Apache Office 4.1.1 Firefox 32.0.2 Mac OSX 10.9.5 ERROR COMMUNICATING WITH ZOTERO

villaromero
PROBLEM: When trying to add a reference using INSERT CITATION button on OpenOffice Text Document, the citation is briefly visible in the manuscript then disappears with a note: AN ERROR COMMUNICATING WITH ZOTERO: COM.SUN.STAR.UNO.RUNTIMEEXCEPTION (followed by about 20 lines of inscrutable jargon)

SOLUTION: Mac OSX 10.9.5
1. Drag OpenOffice to the Trash
2. Remove all Zotero Add-ons from Firefox (TOOLS>ADD-ONS)
3. Repair Disk Permissions using the DISK UTILITY application
4. Restart computer
5. Reinstall Open Office: https://www.openoffice.org/
6. Install Java SE Runtime Environment: http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/jre7-downloads-1880261.html
7. Open manuscript. In LIBREOFFICE>PREFERENCES>JAVA: Ensure that “Use a Java runtime environment” is checked, and that a JRE is selected in the list below. (It may take a few seconds to load.)
8. Reinstall Zotero Plugins: https://www.zotero.org/support/word_processor_plugin_installation
9. Repair Disk Permissions using the DISK UTILITY application
10. Restart computer
11. From FIREFOX>TOOLS>ADD-ONS Click PREFERENCES on ZOTERO LIBREOFFICE INTEGRATION. In the window that pops up click REINSTALL LIBREOFFICE ADD-IN
12. Follow the instructions but choose MANUAL INSTALLATION
13. Double click the item that will be highlighted in the window that pops up
14. YOU ARE ABOUT TO INSTALL ..... ZOTERO LIBREOFFICE INTEGRATION.... Click OK
14. Repair Disk Permissions using the DISK UTILITY application
15. Restart computer

Worked for me...
  • adamsmith
    not sure I understand--is this ironic or do you have an actual problem with the documentation?
  • villaromero
    edited September 22, 2014
    Actually, problem persists. I have to reinstall the LIBREOFFICE INTEGRATION ADD-IN and apparently run a Disk Permission Repair from DISK UTILITY every time I want to work on my manuscript.
  • adamsmith
    The troubleshooting documentation is a list of known issues and solutions.

    Since it didn't actually list your issue, I'm not sure what you'd do that caused you gigantic headache. But if people were to actually heed your advice and not read/follow the documentation, we wouldn't be able to help on the forums, either because there wouldn't be any time.

    If you keep having to run disk permission repair that sounds like something else is off on your system--certainly Zotero wouldn't cause or require this. You could try to see if it tells you which permissions are actually being repaired and then see if that's something you could adjust permanently. It's also possible that some type of security software is interfering. The fact that automatic installation doesn't work certainly suggests that there may be an issue with this. Another option is that something is broken with the JRE on Mac again--wouldn't be the first time, it seems like they've been struggling with that.
    Finally, I'd tend to go with LibreOffice over OpenOffice for reliability.
  • villaromero
    Thank you for the note. It seems to be a problem with java indeed.

    A brief internet search for: "java runtime environment" mac zotero

    brings up issues with java for mac (32 vs. 64 bits?), and JRE (actually back to this forum). This one: http://nabble.documentfoundation.org/LibreOffice-4-1-2-and-Mac-OS-X-10-9-Mavericks-td4079254.html
    seems relevant...

    My question: is there a way around this?

    If not, what would be the simplest, most reliable citation management application out there?


    Thanks again.
  • adamsmith
    If you look at the post from Netbuoy here: https://forums.zotero.org/discussion/32381/mac-os-x-109-mavericks/ it sounds like you'll want to install (and use in LO) Apple Java 1.6, which corresponds to version 6 from Oracle.
  • villaromero
    Thank you for the note. Noticed that several fixes can be made (uninstalling, reinstalling...). When reinstalling the FIREFOX ADD-ON works, OpenOffice will add one citation to the manuscript without issues. The problem above then reappears and persists with any attempt to insert a second citation until the uninstall-reinstall cycle is followed again...

    So, it seems to be java but other than that, unsolved.
  • villaromero
    SOLVED, document was "bugged".
    Debugging document worked: https://www.zotero.org/support/word_processor_plugin_troubleshooting#debugging_broken_documents

    Apache Office 4.1.1
    Firefox 32.0.2
    Mac OSX 10.9.5
    Java 1.7.0_67

    PROBLEM: When trying to add a reference using INSERT CITATION button on OpenOffice Text Document, the citation is briefly visible in the manuscript then disappears with a note: AN ERROR COMMUNICATING WITH ZOTERO: COM.SUN.STAR.UNO.RUNTIMEEXCEPTION

    Things that WILL NOT solve the issue:

    1. Installing/Uninstalling either Zotero's Web Browser extension, standalone version, or word processor ADD-INs
    2. Installing/Uninstalling Java, Java for Mac, etc.

    My first interpretation was wrong: I assumed my web browser, Zotero and Open Office were updated and properly operating, therefore it was Java getting in between Zotero and the Open Office ADD-IN what caused the PROBLEM above.

    My second interpretation (right so far): After upgrading web browser/OpenOffice/Zotero/java, any document created with the old versions of any of the above will cause the PROBLEM above, maybe due to the old java version conflicting with the latest OpenOffice ADD-IN, Zotero or both.

    Thank you all for the support.
  • ninael_h
    bonjour , je n'arrive pas à ajouter les citations provenant de ma bibliographie à mon document word... qd je clique sur 'add citation' un messageme dit que word et zotéro ne peuvent communiquer ... quelqu'un peut m'aider?
  • adamsmith
    ninael: could you start a new thread, please and provide version numbers for Word, Zotero, as well as your operating system?
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