijn Sessink have confirmed that this process must have
something to do with printing:  If you rename the wpexc binary, then
start WP, printing will malfunction but no other program features will.
The fact that it's left running even after you quit WP appears to be a
bug.  You can safely kill it, when not running WP.

3.9  What is the "xwppmgr" process?

It's the WordPerfect Print Manager.  WordPerfect by default manages its
own printing, and only optionally hands off jobs to the system printing
facility, if so configured.




4.  Downloadable WP 8

4.1  Where can I find a copy of WP 8.0 DPE for Linux?  What filenames
should I look for?

Most locations that formerly offered the download (for example, CNET's
download.com, ftp.calderasystems.com, and linux.tucows.com) ceased doing
so about the time Corel itself did.  It's possible (but pure
speculation) that Corel asked or required that the files be pulled.

However, the download is still available at
http://sunsite.ui.ac.id/pub/linux/nonfree/ ,
http://ftp.urc.ac.ru/pub/OS/Linux/print/ ,
ftp://ftp.ufscar.br/pub/linux/editortexto/ ,
http://ftp.dreamtime.org/pub/linux/wp8/ ,
http://alge.anart.no/ftp/pub/Office/WordPerfect/ ,
ftp://ftp.scola.ac-paris.fr/Linux/bureautique/Word%20Perfect%208/ ,
ftp://ftp.planetmirror.com/pub/corel/wordperfect/linux/ ,
http://www.asker.net/pub/linux/corel/
http://content.443.ch/pub/linfiles/Gnusoft/wordperfect8/ (note UK, DE!) , and
http://www.invivo.net/pub/SOFTS/telechargement/Linux/WORDPERF/ (note FR, ES!).

It's packaged either as a single gzipped 23 MB tarball (GUILG00.gz), a
single 17 MB RPM archive (included in Caldera OpenLinux through v. 2.3)
that installs ready to run, a 22 MB RPM archive (in SuSE Linux boxed
sets through 6.1, and a similar one in older boxed sets of
Linux-Mandrake) that installs tar archives in /usr/lib/wp8/ that must
then be separately installed by running /usr/lib/wp8/Runme, or as a
collection of seven separate tarballs (GUILG00.gz through GUILG06.gz).
The program also remains available on a US $3 CD-ROM at
http://linuxcentral.com/ .  Ditto on a US $1 CD-ROM at
http://www.edmunds-enterprises.com/

The filenames listed are for the default US English version:  The
filenames for other localisations are included on
http://content.443.ch/pub/linfiles/Gnusoft/wordperfect8/Readme.html ,
and download sources for four of those are noted above.

4.2  After I locate WP 8.0 DPE for Linux, what can I do to improve and
fix it?

Your first challenge may be to unpack it.  You'll have no problem with
the (rare) RPM archive, but the gzipped tarballs (either a single-piece
archive named GUILG00.gz, 23 MB, or seven smaller archives named
GUILG00.gz through GUILG06.gz) will appear a little puzzling:  Despite
having a .gz extension (only), they are in fact gzipped tarballs.
Further, they un-tar right into the current directory, rather than
creating a container directory.  Corel grotesquely botched the
packaging.  If in doubt, use the Linux "file" utility to determine what
you're working with.

After unpacking (along with reading the Readme file and running ./Runme
as directed), you'll have to furnish the dynamic libraries WP 8.x
requires:   ld-linux.so.1.9.5, ld.so-1.9.5, libc-5.3.12 through
5.4.46, and libm.so.5.*. These will probably be optional packages for
your distribution, not installed by default.  You'll also want to apply
wrapper by Valentijn Sessink to fix the "Filtrix" MS-Word import/export
module, available at http://olivier.pk.wau.nl/~valentyn/wp8fix/ .

