Re: Conversion software doc to pdf

At 05 Jun 2007 15:40:42 GMT Curt <curty@xxxxxxx> wrote:


On 2007-06-05, Dances With Crows <danSPANceswithTRAPcrows@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Curt staggered into the Black Sun and said:
On 2007-06-05, Robert Heller <heller@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
OpenOffice can do this too, but barfs if the X server is not running
-- does Abiword barf if X11 is not up and running?
I just tried it, and it did barf, saying simply "Aborted".

This is what they invented Xvfb for, right?

Well, not according to what apt-cache tells me:

"Description: Virtual Framebuffer 'fake' X server Xvfb provides an X
server that can run on machines with no display hardware and no physical
input devices. It emulates a dumb framebuffer using virtual memory.
The primary use of this server was intended to be server testing ..."
************************************************************

but that's just a nitty-pick because it does go on to say that

"... other novel uses for it have been found, including...providing an
unobtrusive way to run applications that don't really need an X server
but insist on having one anyway..."

I wonder what the obtrusive way of running applications that don't
really require an X server but insist on having one anyway would be?

Probably running the "real" X server, I suppose.

Yup.

Some of us on occasion run withOUT the X server running. Some of our
machines don't even have an X server installed (eg headless servers).
If all you want is to send some file to the printer or reformat it
automagically (in a procmail script for example), it is really awkward
if the conversion or spooling program insists on talking to the X server
for no usefull reason. And there is really no reason for this (are any
OpenOffice / Abiword developers reading this?).


Never heard of xvfb myself before you mentioned it. Good call.


Me neigher... Something to look into.

--
Robert Heller -- 978-544-6933
Deepwoods Software -- Linux Installation and Administration
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heller@xxxxxxxxxxxx -- Contract Programming: C/C++, Tcl/Tk

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