Joined: Jul 17, 2006 Posts: 10 Location: North West England
Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2007 7:55 am Post subject: Unable to Download Neoffice Unless I Make A Donation?
Hi,
I have been trying for three days now to download or should I say locate the download link for Neoofice 2.1 but am unable to.
When I get to the downloads page [ http://www.neooffice.org/neojava/en/download.php ] it says that the program is free, but you ask for a donation which I would not mind if it were not mandatory, which then means it is not a 'donation'.
Normally any program like this is allowed to be tested or tried out as shareware, and you then have the option of paying within a set number of days, or your program is limited or ceases to function. ~ Either way, you get a chance to try it out.
Joined: Apr 25, 2006 Posts: 2315 Location: Montpellier, France
Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2007 8:30 am Post subject:
The second page also requests a donation, but links to the list of mirrors and the torrents should be on this page as well. If you have a laptop or a small display, please scroll down to make sure that you haven't missed them.
I noticed that trying to access the second page directly will load the first page instead, so that won't work.
BTW, I moved this topic to Fuzkd Servers, since if there is an issue with the website this is where it should be.
Edit : Clicking on the "Skip Donation" button sets a value to 1 and loads the second download page. I don't know how the value is stored, but you may want to ensure that your browser is set to accept cookies.
Last edited by Samwise on Wed Jun 27, 2007 8:43 am; edited 2 times in total
Joined: Jul 17, 2006 Posts: 10 Location: North West England
Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2007 11:11 am Post subject:
Hi,
Sorry for not getting back to you before now, but I ended up in hospital for a few days.
With regard to your comments about being able to download Neoffice from the download page *after * i have clicked on 'Skip Donation', I have to report that I find no links for the program.
What I can find are links for the language packs, and the latest 'Bug Fixes Patch.
This is beginning to become a real bind, and I guess I must be thick, as clearly I am missing something ~ I just want to get this download!
I have tried this in both Safari 2.0.4 & Firefox 2.
PS It is the UK English version I would wish to install, but I gather that this would be achieved via the the language pack I would be installing after I installed the basic program?
With regard to your comments about being able to download Neoffice from the download page *after * i have clicked on 'Skip Donation', I have to report that I find no links for the program.
After clicking 'Skip Donation', what is at the bottom of the page? There should be two links: one for PowerPC and one for Intel. If you don't see anything like that, empty your browser's cache (it is in the Safari menu if you use Safari) and reload the page.
drusus wrote:
PS It is the UK English version I would wish to install, but I gather that this would be achieved via the the language pack I would be installing after I installed the basic program?
Joined: Nov 21, 2005 Posts: 1285 Location: Witless Protection Program
Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2007 5:13 pm Post subject:
pluby wrote:
After clicking 'Skip Donation', what is at the bottom of the page? There should be two links: one for PowerPC and one for Intel. If you don't see anything like that, empty your browser's cache (it is in the Safari menu if you use Safari) and reload the page.
That is correct.
Patrick
I just checked this out and it seems to be working fine for me.
After you click 'Skip Donation' you are directed to another web page that starts with
Quote:
NeoOffice 2.1 Downloads
The NeoOffice download links at the bottom of this page are funded solely by donations from NeoOffice users like yourself. Without donations from our users, NeoOffice would not exist. While many free software products like Firefox and OpenOffice.org are funded by huge donations from large corporations, NeoOffice has no corporate sponsors.
At the bottom of the page is the PowerPC and Intel download links.
Make sure that you scroll down to the bottom on the page.
I don't think that you are the only person who did not scroll down the page for the links.
I've had the same problem on other web sites.
Just be sure to read the "whole" page.
Hope this helps.
Philip ( forgets to read whole web pages all the time )
Joined: Jul 17, 2006 Posts: 10 Location: North West England
Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 11:10 am Post subject:
I appreciate that you belief that I am not scrolling to the bottom of the page, but I really am.
Also, as I have pointed out in my previous posts, when I do click on the 'skip donation' link, the web-page does not in fact load the main download page, it just redirects BACK to the same initial downloads page, I can see it happening in my browsers address bar:
SO I do not get a page that starts with the text you quoted
I have taken a copy of all the text that is present on the page that opens *after* I have selected the 'Skip option so that you can see I am not getting the actual main downloads page, this happens in both safari and firefox2:
Copy Paste Of Text Begins Now
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Downloads
Downloading NeoOffice 2.1
Minimum Machine Requirements for NeoOffice 2.1
Important Warnings for All NeoOffice Users
Installing NeoOffice 2.1
Installing Other Languages
Uninstalling NeoOffice 2.1
Downloading NeoOffice 2.1
Although NeoOffice is free, we ask that you donate a small amount before you download NeoOffice.
