[libreoffice-users] Re: Silent install with only Writer and Calc

Hi :)
It probably is possible on the command-line too but it's fairly pointless as
it saves you nothing.  

It might be easier to just install the whole thing and then block users from
being able to use the modules you don't want them to use.  For most users
that means just giving them desktop shortcuts to start Writer and Calc but
none of the others.  Although it's fairly simple for most of us here to
click through the menus equivalent to 

"Start" button -"All Programs" - LibreOffice - Impress

most users find that type of navigation almost impossible.  Even a shortcut
on their desktop is difficult for them to understand.  They expect to just
get a file and double-click the file to open it.  If they want a new file
then double-click an old file and try to delete everything in it to create a
new file.  So, if they have to navigate through menus then they are
effectively blocked from being able to use it.  


Also, as an IT person, people will often give you missions which they are
fairly clueless about.  They might be adamant that they don't want certain
things and then later start shouting and creating a fuss because those
things are not accessible.  They might have told you they don't want Impress
or the others purely because they don't know what those modules do.  Of
course they wont tell you that.  What they might do is in a couple of weeks
someone gives them a .odp which they then can't open and they then blame you
for that.  What they probably want is to block people from poking around
with things that they don't understand themselves because that is "time
wasting" or "playing".  They think they need people to focus entirely on the
tasks they are given and follow orders.  


I was once told to design a database that had separate reports for A-F, G-K,
L-P and Q-Z.  Absolutely adamant that they didn't want an A-Z.  When they
had printed the lists on Excel/Calc it had worked out neatly with 4 neat
pages.  Unfortunately as they collected more data they kept needing the
ranges changed, so A-D, E-I, J-O, P-Z.  One time i was in a rush to get out
and didn't delete my A-Z and the next time i got in they demanded to know
why i hadn't given them an A-Z to begin with because the A-Z would have
saved them a lot of trouble.  

Another time i was told that the boss wanted people to have access to a
specific file inside a folder in a file-share "on the network".  Was quite
adamant that he didn't want people to access other files in the same folder
and didn't want to move the file or the other files.  Instead of trying to
encrypt all the other files using 1 key and the lone file using another i
just gave everyone a short-cut to the file on their desktop.  To get to the
rest of the files they would have to navigate through at least 3 folders and
that effectively put them out of reach of almost anyone, except me.  A few
weeks later the boss wanted me to let people have access to a few more files
... 


So, as an IT person you have to use common sense to make it look like you
have followed orders precisely but still leave yourself a bit of flexibility
(secretly) and most importantly not spent too long on the task as stated.  

If the users that aren't morons still have access and feel they are managing
to join an exclusive club then you often get them on your side and they take
care of tings while you are elsewhere.  On the other hand if you really do
block them then they get frustrated and accidentally break things while
trying to get their work done.  


So, the question is are you trying to block access to some very useful
modules/programs because of some technical reason that would really help you
or are you just trying to follow orders?  

Regards from 
Tom :)  



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