If you have your own web site you most likely transfer files via FTP every so often. Wouldn’t it be cool if you could store your documents, spreadsheets or anything else OpenOffice can make there?
You can.
Note before continuing: I have only tried this with the Windows version of OpenOffice, but it’s assumed this will work on the Linux or Mac OS X version in exactly the same way.
Step 1.
Launch OpenOffice Writer and go to the Options panel. In Windows this is done by clicking Tools then Options.
Once there, expand OpenOffice and click General. Next to Open/Save Dialogs, check the option for Use OpenOffice.org dialogs.
Looks like this:
Click OK when finished.
Step 2.
Before using FTP it’s suggested you login via the FTP client of your choice and create a non-public directory. For simplicity’s sake I named mine docs. You can name yours that or any other name you wish. Create this folder at the FTP root (not to be confused with server root).
In plain English: If you login to your FTP server via a client, you’ll see a list of directories. Your docs directory should be at "first level" so you don’t have to type in a bunch of stuff just to get to where you need to go.
Step 3.
Type up a test document in Writer, then click File then Save As…
When the save window appears, you have to open up the FTP server first before saving. In the File Name field, you would type:
ftp://YOUR-FTP-USER-NAME@ftp.YOUR-WEB-SITE.com
If you created the folder docs, it would be:
ftp://YOUR-FTP-USER-NAME@ftp.YOUR-WEB-SITE.com/docs
After clicking Open you will be prompted for your FTP password. Enter it in and you’re good to go.
Additional notes
Is this secure?
No. This is plain text FTP authentication. But for most people this shouldn’t be a problem.
Are the transfers fast?
Yes. OpenOffice transfers files via FTP just like a normal client would.
Do I have to keep typing in my username/password over and over and/or switching directories to load/save?
No. OpenOffice will remember the last known directory you were in.
Can I make OpenOffice "forget" the FTP password?
Yes. Simply close all OpenOffice apps and the FTP password will be "forgotten". Bear in mind this includes the QuickStarter resident app as well (in Windows: Right-click the OpenOffice QuickStarter next to the clock, choose to exit).
Will this work for any OpenOffice application?
Yes. Whether your composing a document, spreadsheet, presentation or database, as long as the "Use OpenOffice.org dialogs" is checked in the General section of Options, all have ability to save and load via FTP.
Is there any drawback to saving via FTP?
Other than the plain text authentication stuff, there isn’t any file transfer progress meter like there is in an FTP client. For large files this may be a bit annoying not knowing when transfers will complete. My suggestion is to stay under the 1MB mark so loads and saves go thru quickly.
Can you have more than one user accessing a file at once via FTP?
Yes but the sessions will be separate. This is not like loading a file over a LAN. I strongly recommend against having multiple users accessing the same files over FTP. Do-able? Yes. Recommended? No.
I don’t have an FTP server but like the idea of saving my stuff to a remote server. Is there any other option?
Google Docs using the OpenOffice.org2GoogleDocs extension. That extension not only does Google Docs but also Zoho and WebDAV connectivity as well. This extension was last updated April 8 2009, so it’s very recent and actively developed.
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