Last, in lieu of the on-line manual Corel has removed from
http://linux.corel.com/ , you'll want to bookmark some sites as a
partial substitute:

http://linux.corel.com/support/docs.htm#wp8
http://linux.corel.com/support/wp8_faq.htm
http://linux.corel.com/support/html/9201.htm
http://octoped.net/linux/wp8.html
http://www.rodsbooks.com/wpfonts/wpfonts-fonts.html
http://olivier.pk.wau.nl/~valentyn/wp8fix/
http://linux-sxs.org/edit.html
http://linux-sxs.org/wp8.html
http://www.libranet.com/support/view.cgi?item=WP8Libranet2.html
http://www.linux-magazin.de/ausgabe/1999/12/WordPerfect1/wordperfect1.html
  (German language)
http://www.dalug.nu/lnx/review-wp.html
http://content.443.ch/pub/linfiles/Gnusoft/wordperfect8/Readme.html
  (Language modules)

4.3  Given that Corel has ceased publishing it, is redistribution of WP
8.0 DPE for Linux still legal?

That question really divides into two cases, distributors who secured a
specific grant of redistribution rights from Corel and those who didn't.
If you examine WP 8.0 DPE copies downloaded from http://linux.corel.com/
and elsewhere (including CD-ROM WP 8 copies, boxed-set versions of SuSE
Linux through 6.1, etc.), you'll notice its licence omits the right to
redistribute, and says the recipient's licence is non-transferrable.
Copyright law reserves distribution rights to a work's copyright owner,
by default.  So, strictly speaking, redistributing WP 8.0 DPE without
explicit permission violates Corel's copyright.

(I am not a lawyer.  This FAQ is not legal advice.)

Fortunately, Corel seems either tolerant or apathetic.  (Pick one.)
Also, companies like Edmund Enterprises and Linux Central may have
permission memos from Corel Legal on file.  Or not.

The point is that redistribution isn't something we can count on:  Corel
seems to have the right to enjoin anyone from redistributing it (absent
long-term contract entitlements we don't know about).

4.4  What are the licence restrictions on WP 8.0 DPE for Linux?

You may install it only on two computers and use it only on one machine
at a time.  Personal, non-commercial use only.  You may not
reverse-engineer or modify it.  You must be in compliance with export
laws and not associated with countries the USA considers naughty, like
Cuba.  You mustn't be on the USA Treasury or Commerce Department's lists
of naughty people (drug smugglers, terrorists, export-regs violators,
etc.).  You mustn't allow use of the program to violate USA law.

The full licence text may be studied here:
http://linuxmafia.com/pub/linux/apps/corel-wordperfect-8-licence

4.5  Suppose I suddenly need to use my copy of WP 8.0 DPE for Linux in a
commercial setting.  Can I upgrade my licence?

No.  Corel made no provision for that, and discontinued all Linux
operations in May 2001.  At this late date, your best bet is probably to
seek out a boxed set of CLOS Deluxe Edition for its copy of WP 8.1 PE.

4.6  How can I add more fonts to WP 8.0 DPE?

You can't.  The font-installer utility ("xwpfi") was deliberately
omitted from WP 8.0 DPE to differentiate it from the boxed sets and
motivate you to upgrade to the latter.  It's possible you might be able
to grab that utility from another edition of WP 6, 7, or 8.x, but that
would almost certainly be copyright violation.

4.7  How do I add additional language files (other than US English) to
WP 8.0 DPE?

At one time, Corel offered free-of-charge dictionary (*.lex) files for
other languages and countries, at
http://linux.corel.com/products/wp8/download_instr.htm , but removed
them when it closed down its Linux division in May 2001.  (If anyone
retained copies, please let me know.)  Absent access to those files,
options with WP 8.0 DPE are limited to finding on the Internet a
complete WP 8.0 DPE tarball prepackaged for the localisation you want.

In FAQ section 4.1, you'll find links for localised WP tarballs I've
found for FR=France, UK=United Kingdom, ES=Spain, and DE=Germany.  If
anyone finds others, please let me know.

Acquiring a copy of WP 8.1 PE (next section) in places of WP 8.0 DPE
circumvents all such problems, as it installs all localisations by
default.

4.8  How do I add additional language files (other than US English) to
WP 8.0 DPE?

As the root user, copy the .lex files to WP8's "shlib10" directory.
(If you don't have those files, one good source is the CD bundled with
the book "WordPerfect for Linux Bible", discussed in section 7.1.) Start
xwp with the -admin (or -adm) command-line option.  Find the option to
add additional languages.  Exit xwp.

