Ubuntu
openoffice.org package

trash and delete

Asked by jerrydc

When I right click on a list of documents In OpenOffice 3.1.1, I get only two choices -- Delete and Rename. The document is gone, cannot be found again, if I click on Delete. I have the Trash icon on my upper panel in Ubuntu 9.10. I would like to be able to put documents into Trash because, if I am not mistaken, I could call them up and restore them if I wished.

1. How can I get the option of moving a document to Trash when I right click on it.
2. How can I get rid of the option Delete (assuming that Shift+Delete would erase a file if I wanted to truly Delete it).
3. Is it possible to drag and drop anything into the Trash icon. Nothing happens when I try that.
4. I understand Nautilus is the file manager in Ubuntu. Where is it, how would I use it, would it be any help on issues like the one I've raised.

I am the sole user on my computer, I have administrator rights. I would appreciate your help.

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Delan Azabani (azabani) said : 		#1

I'm not sure I understand what you're experiencing, please post a screenshot of what's happening.

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jerrydc (jerryny) said : 		#2

How would I make a screenshot and how would I post it? I am not a computer beginner but I am not very knowledgeable either, obviously.

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Tony Pursell (ajpursell) said : 		#3

Hi

You will not be able to provide a screen shot as 'Answers' has no facility to upload attachments (unlike 'Bugs'), however I think I know have an explanation for you.

You are using OpenOffice.org dialog boxes to Load/Save documents. These give you the opportunity to Delete files, but it seems it does not move files to Trash. They just go!

If you want to use Load/Save dialogue boxes which don't have this problem (because the Delete feature is not there), go to Tools > Options... > OpenOffice.org > General and uncheck 'Use OpenOffice.org dialogue boxes'. You will then get dialogue boxes provided by the desk top manager.

If you then want to Delete a file, you will need to go to Places (on the panel at the top of the screen) to access the File Browser (which is Nautilus - check it out in Help > About). Here, if you right click, you will find 'Move to Deleted Items folder', which is the trash bin on the panel at the bottom of the screen.

Hope this helps.

Tony

PS. If this answers your question, please mark it as Solved.

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jerrydc (jerryny) said : 		#4

Unclicking "Use OpenOffice..." does put me into a list of my folders in "Documents" in a Ubuntu environment. However, when I open a folder, then a document and right click on the document I get a grayed out Add to Bookmarks and active Show Hidden Files and Show Size Columjns. I still cannot figure out how to put the document into Trash.

BTW, when I go to Places in the upper panel, I do not get anything labeled Nautiluis, or web browser, or the like. When I click on the Trash icon in the upper panel, I get the heading "Trash -- File Browser." Is that Nautilus; what use is it this late in the fumbling around process?

Thank you for your help so far.

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Tony Pursell (ajpursell) said : 		#5

Yes, File Browser is Nautilus. As I said, if you start File Browser the go Help > About, it will tell you that it is Nautilus.

As I also said, if you stop using OpenOffice.org dialogues for Open/Save, you will not see 'Delete' if you right click.

In Places, you do not get programs. You get icons to browse you home folder or the whole computer using File Browser (aka Nautilus).

If you delete a file in File Browser, it will appear in the the Trash folder you have opened with the Trash icon. If you decide you do not want to delete it, you can copy it back to another folder. All operations like Copy/Cut/Paste and Drag&Drop are available as in Windows. Only when you empty the Trash folder are files permanently deleted.

I have filed a bug for the 'OpenOffice.org dialogues for Open/Save' because it should not delete like it does. It should be moving files to the Trash folder. (OOo has the same problem in its Windows version because it deletes there without offering the option to save in the Recycle Bin, which is Windows equivalent of the Trash bin).

There is a lot of useful information here

https://help.ubuntu.com/9.10/index.htm

Follow the link to Files, Folders & Documents, for instance, to find out what you can do in the File Browser (aka Nautilus).

Tony

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