Opening Tools-Options is slower because it checks GnuPG port 50xyz at local computer, and very slow if that's disabled in firewall. Seems that it didn't happen in older LO up to 6.0 but started in 6.1 and is here in 7.4+. Test in Windows. I don't know what it real does. Not related to Experimental features.
I've seen the slow opening of Tools -> Options for some time, but can't catch it when attached to WinDbg. What ever causes it is annoyingly transient...
on a hung Tools -> Options on a recent master, minimal symbols. Still looking to catch it on a release build. With WinDbg note this module loaded: ModLoad: 00007fff`b4600000 00007fff`b46e0000 C:\LODev740_x64_20220117_TB77\program\gpgmepp.dll and this stack trace during the delay... 0:021> ~* kp 0 Id: 25c0.21dc Suspend: 1 Teb: 000000a3`87de7000 Unfrozen # Child-SP RetAddr Call Site 00 000000a3`8878c8e8 00007fff`e264cb20 ntdll!NtWaitForMultipleObjects+0x14 01 000000a3`8878c8f0 00007fff`e264ca1e KERNELBASE!WaitForMultipleObjectsEx+0xf0 02 000000a3`8878cbe0 00007fff`b46614d7 KERNELBASE!WaitForMultipleObjects+0xe 03 000000a3`8878cc20 00007fff`b4667841 gpgmepp!GpgME::operator<<+0x1adb7 04 000000a3`8878cfe0 00007fff`b464b4b0 gpgmepp!GpgME::operator<<+0x21121 05 000000a3`8878d040 00007fff`b460fad8 gpgmepp!GpgME::operator<<+0x4d90 06 000000a3`8878d0b0 00007fff`8da10964 gpgmepp!GpgME::Context::nextKey+0x58 07 000000a3`8878d140 00007fff`8da10dce xsec_xmlsec!deInitXmlSec+0x3ba4 08 000000a3`8878d290 00007fff`6eed6e0a xsec_xmlsec!deInitXmlSec+0x400e 09 000000a3`8878d2c0 00007fff`6eed6562 cuilo!GetSpecialCharsForEdit+0x56b1a 0a 000000a3`8878d360 00007fff`6eed727f cuilo!GetSpecialCharsForEdit+0x56272 0b 000000a3`8878d3d0 00007fff`6ef1b2d8 cuilo!GetSpecialCharsForEdit+0x56f8f 0c 000000a3`8878d400 00007fff`6ef1e232 cuilo!GetSpecialCharsForEdit+0x9afe8 0d 000000a3`8878d440 00007fff`6ef1dc73 cuilo!GetSpecialCharsForEdit+0x9df42 0e 000000a3`8878d650 00007fff`6ef1be19 cuilo!GetSpecialCharsForEdit+0x9d983 0f 000000a3`8878d740 00007fff`6ee63452 cuilo!GetSpecialCharsForEdit+0x9bb29 10 000000a3`8878d790 00007fff`74204cf0 cuilo!SvxNumberingPreview::operator=+0x3522 11 000000a3`8878d810 00007fff`74289ff9 mergedlo!SfxApplication::OfaExec_Impl+0x13d0 12 000000a3`8878dba0 00007fff`7428c2cc mergedlo!SfxDispatcher::Call_Impl+0x279 13 000000a3`8878dc60 00007fff`7428c724 mergedlo!SfxDispatcher::Execute_+0xec 14 000000a3`8878dcb0 00007fff`742daa2d mergedlo!SfxDispatcher::Execute+0x224 15 000000a3`8878ddd0 00007fff`742d8217 mergedlo!SvxCharView::SetHasInsert+0x3a1d 16 000000a3`8878e060 00007fff`73dc15ee mergedlo!SvxCharView::SetHasInsert+0x1207 17 000000a3`8878e110 00007fff`75514b7e mergedlo!com_sun_star_comp_framework_LangSelectionStatusbarController_get_implementation+0x482e 18 000000a3`8878e270 00007fff`755aa6bc mergedlo!Menu::Select+0x9e 19 000000a3`8878e2b0 00007fff`75bce5dc mergedlo!vcl::Window::ImplAsyncFocusHdl+0x252c 1a 000000a3`8878e5d0 00007fff`9fa79e77 mergedlo!SalFrame::CallCallback+0x1c 1b 000000a3`8878e600 00007fff`9fa7a56d vclplug_winlo!dtrans_CWinClipboard_get_implementation+0x47a17 1c 000000a3`8878e840 00007fff`e3f4e7e8 vclplug_winlo!dtrans_CWinClipboard_get_implementation+0x4810d 1d 000000a3`8878e8d0 00007fff`e3f4e229 USER32!UserCallWinProcCheckWow+0x2f8 1e 000000a3`8878ea60 00007fff`9fa02586 USER32!DispatchMessageWorker+0x249 1f 000000a3`8878eae0 00007fff`9fa027f7 vclplug_winlo!create_SalInstance+0x546 20 000000a3`8878eb30 00007fff`9fa02b91 vclplug_winlo!create_SalInstance+0x7b7 21 000000a3`8878ecb0 00007fff`759b151c vclplug_winlo!create_SalInstance+0xb51 22 000000a3`8878ece0 00007fff`759b120c mergedlo!Application::Execute+0x47c 23 000000a3`8878ee80 