But, of course, if you have the WP 8.0 PE software from that book,
you don't really need WP 8.0 DPE.  (I don't know if it's lawful to
redistribute the book's .lex files.  That might depend on licensing.)

4.9  Where will we get new WP 8.0 registration keys, if/when Corel stops
offering them at the page linked from http://linux.corel.com/ ?

Fortunately, Corel didn't prohibit recipients from publishing their
registration keys, and at least one user has done so.  As long as Corel
continues to offer keys (at
http://venus.corel.com/nasapps/wp8linuxreg/register.html), it seems fair
to give them the marketing information they gain thereby.  If that
facility is ever discontinued, use "LW8XW-bA8L9bjZf9".



5. Non-downloadable WP 8

5.1  Where can I find a copy of WP 8.1 PE for Linux?

That version is available only inside boxed sets of CLOS Deluxe
Edition versions 1.0 and 1.2.  Nowhere else.  There was never a
"download edition", and Corel's licence terms strictly forbid
redistribution.

CLOS Deluxe Edition v. 1.2 aka "Second Edition" is still available for
US $85 at http://www.cheapbytes.com/ , and can frequently be found on
eBay.  Cassam Computers, http://mypage.uniserve.ca/~pdj/Linux.html, has
it for CAN $100.  EMS Professional Software and Consulting,
http://www.emsps.com/oldtools/misc-c.htm, has it for US $100.

Please note that downloading an ISO9660 (CD-ROM) image of CLOS
absolutely does not do the trick:  That will be CLOS Download Edition,
which has no version of WP for Linux at all.  You need CLOS Deluxe
Edition, one of the two boxed sets -- not CLOS Standard Edition (the
other boxed set), and not CLOS Download Edition.

5.2  What does WP 8.1 PE give me that's not in WP 8.0 DPE?

Electronic and paperbound reference manuals, WP Draw, an equation
editor, network support, and 300 fonts.  Also, much better handling of
watermarks, multiple language support in the spelling checker / grammar
checker / thesaurus, more-current printer drivers and better printer
setup, and no need to get a registration key.  The necessary support
libraries are also included and installed automatically.  Corel Draw is
also included (in a separate package).

5.3  What are the licence restrictions on WP 8.1 PE for Linux?

You may install it only on two machines at a time, for use by only a
single user.  You may not reverse-engineer or modify it.  You must be in
compliance with export laws and not associated with countries the USA
considers naughty, like Cuba.  You mustn't be on the USA Treasury or
Commerce Department's lists of naughty people (drug smugglers,
terrorists, export-regs violators, etc.).  You mustn't allow use of the
program to violate USA law.

Please note that, unlike WP 8.0 DPE, WP 8.1 PE is licensed for
commercial usage.

The full licence text may be studied here:
http://linuxmafia.com/pub/linux/apps/corel-wordperfect-8.1-licence

5.4  Why was WP missing from CLOS Deluxe Edition version 1.1?

CLOS Deluxe Edition v. 1.1 was available only as an upgrade to apply to
v. 1.0, not as a separate product.  So, you didn't get a copy of WP
because you already had one.

5.5  How do I install WP 8.1 PE (from a CLOS Deluxe Edition boxed set)
on some other Linux distribution?

The file you'll need from the CLOS Deluxe Edition CD-ROM is a 40 MB one
called wp-full_8.1-nn_i386.deb, where "nn" is the package version
number, which will depend on the vintage of CLOS you have (and doesn't
matter much).  On any .deb-based distribution (such as Debian, Xandros
Desktop, Libranet, Progeny, etc.), just do "dpkg -i packagename", as
usual.  WP probably won't be auto-added to your distribution's menus:
The startup binary is "xwp".

On other distributions, you can Joey Hess's "alien" utility to create an
approximately equivalent RPM package, a Slackware .tgz package, a
Solaris .pkg package, or a Stampede Linux .slp package.  Alternatively,
you can use the standard "ar" archive utility to pull apart the .deb
file and install the pieces manually.  The HOWTO documents linked from
http://linux-sxs.org/edit.html will probably help, there.

