Aw: Re: LabPlot - Cannot print or export

[Stefan Gerlach]

Hi Bill,

i maintain the Flatpak package, so i can hopefully give some answers.
Flatpak is installing a package inside a sandbox. You don't need a VM to test it. It only needs a few system libraries. The advantage is that 
you can run the same package on many different systems. The disadvantage is that it brings all libraries it needs (Qt, KDE, etc. in our case), 
but several apps can use this so called runtime environment.
I can check on Fedora if there are problems due to LabPlot running in the Flatpak sandbox. The Z-order or theme problems may also be related to 
Flatpak settings or missing configuration files. We can check this.

best
Stefan

On 05/01/2021 02:33, Bill Gee wrote:
> Hi Alexander -
> 
> 
> I brought up a test machine under KVM to see if the flatpak would work.  It sort of works, though as far as I can tell it will not save any 
> file.  It certainly does not save files to the directory I tell it to.  I tried saving a project and printing a PDF with the target being 
> /home/bgee/Documents ...  but nothing ever appears there.  Curiously, when I reprint to the same filename, it says that file already exists!  
> Double curious - Exporting as a PNG does put the file where I expect it.
> 
> 
> There is something weird going on.  Are the files being saved inside a virtual environment?  If so, how do I get to them from outside the 
> virtual environment?
> 
> 
> Flatpaks, snaps and containers all strike me as a very neat solution for which no problem exists.  It took about 1 gigabyte of downloads to 
> support a program that is less than 20 megabytes in size.  It won't save files where I tell it to.  The filename dialog boxes always pop up 
> behind all other windows when they should be at the top of the Z-order.  If I change themes, colors, icons, pointers, the changes are not used 
> by the flatpak application.
> 
> 
> So what is the advantage?
> 
> -- 
> 
> Bill Gee
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On Monday, January 4, 2021 2:51:45 PM CST Alexander Semke wrote:
> 
>  >
> 
>  > Bill, would flatpack be an option for you?
> 
>  >
> 
>  > https://flathub.org/apps/details/org.kde.labplot2
> 
>  >
> 
>  >
> 
>  > Gesendet: Montag, 04. Januar 2021 um 21:30 Uhr
> 
>  > Von: "Bill Gee" <bgee at campercaver.net>
> 
>  > An: kde-edu at kde.org, "Alexander Semke" <alexander.semke at web.de>
> 
>  > Cc: kde-edu at mail.kde.org
> 
>  > Betreff: Re: Aw: LabPlot - Cannot print or export
> 
>  >
> 
>  > Hi Alexander -
> 
>  >
> 
>  >
> 
>  >
> 
>  > Who'd a thunk it?  Your suggestion of skipping the workbook and going straight to a spreadsheet works!  I can print and export plots, and the 
> saved project will reload with all my plots present.  When the plots are inside a workbook, the print and export options do nothing.
> 
>  >
> 
>  >
> 
>  >
> 
>  > Yeah, it would be nice to have the current version, but I don't see an easy way to do it until some Fedora maintainer gets around to building 
> a new package.
> 
>  >
> 
>  >
> 
>  >
> 
>  > Many thanks for your help.
> 
>  >
> 
>  >
> 
>  >
> 
>  > --
> 
>  >
> 
>  > Bill Gee
> 
>  >
> 
>  >
> 
>  >
> 
>  >
> 
>  > On Monday, January 4, 2021 2:14:12 PM CST Alexander Semke wrote:
> 
>  >
> 
>  > > Hi Bill,
> 
>  >
> 
>  > >
> 
>  >
> 
>  > > we had a problem with restoring the connections to columns in spreadsheets that are part of a workbook. This bug is already fixed but I 
