Bug 127247 - Add option for cleaning up the profile in the installer
Summary: Add option for cleaning up the profile in the installer
Status: NEW
Alias: None
Product: LibreOffice
Classification: Unclassified
Component: LibreOffice (show other bugs)
Version:
(earliest affected)
6.3.0.4 release
Hardware: All All
: medium enhancement
Assignee: Not Assigned
URL:
Whiteboard:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks: User-Profile
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Reported: 2019-08-30 19:59 UTC by steffan.steffner
Modified: 2019-10-29 09:43 UTC (History)
3 users (show)

See Also:
Crash report or crash signature:


Attachments
was display in my LibreOffice Version 6 .. (is obviously a remain from Version 5 ... (44.85 KB, image/jpeg)
2019-08-30 20:16 UTC, steffan.steffner
Details

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Description steffan.steffner 2019-08-30 19:59:40 UTC
Description:
I‘d like to refer to https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/show_bug.cgi?id=126810

actually, data stemming from old obviously caused the problem described at bug 126810
(problems are not occuring anymore after deleting folders/files stemming from old versions of LibreOffice / stemming from LibreOffice 5) as descibed in bug 126810 under comment 10.

Plus, there are even more issues that are resolved by deleting old folders /files.

Actally, when using the function „Datei→ Öffnen“ (or file → Open), a deprecated interface was displayed in my LibreOffice Version 6.2.  (see image in attachment) before I resorted to deleting the old files.

I resolved this issue by 
- deinstalling the current version of LibreOffice
- deleting all old folders /files stemming from old(er) versions;
- reinstalling new version

I deleted the following folders (together with all files in them):

C:\Program Files\LibreOffice 5
C:\Program Files (x86)\LibreOffice 5
C:\Users\xxxxx\AppData\Roaming\LibreOffice


So I would suggest:
A new version should  always perform the following clean-up when installing:
- delete all old folders /files stemming from former versions
- before deleting:  extract all required user settings from the old files (I can think of: copy paths for „Arbeitsverzeichnis“, „Sicherungskopien“, copy „Druckformatvorlagen“ etc.) and „paste“ these settings into the new files /setting of LibreOffice.



Steps to Reproduce:
Please see desciption - 
only happens when the curent install of LibreOffice is istalled over an existing install of LibreOffice (I can speak here for installs of Version 6 over installs of Version 5.

Actual Results:
Settings /user interfaces  from older versions persist in newer versions.

Expected Results:
The new version should overwrite everything stemming from old versions.
Only specified user settings (paths for „Arbeitsverzeichnis“, „Sicherungskopien“, copy „Druckformatvorlagen“ etc.) should be integrated into new version.


Reproducible: Always


User Profile Reset: No



Additional Info:
A new version should  always perform the following clean-up when installing:
- delete all old folders /files stemming from former versions
(but extract the settings as desciped here unter "expected results", an integrate these in the new version).

(by the way, I am just reading (in this very form ....) about "Did you try resetting the your user profile?";  probably this would have resolved my issue as well; but I would say that this option will not be found by 95% of people affected with correspond problems; as of now, I have no idea how to perform "reset your user profile" in LibreOffice (exept the solution I used, that is to manually delete the old folders)
Comment 1 steffan.steffner 2019-08-30 20:16:58 UTC
Created attachment 153764 [details]
was display in my LibreOffice Version 6 ..  (is obviously a remain from Version 5 ...

I really think that the solution to this issue is not to let the user find the option "clean up your profile", but that LibreOffice should actively delete all old folders /files that could possibly affect the intended behaviour.

So, in my opinion, everything should be deleted before doing the new install, just the user settings (path for „Arbeitsverzeichnis“, „Sicherungskopien“, and „Druckformatvorlagen“ that were added by the user should be copied.

I don't know if this goes against established rules of programming (in this case I can't really see any risk of deleting data valuable to the user)

A viable workaroud solution might be "nudge" the user to do a user profile cleanup as a standard routine when installing a new version (telling him/her he has not to fear any data loss, but can avoid some (minor) issues  - I would consider this solution not opimal or second best)
Comment 2 steffan.steffner 2019-09-16 19:28:45 UTC
So I would think that „improvement“ could be a more fitting label for this.

My proposal for this would then be to „automate“ the proceedure which is described in
https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/UserProfile
i.e.  „rename the user profile folder from "user" to "user-old"  “

In the menu under „help“, there could then be added „refresh/clean up user profile“ very much like Firefox has the option „refresh profile“ under „Troubleshooting Information“.

Like in Firefox, a great part of the settings of the user, as well as added templates etc. could be automatically restored in the new profile.

If a greater number of users should be affected be problems related to an old profile /corrupted profile (which I don‘t know), it might also be good idea to make this an opt-out feature in the LibreOffice installer, very much like Firefox already has it these days 

https://www.ghacks.net/2017/08/03/mozilla-plans-to-add-opt-out-profile-clean-up-option-to-firefox-installer/
Comment 3 steffan.steffner 2019-09-16 19:31:07 UTC
Can somebody tell me if there this an editing function for posted comments ?

And if yes, where I can find it .... 

Thank you
Comment 4 Timur 2019-09-18 10:27:42 UTC
No editing. But Comment can be tagged "obsolete" and written correctly. 

Your proposal is not acceptable because many users have customized user profile with extensions and toolbar icons and deleting all is not an option. 

Problem happens rarely and first advice step is "resetting the user profile".
But if user is not aware of that, what should s/he do? 
Use Help-Restart in Safe Mode.
Comment 5 steffan.steffner 2019-09-19 14:48:16 UTC
Thank you for the explanation about the (not existing) editing function!


As to “profile refresh”:
For sure, it would have to be strictly optional, that is:   it only happens if a user marks a check box that is shown during the installation process before the actual start of the updating procedure for an update to a new version of LibreOffice. Also, the user would receive a “caveat” that he will loose all customization he made in his profile. As well, there could be the option to backup the old profile so that a user can revert to it.

“Profile refresh” is just a proposal that came to my mind in view of the issues I had – 
there are certainly people who know better than I do if offering a “profile refresh” to the ‘unsuspecting’ user would be helpful to him /her or rather a source of confusion.
Comment 6 Xisco Faulí 2019-10-29 09:43:48 UTC
tweaking the summary slightly and moving to NEW...