CLOS Deluxe Edition also includes three .deb packages of Postscript Type 1
fonts (fonts-16_1.0-5.deb, fonts-69_1.0-4.deb, and fonts-115_1.0-4.deb),
which are likewise useful on other Linux distributions.  (You may also
want the type1inst_0.6.1-6_i386.deb package, if you don't already have
the Type 1 Font Installer utility.)  On CLOS, they install to
/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Type1/ , making them available to the system
generally.  You can either convert the .debs as detailed above for WP
itself, or grab the font files from /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Type1/ .

Font-addition procedures within WP 8.1 PE itself are covered in the next
FAQ item.

Leon A. Goldstein's HOWTO for installing WP 8.x on Libranet gives more detail:
http://www.libranet.com/support/view.cgi?item=WP8Libranet2.html

5.6  How do I add fonts to WP 8.1 PE?

First, as the root user, physically place them in
/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Type1/ , or wherever system-wide Type 1 fonts
go on your distribution.  While in that directory, run "type1inst"
(usually in /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Type1), then "mkfontdir".  The
fonts will now be available to all applications using Postscript Type 1
fonts.

Last, run the WP font installer "/usr/lib/wp8/shbin10/wpfi" (creating
/usr/lib/wp8/shlib10/wp.drs, the WP font map).

Alternatively instead of the last step, start xwp with the -admin
(or -adm) command-line option.  On the Format menu, pick Fonts.  You'll
find a button to select and then install (into WP's internal list of
known fonts) fonts from a list of those available.  Exit xwp.
Or, instead of "xwp -admin", run /usr/lib/wp8/shbin10/xwpfi .

(This works for Postscript Type 1 fonts only, not TrueType.)

Leon A. Goldstein's HOWTO for installing WP 8.x on Caldera OpenLinux 2.3 /
eDesk 2.4 covers this matter in much greater detail:
http://linux-sxs.org/wp8.html

5.7  What's the difference between the WP versions bundled with CLOS
Deluxe Edition versions 1.0 and 1.2?

CLOS 1.0's CD-ROM also includes a second .deb package (package name
"wp-manual") containing an electronic WP manual.  However, that manual
is for the non-Linux Unix version, so its omission from CLOS 1.2 is no
big loss.  The boxed set's paperbound WP manual is a lot more useful,
anyway.

Also among the additions in CLOS 1.2 was a WINE (non-Linux-native) port
of Corel Photo-Paint 9.

5.8  Where can I get a boxed-set copy of WP 8.0 PE?

It's still available from Claremont Communications, Inc. doing business
as Mycomputerstore.ca, for CAN $70, at http://mycomputerstore.ca/suite.html .

5.9  Where can I find a boxed-set copy of WP 8.0 Server Edition for Linux?

It's still available from Claremont Communications Inc. doing business
as Mycomputerstore.ca, for CAN $600, at http://mycomputerstore.ca/suite.html .




6.  WP version 9

6.1  Isn't WP 9 For Linux (in the "WordPerfect Office 2000" suite)
better than WP 8.1?

Few would agree.  Its admirers seem to be, well, MS-Windows users, since
WP 9 is pretty much the Win32 version running in a winelib environment,
with RAM bloat, stability problems, and other glitches (including DOS
drive letters in file dialogues!) that are routine on MS-Windows but not
Linux.

Very likely, WP 9 introduced some feature-set attractions, but needing
to run emulation code with performance and stability problems seems a
poor tradeoff.  I consider 8.1 vastly preferable.

6.2  Why didn't Corel do WP 9 as a native Linux port?

My best guess:  Doing a winelib version allowed Corel to leverage its
existing Win32 codebase, write a minimum amount of new code, shorten
development time, reduce costs, and keep the effort in-house rather than
having to hire SD Corp again.




7.  Documentation

7.1  What books are available concerning WP for Linux?

"Special Edition Using Corel WordPerfect 8 for Linux" by Roderick W.
Smith (Que, ASIN 0789720329, US $4 on http://www.amazon.com/) and
"WordPerfect for Linux Bible" by Stephen E. Harris and Erwin Zijleman
(IDG Books, ISBN 0764533746, US $40 on http://www.amazon.com/).  The
latter includes a copy of WP 8.0 (non-download) Personal Edition.
This differs from WP 8.0 DPE in inclusion of 150 fonts, a font-installer
utility, and support for grammar/spelling checkers and thesaurus
lookups in multiple languages.  The CD-ROM includes a text file
containing a registration key, and the licence doesn't bar commercial
usage.