> think it's still present in the version you're using. To workaround this problem now without upgrading to the most recent version (should be the 
> preferred way, though) is to create a "stand-alone" spreadsheet. So, just create a new spreadsheet without the workbook and import your data.
> 
>  >
> 
>  > >
> 
>  >
> 
>  > > As to the export, this should work actually. If you select the plot and click on the export button in the toolbar, are you able to export 
> to PDF and PNG or JPEG?
> 
>  >
> 
>  > >
> 
>  >
> 
>  > > Regards,
> 
>  >
> 
>  > > Alexander
> 
>  >
> 
>  > >
> 
>  >
> 
>  > >
> 
>  >
> 
>  > > Gesendet: Montag, 04. Januar 2021 um 20:42 Uhr
> 
>  >
> 
>  > > Von: "Bill Gee" <bgee at campercaver.net>
> 
>  >
> 
>  > > An: kde-edu at mail.kde.org
> 
>  >
> 
>  > > Betreff: LabPlot - Cannot print or export
> 
>  >
> 
>  > >
> 
>  >
> 
>  > > Fedora 33, KDE/Plasma desktop, LabPlot version 2.7.0 from the Fedora repository
> 
>  >
> 
>  > >
> 
>  >
> 
>  > >
> 
>  >
> 
>  > >
> 
>  >
> 
>  > > I touch LabPlot once a year for a special need, so much of my knowledge evaporates over the year.  It is time for me to get back to it.
> 
>  >
> 
>  > >
> 
>  >
> 
>  > >
> 
>  >
> 
>  > >
> 
>  >
> 
>  > > I have a project with a workbook that links to a CSV file of values.  I figured out how to create a basic plot.  Now I have two problems:
> 
>  >
> 
>  > >
> 
>  >
> 
>  > >
> 
>  >
> 
>  > >
> 
>  >
> 
>  > > 1) When I save the project, the plots are NOT saved.  Every time I open the project, I have to create the plots again.  Who can I save plots?
> 
>  >
> 
>  > >
> 
>  >
> 
>  > >
> 
>  >
> 
>  > >
> 
>  >
> 
>  > > 2) Once the plots are created, I want to print them to PDF and export them to JPG.  File-Print and File-Export do nothing.  It is like 
> clicking on /dev/null.  There is no error, no windows pop up, nothing is printed ...  How can I get these features to work?  It is almost like 
> LabPlot thinks there is nothing to print.
> 
>  >
> 
>  > >
> 
>  >
> 
>  > >
> 
>  >
> 
>  > >
> 
>  >
> 
>  > > If I select the worksheet, then File-Export does work.  Of course, that's not what I want to export!  When i select a plot, I get nothing.
> 
>  >
> 
>  > >
> 
>  >
> 
>  > >
> 
>  >
> 
>  > >
> 
>  >
> 
>  > > Snaps are not an option.  The version of LabPlot in the snap library is 2.6.0 which does not have some of the features I need.  Flatpaks 
> are not an option because the flatpak package requires Wayland, and I cannot run that.  The nVidia display driver does not work with Wayland.  
> And as a matter of sensibility, the flatpak wants to install something like 2 gigabytes of stuff.  WTF?????
> 
>  >
> 
>  > >
> 
>  >
> 
>  > >
> 
>  >
> 
>  > >
> 
>  >
> 
>  > > I tried compiling 2.8.1 from source, but that throws hundreds of dependency errors.  I have no idea what it is asking for.
> 
>  >
> 
>  > >
> 
>  >
> 
>  > >
> 
>  >
> 
>  > >
> 
>  >
> 
>  > > -- Could NOT find KF5Archive (missing: KF5Archive_DIR)
> 
>  >
> 
>  > > -- Could NOT find KF5Archive: found neither KF5ArchiveConfig.cmake nor kf5archive-config.cmake
> 
>  >
> 
>  > > -- Could NOT find KF5Completion (missing: KF5Completion_DIR)
> 
>  >
> 
>  > > -- Could NOT find KF5Completion: found neither KF5CompletionConfig.cmake nor kf5completion-config.cmake
> 
>  >
> 
>  > > I am open for suggestions.
> 
>  >
> 
>  > >
> 
>  >
> 
>  > >
> 
>  >
> 
>  > >
> 
>  >
> 
>  > > Thanks!
> 
>  >
> 
>  > >
> 
>  >
> 
>  > >
> 
>  >
> 
>  > > --
> 
>  >
> 
>  > >
> 
>  >
> 
>  > > Bill Gee
> 
>  >
> 
>  > >
> 
>  >
> 
>  > >
> 
>  >
> 
>  > >
> 
>  >
> 
>  >
> 
>  >
> 
> 
>