Problem using Oddsimulator

[turfeyejoe]

Many months ago, someone here helped me out by sending me a fair odds program that uses Beyer Figures called "Odds simulator." It was working fine until my son switched our computer OS to Linux. The command to run the odds program is "command M." Unfortunately, Linux recognizes that as a command to halt. So I can't get the odds simulator to run. Does anyone have any suggestions?

[BillW]

Many months ago, someone here helped me out by sending me a fair odds program that uses Beyer Figures called "Odds simulator." It was working fine until my son switched our computer OS to Linux. The command to run the odds program is "command M." Unfortunately, Linux recognizes that as a command to halt. So I can't get the odds simulator to run. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Windows programs definitely won't run on Linux. You'll have to put it on a windows machine. One option is to reinstall Windows in a dual boot configuration on your computer(If your son was savy enough to install Linux, he should understand what a dual boot configuration is, and how to solve your problem)

Bill

[cj]

I think you are talking about the Excel spreadsheet I developed. It contains a Macro, and you use Control and M to activate it.

Spreadsheets created in Excel can be opened with OpenOffice, but I'm not sure how you run the macro and I don't have a machine handy right not to try it out.

[turfeyejoe]

CJ:

Yes, that's exactly what it is, an excel spreadsheet. I can open the spreadsheet, enable the macros and type in fresh data. But when I go to run the spreadsheet by hitting "control M" nothing happens. My son says this is because in Linux, hitting Control M is the same as hitting Control ALt Delete in windows. Any suggestions?

[Tom]

I think you can rename the macro, Ctr H or something that is not in conflict.
Or at least you could re-write the macro and name it differently.
Go to tools>macro>macros to see what it says, then tools>macro>new macro to write one.

[BillW]

From the Open office help file ...


Microsoft Office and OpenOffice.org cannot run the same macro code.
Microsoft Office uses VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) code, and
OpenOffice.org uses Basic code based on the OpenOffice.org API
(Application Program Interface) environment. Although the programming
language is the same, the objects and methods are different.

If you use macros in one of the applications and want to use the same
functionality in the other application, you must edit the macros.
OpenOffice.org can load the macros that are contained within Microsoft
Office files and you can then view and edit the macro code in the
OpenOffice.org Basic IDE editor.

You can choose to preserve or delete VBA macros

Open a Microsoft Office document that contains VBA macro code.
Change only the normal contents (text, cells, graphics), and do
not edit the macros. Save the document as a Microsoft Office
file type. Open the file in Microsoft Office, and the VBA macros
will run as before.
You may delete the VBA macros from the Microsoft Office file on
loading or on saving.

Choose Tools - Options - Load/Save - VBA Properties to set the VBA
macro handling of OpenOffice.org.

[BillW]

Oh and BTW <CTRL-M> is a carriage return as interpreted by the shell. It should act like pressing the <RETURN> key. I'm not sure in what context it would act like CTRL-ALT-DEL.

[levinmpa]

I could never get the Macro to run in Open Office. My suggestion for your problem, hopefully with the help of your son. Install VMware Server for Linux. It's free from www.vmware.com and will allow you to install any version of Windows as a Virtual Machine inside your Linux OS. You can then install Excel inside your Windows VM and you're back in business. If your son knows anything about Linux, it should be no problem for him to get VMware Server installed.

[richrosa]

Windows programs definitely won't run on Linux. You'll have to put it on a windows machine. One option is to reinstall Windows in a dual boot configuration on your computer(If your son was savy enough to install Linux, he should understand what a dual boot configuration is, and how to solve your problem)

Bill

Please don't do this.

You installed Linux. Good move, you won't regret it. Hopefully, its Ubuntu, but others are good too.

I run Windows programs in Linux all the time using Wine (sort of a Windows Emulator). There is a commercial version on Wine called Crossover Office (http://www.codeweavers.com/) that will help you right away. Its kinda like Shareware, so they let you download it for free. I run MS Office flawlessly using it, including macros and all. Complete functionality.

In my experience Open Office does nearly everything that MS Office does. I've seen lots of macros work.

About the Ctrl-M button. Depending on what Window Manager your OS is using, there should be a keymapper program that you should be able to redirect so that you can use that key in your programs.

For the record, I'm a Linux server user since Slackware 2.0 (1994). I've been a hardcore desktop user for the last 4 years. I'm all in on Ubuntu now, on every computer that I have. I'll probably never use Windows again. Ubuntu does everything I need and more.

[richrosa]

more info on using Windows programs is Ubuntu Linux without using CrossOver Office and just plain old free "Wine".

http://www.zolved.com/synapse/view_content/28045/How_to_run_Windows_applications_on_Ubuntu

[BillW]

Please don't do this.



Rich,

Sorry, I was speaking to someone who seemed inexperienced with computers. I would definitely not recommend Wine for that type of person without very close support. I should have qualified that statement though.

Bill

[richrosa]

Bill,

You're probably right that an inexperienced user might have a tough time settling up Wine, however that's substantially easy in Ubuntu. Once Wine (or CrossOver) is installed, running a Windows program is a point and click operation.

I'd just hate to see a new Linux user give up because they thought it was too hard or they didn't think that they had options.

What distro do you use?

[BillW]

I'd just hate to see a new Linux user give up because they thought it was too hard or they didn't think that they had options.

What distro do you use?

Fedora 6/7 (running Linux since 1.09 Kernel and Redhat since just about day one :))

[richrosa]

Lots of RedHat in my past, especially servers. I still have a RedHat T-shirt circa 1997 or 1998 that made into my hockey bag (i use it underneath my equipment) that I got at the first Linux World in NYC.

It just seems like the whole world is using Ubuntu now. I can recommend it to anyone, including novice users, and especially Mac users who are paying a major premium to use their beloved OS.