The Smith book is valuable for its highly-comprehensive coverage of Linux
topics; the Harris and Zijleman one for its bundled software.  Both are
recommended.

7.2  WP 8.x's access to on-line docs doesn't work any more, saying
"document not found (404 error)".  Where did they go?

At the same time Corel removed WP 8.0 DPE from http://linux.corel.com/,
it also removed the on-line HTML-format manual that all WP 8.x for Linux
programs referenced via hyperlink.  (If anyone made a copy, please let me
know.)  Corel's remaining on-line documentation is at
http://linux.corel.com/support/docs.htm#wp8 ,
http://linux.corel.com/support/wp8_faq.htm , and
http://linux.corel.com/support/html/9201.htm .





8.  The Future

8.1  Why did Corel cease publishing WP for Linux?

Corel discontinued all Linux-related operations shortly after Microsoft
Corporation's major investment that prevented the firm's collapse:
Some speculate a causal relationship.  Corel may have also seen WP for
Linux sales (and downloads) as being at the expense of its versions for
non-Linux Unixes, through both the influx of Intel Linux boxes and other
Unix platforms' increasing ability to run Intel Linux binaries.  Also,
outgoing CEO Michael Cowpland had been the main force behind Corel's
Linux program, and new management doesn't share his views.

8.2  Why is Corel still selling WP versions for other Unixes, but not
Linux?

Good question.  Corel has never addressed the matter.

8.3  Won't WP for Linux re-emerge as part of Xandros Desktop?

It appears not.  When Corel divested itself of CLOS, and transferred
all rights to Xandros Corporation, WordPerfect was not part of the deal.
Corel is sitting on all WP rights.

8.4  If Corel doesn't want to sell WP for Linux, why doesn't it
open-source the program?

First, that would impair sales of Corel's versions for Win32 and other
proprietary platforms.  Second, Corel doesn't own all the necessary
rights.  WP includes code from at least five other companies, judging
by the copyright notices (Blueberry Software, Globetrotter Software,
Inc., Bristol Technology, Inc., INSO Corporation, and Novell, Inc.).

In the latter sense, Corel's situation is similar to that of Sun
Microsystems in regard to Star Office.  Sun bought the publisher of that
program, Star Division GmbH, and then spent approximately a year and
untold employee time studying copyright, patent, contract, and other
encumbrances.  Eventually, it was able to open-source the majority of
the source code, the part not encumbered by third-party rights, as what
became the OpenOffice.org project.

The difference is that Sun was strongly motivated to create an
open-source variant for all possible OS platforms -- in order to feed
sales of Solaris and its hardware, and to undermine Microsoft
Corporation.  It had (and has) deep resources and patience.  Corel had
none of those things -- and might have had greater third-party interests
to contend with.

8.5  What alternatives to WP exist on Linux?

Proprietary (see Chris Browne's http://cbbrowne.com/info/wplcomm.html):

o  Sun Microsystems's Star Office suite's StarWriter word processor.
   Very full featured, high degree of Microsoft compatibility.  Large,
   slow.  GTK+-based.  Includes .wpd support.
o  VistaSource Software's Anyware Desktop suite's (was Applix's ApplixWare
   Office) Anyware Words word processor.  Moderately good all-round office
   suite with a long history in the Unix world.  OK performance, stable,
   good MS doc compatibility.  Motif-based.  Includes .wpd support.
o  HancomLinux Inc.'s Hancom Office suite's Hancom Word word processor.
   Qt-based.  Good MS doc compatibility.  No .wpd support.
o  Quadraton Systems, Inc. CliqWord.  Character-based (console) office
   automation software.  Listed here only because Chris Browne includes
   it, as I'm not at all sure it belongs in this category.  No import/export
   facilities whatsoever that I can confirm.
o  Axene Xclamation (DTP) and XAllWrite (word processor).  Motif-based.
   No document import/export features worth mentioning; no .wpd support.
o  SmartWare Corporation (formerly Angoss) SmartWare.  Listed here
   because Chris Browne includes it, but it appears to have vanished.
o  Gobe Software's GobeProductive suite (announced but not yet
   shipped for Linux).  Produced by the team that did ClarisWorks.
   Frame-oriented.  Light, fast.  Full-featured.  Supports MS-Word,
   RTF.  No .wpd support.
o  LedIt word processor.  Small, fast.  GTK+-based.  Supports RTF.
   Chris Browne listed this in error as open-source.  No .wpd support.

