Whenever I save a text file edited with LibreOffice, I get a new, locked file which can be identified with its “~.lock” file prefix. This locked file prevents access (probably for security reasons) to the original file. However, this is a serious impediment as it forbids any further editing of the original file or document so long as the locked file has not been removed. Though erasing this locked file (which can be made visible with “Ctrl-H” if hidden) should free the original, this in fact is not the case.
Would someone know how to unlock these locked files? I would very much appreciate any advice or hint in this regard.
I would say the lock has only to be active as long as you have the file open. And as nobody else seems to have this problem (when one realy can only edit a file once wiith LibreOfice Writer there would be massive complaints I guess) I think this works as intended. Did you realy close the window with the open file in it (which of course includes the saving or not of the changes you made to the file)?
BTW what do you mean with a “text file”? An Open Documents document or the like or a “plain text” one. I would allways edit the last one with a text editor like KWrite.
I just did the following test:
. created (by copying an existing)* ttt.odt* file;
. opened it with Libre Office Writer, no lock file created;
. changed something and clicked Save, now a file *.~lock.ttt.odt# is created;
. closed the window, the file .~lock.ttt.odt# *is gone.
Thus, what I thought logical is happening. Do not know why this is not at yours.
BTW, I do not know much about MS Windows and it’s file name extentions, but I thought that the* .txt *extention was to tell that a file is a plain text file.
On 2011-07-14 15:06, lindena wrote:
> Still, this doesn’t free my original documents. As a newbie to
> LibreOffice, I therefore very much appreciate your help.
We have never seen such a thing. The lock file is created when you open a
file in LO, and is deleted automatically when the file is closed.
I have no idea what to suggest for you to do/try.
Try a new user, perhaps. Or reinstalling. Or upgrading to latest stable LO.
–
Cheers / Saludos,
Carlos E. R.
(from 11.4 x86_64 “Celadon” at Telcontar)
ok, i just opened LibreOffice and in a new Writer window started
typing…then, when i saved the file i gave it the name test_file…and,
then looked in the directory where i saved it to and see test_file.odt
and .~lock.test-file.odt#
and, the LibreOffice window is still open and i can add to it, and save
what i add and all is swell…
and, i can add new stuff, save it and then close the window–and as soon
as i close the window the .~lock.test-file.odt# disappears from the
directory, no problem (test_file.odt remains, as it should)
then if i click on test_file.odt in Dolphin, or open a LibreOffice
Writer window and nav to the right place and select test_file.odt it
just opens up exactly like i expect it to…
and as soon as it open the .~lock.test-file.odt# comes back…
all as i would expect it to–that is, i am in no way locked out of
editing the existing file…or saving edits, or closing the LibreOffice
Writer window and then re-opening it to make more adds/edits…and, you
should not be either…
to what directory are you saving your document? is it in your /home, and
is your home a linux file system in which you have both read and write
permissions??
to what directory are you saving your document? is it in your /home, and
is your home a linux file system in which you have both read and write
permissions??
Oops, that is a clever one. When one uses .doc files, one is not far from the next sin, using non-Linux file systems. >:( Do not know what the implications could be though.
Thanks so much, everyone, for your prompt help. I’m afraid I alarmed you for nothing as I must accidentally have saved a couple of files - nothing to raise a tsunami of protests for sure - in the wrong format (.doc instead of ODF). My apologies for the trouble.