00007fff`745866f2 mergedlo!Application::Execute+0x16c 24 000000a3`8878eee0 00007fff`759c0f5d mergedlo!cppu::WeakImplHelper<com::sun::star::container::XChild,com::sun::star::document::XDocumentPropertiesSupplier,com::sun::star::document::XCmisDocument,com::sun::star::rdf::XDocumentMetadataAccess,com::sun::star::document::XDocumentRecovery,com::sun::star::document::XUndoManagerSupplier,com::sun::star::document::XShapeEventBroadcaster,com::sun::star::document::XDocumentEventBroadcaster,com::sun::star::lang::XEventListener,com::sun::star::document::XEventsSupplier,com::sun::star::document::XEmbeddedScripts,com::sun::star::document::XScriptInvocationContext,com::sun::star::frame::XModel3,com::sun::star::util::XModifiable2,com::sun::star::view::XPrintable,com::sun::star::view::XPrintJobBroadcaster,com::sun::star::frame::XStorable2,com::sun::star::frame::XLoadable,com::sun::star::script::XStarBasicAccess,com::sun::star::document::XViewDataSupplier,com::sun::star::util::XCloseable,com::sun::star::datatransfer::XTransferable,com::sun::star::document::XDocumentSubStorageSupplier,com::sun::star::document::XStorageBasedDocument,com::sun::star::script::provider::XScriptProviderSupplier,com::sun::star::ui::XUIConfigurationManagerSupplier,com::sun::star::embed::XVisualObject,com::sun::star::lang::XUnoTunnel,com::sun::star::frame::XModule,com::sun::star::frame::XTitle,com::sun::star::frame::XTitleChangeBroadcaster,com::sun::star::frame::XUntitledNumbers>::acquire+0xab62 25 000000a3`8878f610 00007fff`745ab6f7 mergedlo!ImplSVMain+0xdd 26 000000a3`8878f660 00007ff6`10a7101b mergedlo!soffice_main+0x407 27 000000a3`8878f770 00007ff6`10a712d8 soffice!main+0x1b 28 000000a3`8878f7a0 00007fff`e4527034 soffice!main+0x2d8 29 000000a3`8878f7e0 00007fff`e4ca2651 KERNEL32!BaseThreadInitThunk+0x14 2a 000000a3`8878f810 00000000`00000000 ntdll!RtlUserThreadStart+0x21
Hmm, so SvxGeneralTabPage::InitCryptography() tries to figure out private keys from local gpg keystore, that looks like the root cause. Bit hard to square that circle, if people want the convenience there. Bug is nominally gpgme being a tad clumsy in checking for the agent. We could move that into a separate config page that is less likely to be opened by default (perhaps into security); but then the feature is also less obvious to users.
Users open Options for multiple reasons and fast opening is important. IIUC, problem is that LO-User Data opens by default, and it has Cryptography, so checks for keys each time. Not sure if "Use Cryptography" checkbox is possible.
Timur's idea of a "Use Cryptography" checkbox sounds interesting to me. Or what about a "Load Keylist" button? So the OpenPGP "signing key" and "encryption key" dropdown lists would stay greyed out until that button has been pressed. (each time the Options window is being opened) Or maybe (not sure if UI toolkits allow this) the keys could be loaded when the user opens one of the two dropdown lists. Ideally there would also be a loading animation instead of a non responsive UI. I observe the behavior also on Debian-12 Linux. (Timur observed it on Windows) Firewall: no nftables rules, empty iptables defaulting to ACCEPT LibreOffice-5.3.7.2: Options open instantly LibreOffice-5.4.7.2: doesn't start (libgcrypt.so.20: undefined symbol: gpgrt_b64dec_proc) LibreOffice-6.0.7.3: Options need 2 seconds to open LibreOffice-24.8.0.0.alpha0 (2024-04-18): Options need 2 seconds to open https://downloadarchive.documentfoundation.org/libreoffice/old/5.3.7.2/ https://downloadarchive.documentfoundation.org/libreoffice/old/5.4.7.2/ https://downloadarchive.documentfoundation.org/libreoffice/old/6.0.7.3/