LibreOffice and Zotero cannot communicate :-( [solved]

jlwkhi
edited February 5, 2020
Hi everyone,

I recently uploaded Zotero (5.0.80) and Libreoffice (6.2.8.2) and reinstalled the java JRE (1.8.0_231) on windows (64 bits), and I always have the same problem when I want to insert a citation :

"LibreOffice could not communicate with Zotero. Please ensure Zotero is open and set to an online state and try again."

Obviously, Zotero and LibreOffice are open at the same time.

It is completely crazy. I tried some disable-enable restart on zotero Tools->Add-on, but nothing worked. I reinstalled the word processor plugin for LibreOffice many times, but... nothing more :-(

The word processor plugin is also installed on microsoft Word, and I have no problem between Word and Zotero.

Do you have any idea/solution in order to make LibreOffice working with Zotero ?
  • adomasven
    Could you submit a Report ID from Zotero?
  • jlwkhi
    Hi adomasven,

    Report ID : 1118195666

    Before the error, I...
    1. lauch Zotero (5.0.80)
    2. lauch LibreOffice (6.2.8.2)
    3. click on the Add/Edit citation button on libreoffice tool
    4. obtain an error message (LibreOffice could not communicate...)

    In order to solve the problem, I reinstalled Libreoffice and Java jre this morning, in a 32 bits version (although my system is a 64 bits one). I reinstalled zotero too. But the problem remains :-(
  • adomasven
    Based on the error above your LibreOffice and Java setup is fine. Do you have any security software running on the machine? Custom proxy? Could you disable all of that, restart Zotero and LibreOffice and try again?
  • jlwkhi
    Thanks adomasven for the diag. I'm not currently in front of my home computer ; I will test your preconisations in a couple of hours (when I'll go back home). Right now, I'm at my work computer, with quite the same configuration (LibreOffice 6.2.8.2 and Zotero updated to 5.0.80), and surprisingly I have no problem. Wait and see...
  • jlwkhi
    Hello ! I tried disabling the antivirus (avast), but nothing worked. I send a debug report (ID D204440633). It seems that all starts good, but the communication between LibreOffice and Zotero is never initiate (the plugin isn't launched). Is there something I can do to eliminate any trace of Zotero (and LibreOffice ?) to be able to start from the beginning (from a proper reinstallation) ?
  • adomasven
    Could you generate a startup Debug ID from Zotero?
  • jlwkhi
    Hi adomasven,

    Startup Debug ID = D641848676

    The last lines of the rapport are related to a try (insert/citation from the LibreOffice toolbar) where we can see that the plugin is not started (and I really don't know why).
  • adomasven
    When you go to Zotero Preferences -> Cite -> Word Processors do you see an entry to reinstall the LibreOffice plugin?
  • jlwkhi
    Yop, there's an entry. So I...

    1. reinstalled the LibreOffice plugin from Zotero (Preferences -> Cite -> Word Processors)
    2. restarted the computer (just to be sure that the reinstallation is effective)
    3. launched Zotero, then LibreOffice
    4. checked that the Zotero LibreOffice Integration 5.0.20 is installed on LibreOffice (via Tools -> extensions)
    5. tried to add/edit a citation via the LibreOffice toolbar
    6. received the same old message "LibreOffice could not communicate with Zotero..."

    I think that something wrong appears when the LibreOffice plugin must be launched. When I looked at the debug view on another PC, I saw a "LibreOfficePlugin: Connection received" wich never appears on the PC where the problems occur. Is there a way to force the start of the LibreOffice plugin ?
  • adomasven
    Could you try reinstalling Zotero? This would rarely help, but it is also a bug we haven't seen before. For the record the plugin is at least partially activated in Zotero, but it is not opening a TCP socket for communication (nor throwing an error about it) with LibreOffice upon startup for some reason.
  • jlwkhi
    Ok. Thank you for teaching me. I wanted so much to launch this plugin by myself to solve the problem...

    So, I have reinstalled Zotero and LibreOffice (just in case...). Before the reinstallation, I have cleaned up the registry database (just in case... you know, it's Windows after all...), and restarted the PC. So, here I am with a brand new version of the two softwares. But... Nothing new :-( The same old message... Any idea ?
  • adomasven
    Could you create a new user account in Windows and test whether it works there?
  • jlwkhi
    Finally, I solved it ! :-)
    I disabled the firewall for some reason, and then tested the link between libreoffice and zotero, and... Tada !!!! It worked !!!
    I reactivated the firewall, and I added zotero in the list of allowed applications in the firewall. And it still works :-)
    Furthermore, zotero is quiet more reactive now :-)
    Thanks for the help !
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