The cost and time spent on NeoOffice are trivial for a large corporation, but they are very large for the two people that operate the NeoOffice project so donations are used to help pay for NeoOffice cash expenses like bandwidth, machines, and webhosting fees that we would have to pay for ourselves.
Please consider donating a couple of dollars or Euros to help us continue to provide NeoOffice to everyone for free. You can donate funds online using a credit card or a PayPal account. Even though we use PayPal as our credit card processor, please note that a PayPal account is not required when using a credit card. Just click on the following button to make a donation:
Important: Be sure to press the Return to Merchant button to return to our site after you complete your donation.
If you have made a donation recently, there is no requirement to donate again. Just click the following button to go to the list of the available downloads:
Minimum Machine Requirements for NeoOffice 2.1
To install and run NeoOffice, you must have the following:
Mac OS X 10.3 or higher
512 MB of memory
400 MB of free disk space
Important Warnings for All NeoOffice Users
Since NeoOffice is developed by volunteers and tested by users, we expect that users will find crashing or other serious bugs. We strongly recommend that you save your work frequently so that if you encounter a crashing bug, you will not lose much data. If you feel that you need software that has been heavily tested, we recommend that you use a commercially-supported product like Microsoft Office or Apple iWork.
Only install the versions of NeoOffice that are listed on this web site. Please do not install an unlisted version even if you downloaded it from this web site in the past. Using such unlisted versions is very risky as unlisted versions have bugs that we have fixed in the listed versions.
Lastly, when users report crashing or other serious bugs, we fix these bugs as fast as possible and release small patches that contain these bug fixes. We recommend that you get the latest bug fixes by downloading and installing the latest NeoOffice patch installer.
Installing NeoOffice 2.1
Make sure that you read the important warnings for all users and check out the list of features and bugs before you install NeoOffice.
To install, double-click on the downloaded file in the Finder. This should cause the Disk Copy application to open. The Disk Copy application should automatically open the downloaded file and display a volume called NeoOffice on your desktop. Double-click on the NeoOffice volume. This should open a Finder window that contains a NeoOffice.pkg file. Double-click on the NeoOffice.pkg file and the NeoOffice installer should start.
By default, the installer will create an application called NeoOffice in your /Applications folder. To launch NeoOffice, just double-click on the NeoOffice application icon in the Finder.
Important: After installing, get the latest bug fixes by downloading and installing the latest NeoOffice patch installer.
Installing Other Languages
By default, the installer only installs English but language packs are available for 57 other languages. To add support for any of the other languages not included in the installer, install NeoOffice 2.1 and then download and install the language pack for your language.
A list of available language packs can be found here.
Uninstalling NeoOffice 2.1
To uninstall, just drag the NeoOffice application from the Finder into the Mac OS X trash can.
Uninstalling NeoOffice should have no effect on any OpenOffice.org installation that you may have as NeoOffice and OpenOffice.org have completely separate configuration and user files.
Also, as I have pointed out in my previous posts, when I do click on the 'skip donation' link, the web-page does not in fact load the main download page, it just redirects BACK to the same initial downloads page, I can see it happening in my browsers address bar:
Something very bizarre is happening in your web browser. Two questions:
1. What web browser are you using? Safari, Firefox, some other?
2. If you are using Safari or Firefox, have you emptied the browsers cached pages? I suspect that your browser is caching copies of the pages and using those instead of fetching the pages from our server.
Joined: Nov 21, 2005 Posts: 1285 Location: Witless Protection Program
Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 3:14 pm Post subject:
drusus wrote:
I appreciate that you belief that I am not scrolling to the bottom of the page, but I really am.
Also, as I have pointed out in my previous posts, when I do click on the 'skip donation' link, the web-page does not in fact load the main download page, it just redirects BACK to the same initial downloads page, I can see it happening in my browsers address bar:
SO I do not get a page that starts with the text you quoted
<snip>
AS You can see, I have no information or links that point to the files in question.
I have tried pasting in the URL for the main download page, and it bounces me back to the first downloads page.
This is the only website I am experiencing problems loading a page.
I believe you, I just can't get the same problem to happen on my systems (Mac and PC using Mozilla SeaMonkey (Firefox code base). How very strange that it bounces you from "maindownload.php" back to "download.php" page.