Note:  If this FAQ has a point beyond answering questions, it is
to illustrate the pitfall of buying into proprietary software that
exists at the whim of a corporate publisher and may be hostage to its
fortunes.  On the other hand, it also shows that proprietary offerings
can be excellent of their types.  Choose with your eyes open.

Open Source (see Chris Browne's http://cbbrowne.com/info/wp.html):

o  OpenOffice.org suite's Writer word processor (derived from StarOffice).
   GTK+-based.  Large, slow.  Supports MS-Word, StarWriter, RTF, and a few
   other formats.  Excellent MS doc compatibility.  No .wpd support.
   (They need to borrow code from AbiWord!)
o  SOT Finnish Software Engineering Ltd.'s SOT Office 2002 suite's
   SOT Office Writer.  Based on OpenOffice.org, adding some software
   enhancements (added spelling checker and hyphenation dictionaries,
   templates, commercial support, enhanced on-line help and PDF manual).
   Available in a boxed set with printed docs.  All other remarks about
   OpenOffice.org also apply here.
o  AbiWord.  GTK+-based.  Table support is only now being added.  Fast,
   light, stable.  Supports MS-Word, Anyware Words/Applix Words, AbiWord,
   RTF, WordPerfect .wpd, Microsoft Write, DocBook, XHTML, and many
   other formats.  Excellent MS doc compatibility.
o  KOffice suite's KWord word processor.  Frame-oriented.   Qt-based.
   Supports MS-Word, Anyware Words/Applix Words, AbiWord formats.
   Medium-good MS doc compatibility.  No .wpd support.
o  SIAG Office suite's Pathetic Writer word processor.  Supports RTF.
   Supports MS-Word via WVware.  Athena-based.  No .wpd support.
o  Maxwell word processor.  Motif-based (not yet LessTif).  Supports RTF.
   No .wpd support.
o  FLWriter (Fast Light Writer).  Xhtml file format with UTF-8 encoding,
   excellent multilanguage support, spelling checker.  Exports RTF 1.5.
   No .wpd support.
o  Ted.  Simple word processor similar in spirit to MS-Windows's WordPad.
   RTF is native format.  Motif/LessTif-based.  Supports PDF, Postscript.
   No .wpd support.
o  CMU Andrew User Interface System (auis) package's EZ editor mode.
   Uses a well-thought-out system of ASCII + style/template markup.
   Supports RTF.  No .wpd support.
o  LyX (slick graphical front-end to LaTeX).  Implements ASCII + TeX
   markup in a quasi-WYSIWYG graphical environment.  You write
   structured documents (discussed below), but the process is made
   graphical and fairly easy.  Produces reliable, high-quality output.
   Excellent built-in help.  Supports LinuxDoc, DocBook, LaTeX,
   Postscript, DVI, ASCII.  Xforms or Qt-based, with GTK+ integration
   pending.  No .wpd support.

The last item listed, LyX, is an intriguing hybrid of GUI word processor
features and classic Unix-type document processing.  The latter is
often dismissed in the business world as powerful and professional but
too arcane -- but LyX makes it accessible.

I can do no better than to quote http://www.lyx.org/about/intro.php3 on
why this approach should be considered, as a conceptual model to move
towards, in place of traditional word processors:

[quotation begins]

LyX is an advanced open source document processor running on many Unix
platforms. It is called a "document processor", because unlike standard
word processors, LyX encourages an approach to writing based on the
structure of your documents, not their appearance. LyX lets you
concentrate on writing, leaving details of visual layout to the
software. LyX automates formatting according to predefined rule sets,
yielding consistency throughout even the most complex documents. LyX
produces high quality, professional output -- using LaTeX, an open
source, industrial strength typesetting engine, in the background.

