https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/show_bug.cgi?id=172416
Bug ID: 172416
Summary: FILEOPEN: Misleading "General input/output error" when
opening .odp/.pptx while Impress import filters are
not installed (split distro packaging)
Product: LibreOffice
Version: 25.8.7.3 release
Hardware: All
OS: Linux (All)
Status: UNCONFIRMED
Severity: minor
Priority: medium
Component: UI
Assignee: [email protected]
Reporter: [email protected]
Description:
When LibreOffice is installed via distribution packages that split the suite
into per-application packages (e.g. Fedora: libreoffice-writer,
libreoffice-calc, libreoffice-impress, ...), opening a presentation file
while libreoffice-impress is NOT installed fails with:
General Error. General input/output error.
(German UI: “Allgemeiner Fehler. Allgemeiner Ein-/Ausgabefehler.”)
The same happens headless: soffice --headless --convert-to pdf file.pptx
fails with "Error: source file could not be loaded".
This error message is misleading. It suggests a corrupted file or a
filesystem/permission problem, while the actual cause is simply that no
import filter for the format is available. The affected files were verified
to be intact (valid ZIP, identical checksums) and open fine on a system
where Impress is installed.
This sends users (and support volunteers) down the wrong debugging path:
checking file integrity, re-downloading, resetting the user profile,
checking SELinux/sandboxing etc. The Start Center gives no indication that
a component is missing either.
Expected: a specific message such as "No import filter found for this file
type. The required component (Impress) may not be installed." — analogous
to the more helpful behavior requested in bug 123696 for missing image
export filters.
Installing libreoffice-impress resolves the issue immediately, confirming
the root cause.
Steps to Reproduce:
1. On Fedora (or any distro with split LO packaging), ensure
libreoffice-impress is NOT installed, but e.g. libreoffice-writer is.
2. Obtain any valid .odp or .pptx file
3. Open the file with LibreOffice (GUI double-click, Start Center, or
soffice --headless --convert-to pdf file.pptx).
Actual Results:
GUI: “General Error. General input/output error.” — no hint that the
Impress component / import filter is missing.
Headless: “Error: source file could not be loaded”.
Expected Results:
A specific, actionable error message, e.g.: “No import filter available
for this file type (.ods). The presentation component (Impress) does not
appear to be installed.” The generic I/O error should be reserved for
actual I/O failures (read errors, permissions, truncated files).
Reproducible: Always
User Profile Reset: Yes
Additional Info:
Build ID: 580(Build:3)
Locale: de-CH (de_CH.UTF-8); UI: de-DE
Distribution: Fedora, LibreOffice installed from distro RPMs.
File integrity was verified (unzip -t: no errors; identical sha256 on a
working system). User profile reset / --safe-mode was tested: no change.
Installing libreoffice-impress fixes it.
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