Description of problem: # ooffice -headless /usr/lib64/openoffice.org/program/soffice.bin X11 error: Can't open display: Set DISPLAY environment variable, use -display option or check permissions of your X-Server (See "man X" resp. "man xhost" for details) # Installed Packages openoffice.org-core.x86_64 1:2.3.0-6.5.2.el5_2 installed openoffice.org-headless.x86_64 1:2.3.0-6.5.2.el5_2 installed openoffice.org-writer.x86_64 1:2.3.0-6.5.2.el5_2 installed /usr/lib64/openoffice.org/program/soffice.bin -headless appears to work.... This (in /usr/lib64/openoffice.org/program/soffice) : export SAL_USE_VCLPLUGIN=gtk appears to be the culprit. [root@alfresco ~]# export SAL_USE_VCLPLUGIN=gtk [root@alfresco ~]# /usr/lib64/openoffice.org/program/soffice.bin -headless/usr/lib64/openoffice.org/program/soffice.bin X11 error: Can't open display: Set DISPLAY environment variable, use -display option or check permissions of your X-Server (See "man X" resp. "man xhost" for details)
True, a bit of a holdover from original RHEL-5.0 where there was no headless and so that particular tweak to prefer "gtk" over "gen" regardless of the desktop environment was perfectly ok. Now that -headless is available, the right fix is the one in devel which uses a different technique to do that (devel patch openoffice.org-2.4.0.rh133741.alwaysgtk.vcl.patch), we should stick that in on a future spin You've found the workaround for yourself in the meantime :-)
checked in for >= 2.3.0-6.11
An advisory has been issued which should help the problem described in this bug report. This report is therefore being closed with a resolution of ERRATA. For more information on therefore solution and/or where to find the updated files, please follow the link below. You may reopen this bug report if the solution does not work for you. http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHBA-2009-1248.html