With LyX, short notes or letters are a snap. LyX really shines, though,
when composing complex documents like technical documentation, doctoral
theses and conference proceedings.

The 1.0 release offers extensive control over fonts, margins,
headers/footers, spacing/indents, justification, bullet types in
multilevel lists, a sophisticated table editor, an emacs-style version
control interface for collaborative projects -- the list goes on and on.
LyX 1.0 includes many standard formats and templates -- e.g. for
letters, articles, books, overheads, even Hollywood scripts. Work
continues on a growing library of "plug-in" formats and templates, in
the best open-source tradition.

LyX presents the user with the familiar face of a WYSIWYG word
processor. However, users familiar with Microsoft Word or WordPerfect
may be perplexed by certain basic LyX behavior. For example, repeatedly
hitting the space bar has no effect! This is by design: LyX puts in the
proper spacing for you, intelligently. Welcome to the LyX paradigm!

You set the "ground rules" and place the elements of your document into
proper categories. Let's say, you tell LyX that a certain line is a
Section title. LaTeX adds the Section to your table of contents, places
the Section name into your page header, gives it a special "bold"
appearance on the page, assigns it a number or label, and tells other
parts of your document what page it's on, for references and citations.
Many of the headaches of traditional word processing just vanish.

LaTeX easily processes hundreds of chapter and section labels, thousands
of footnotes and inserted graphics, intricate cross-references, complex
multi-level outlines, formatted tables of contents and lists of
illustrations, and exhaustive indices or bibliographies, and is rightly
famous for the superb quality of its output. Users already acquainted
with "raw" LaTeX will find that LyX offers full LaTeX transparency and
import/export of LaTeX documents.

LyX contains a fully integrated formula editor which is easily
best-of-breed, adding WYSIWYG point-and-click convenience to LaTeX's
legendary math typesetting capabilities. If you're into scientific
authoring, this is the jewel in the crown. TRY IT!

Think of LyX as the first WYSIWYM word processor: What You See Is What
You Mean. All the common formatting intelligence of LaTeX is presented
to the user through visual controls, like a table-of-contents window
acting as an outline browser, "live" reference links (to figure and
table captions, sections, pages and literature citations), automatic
multilevel section and list numbering, and more. You tell LyX how to
treat particular words and lines in your document: e.g., this is
standard text, this is a Section title, this is a footnote, this is a
caption beneath an inserted graphic. As you click your selections, the
WYSIWYM interface gives you clean, straightforward "visual cues"
(actually, very WYSIWYG-like).

The approach has ergonomic advantages. You can enlarge the screen fonts
to suit your tastes but still have all the text on the screen -- without
affecting the margins and other formatting of your final output. Thus,
you can work comfortably on small displays (or if your eyes are tired or
your eyesight is not so good) and get the final output right with just a
couple of page previews using xdvi or ghostview.

LyX includes excellent and copious on-line help -- a beginner's
tutorial, user's guide, and additional manuals describing advanced
features. LyX's menu system exists in a dozen different (Latin character
set) languages, selectable at run time.

LyX conspicuously lacks a filter for importing MS Word documents. The
LyX Team considers this not worth the effort, as word processors in
general are moving away from proprietary formats to the open XML
standard. So, as long as you need continued access to legacy documents,
you should retain a traditional word processor, e.g., Corel's
WordPerfect for Linux.

LyX runs on standard Unix platforms, including Linux, FreeBSD, NetBSD,
Solaris, IRIX, HP-UX, AIX, ..., even OS/2 and Cygnus/Win32 (somewhat
experimentally), and provides native support for Postscript fonts and
figures.

[quotation ends]





9  Feedback.  Location.  Copyright and Redistribution Terms.

9.1  This FAQ is maintained by Rick Moen <[e-mail]>,
to whom all corrections and suggestions should be addressed.
The latest revision can always be found at http://linuxmafia.com/wpfaq/faq .

9.2.  Contents are Copyright (C) 2002, Rick Moen <[e-mail]>.

Verbatim copying, distribution, and display of this entire article are
permitted in any medium, provided this notice is preserved.
Alternatively, you may create derivative works of any sort for any
purpose, provided your versions contain no attribution to me, and that
you assert your own authorship (and not mine) in every practical medium.