When I click on either of the links above I go to that page, and it stays there. I don't see any redirection code in the "maindownload.php" source code...
What is your OS X version, Java, and Browser?
Maybe something is outdated, corrupted, bonkers?
Try Patrick's suggestions, Purge your Browsers cache, reboot your Mac and/or repair permissions,
maybe even try some suggestions from the Wiki Troubleshooting_Tips page.
Maybe something has gone awry on your system and/or browser. It's got to be hiding somewhere? sigh.
Philip ( When all else fails - Clean everything and ... hope? )
Joined: Nov 21, 2005 Posts: 1285 Location: Witless Protection Program
Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 3:55 pm Post subject:
follow up.
I did notice that IF you go the the PayPal site, the "Return to" button returns you to "download.php" page.
Could there be some variable that gets set in the "Return to" link that forces some users back to that page?
I did notice that IF you go the the PayPal site, the "Return to" button returns you to "download.php" page.
That is only if you "cancel" the transaction. After you pay, the link is set to maindownload.php.
I still suspect that there is some weird browser caching going on and I am definitely interested in the answers to the questions I posted this morning.
Joined: Jul 17, 2006 Posts: 10 Location: North West England
Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 6:08 pm Post subject:
OK
Firstly, let me say I really do appreciate your help and advice on this problem, I really do.
But let me get this clear:
I am using an apple powerpc 20" imac running OS X10.4.0 (Latest Uptodate version} 1.5GB Ram
I am using BOTH Safari 2.0.4(419.3)
AND Firefox v 2.0.0.4
I have ALL apple and Firefox updates installed.
I Have emptied the caches in both browsers
I am not 'Going To Paypal then cancelling' ~ That's the whole point, I don't want to pay until I have tried it, if I could try it and liked it I would pay.
I even installed a fresh copy of Microsoft Explorer 5 ( which I had as backup dmg install file on my external hard drive) so a fresh browser with no knowledge of Neoofice was tried and *exactly* the same things happen.
If it takes this long to get the program then I guess I might as well forget it.
It might be more expensive, purchasing Microsoft Word, but at least by blood pressure would be down!
I have made it as clear as I can that I simply CANNOT get the files.
I do not know who else to ask, I thought that the powers that be who make Neoofice, whom I presume read this website, would by now have thought just to give me a link to the file where I can download it directly, as I can get to tall the patches and language packs. Accessing them does not appear to be a problem.
AS I said above, I do appreciate your help and advice, but I am at my limit with this, and this is the only website I am having any kind of problem with.
I have asked my brother who has a Windows 2000 laptop to bring it over at the weekend, just in the vain hope that maybe a Windows computer can get at the files!
What else can I say or do?
Joined: Jun 20, 2006 Posts: 2051 Location: Midwest, USA
Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 6:23 pm Post subject:
I'm sorry you are having so much trouble getting to the download page. I have an iBook G4, with 10.4.10, and I'm using Firefox 2.0.0.4, too.
To test all this out, I clicked on the "Get NeoOffice" link to the left,
When that page appeared, I clicked on the "NeoOffice Download Page"
On that page, I clicked "Skip Donation"
Then I get to the "NeoOffice 2.1 Downloads" page, where there is a link for downloading NeoOffice 2.1 for PPC or Intel. (I have to scroll down to see it.)
All that is to say that there must be something odd with either your machine, or with your ISP that is blocking the downloads page for you.
I don't have the authority (or the knowledge) to give you the direct link you asked for, but I do hope we can get this figured out for you.
Joined: Jun 20, 2006 Posts: 2051 Location: Midwest, USA
Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 6:28 pm Post subject:
I just had a thought....I'm not sure if this applies in this situation, but for what it is worth.....
On the iWeb discussion forums, one issue that comes up frequently is that some ISPs, especially in England and Europe, have server-level caches for web pages. The ISP servers keep caches of certain web pages, so when your browser/computer puts in a "request" for a certain web page, the server sends you the cached page rather than sending you to the actual page. For iWeb users, this can mean that they publish their website, but then when they go to visit it, it looks like nothing has changed, even after they clear their own caches.
If this is what is happening to you, there are two options:
1) wait until the server cache is updated
2) find a computer that uses a different ISP, and try downloading from there.
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I just can't get the same problem to happen on my systems (Mac and PC using Mozilla SeaMonkey (Firefox code base). How very strange that it bounces you from "maindownload.php" back to "download.php" page.
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