<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On 22 December 2010 00:07, Alexandre Prokoudine <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:alexandre.prokoudine@gmail.com">alexandre.prokoudine@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;">
Hi,<br>
<br>
Few months ago when we, re-lab [1], considered what to do next, we<br>
were asked if we could reverse engineer .pub, we said "okay. if it<br>
works in wine". Well, it didn't. And Microsoft never replied my mail,<br>
despite of how willing they seemed to be around 2008 to share specs<br>
(those having attended LGM2008 know what I mean).<br>
<br>
Since we cannot run Publisher, and you still want it supported, we<br>
think that the best way would be for someone to temporarily join the<br>
project and start producing .pub files per request. What we need is<br>
someone with several hours a week of spare time, deep knowledge of MS<br>
Publisher and a licensed copy of the app to produce lots of files with<br>
slight changes so that we could figure out which bits contains what.<br>
<br>
We already have experience of reverse-engineering VSD (MS Visio), so<br>
.pubs don't hold too many fears for us, at least just yet. The<br>
question is whether the community is willing to help itself.<br>
<br>
[1] <a href="http://gitorious.org/re-lab" target="_blank">http://gitorious.org/re-lab</a><br>
<br>
Alexandre Prokoudine<br>
<a href="http://libregraphicsworld.org" target="_blank">http://libregraphicsworld.org</a><br>
<br>
_______________________________________________<br>
scribus mailing list<br>
<a href="mailto:scribus@lists.scribus.info">scribus@lists.scribus.info</a><br>
<a href="http://lists.scribus.info/mailman/listinfo/scribus" target="_blank">http://lists.scribus.info/mailman/listinfo/scribus</a><br>
</blockquote></div>Hi,<div><br></div><div>I did make the suggestion of creating a virtual PC, within your chosen OS, as i also have problems with regards to opening PUB Files on an OSX system etc. In the past i have managed to download evaluation copies of the software mentioned, namely Microsoft windows and office, but it was dismissed as being a waste of hdd space i think the person mentioned?</div>
<div><br></div><div>i have since had the need to open a pub file, and granted i do have a windows operating system to hand, i still had to download the trial version of office to open and view the file in question</div><div>
<br></div><div>i know its slow opening up files with regards to using a virtual PC, but is one solution to being able to solve problems with regards to file conversion? and i know that windows operating system could at one point be downloaded as a trial version (90 days i think)..</div>
<div><br></div><div>also do you need the full licenced copy of publisher to reverse engineer the system? open source is after all about being free? </div><div><br></div><div>and with regards to file conversion, what version of publisher are you wanting to make compatible if it was done? because im sure, like scribus, earlier revisions ie 98/2000/2003 wont read a 2007/2010 version of the file format, like on word, where you have to download a converter etc? </div>
<div><br></div><div>also quickly, i just wanted to mention, that running wine is difficult for me, as im on a PowerPC mac, and last i looked it was for intel based only units.</div><div><br></div><div>hope this helps as a once time user of publisher, </div>
<div><br></div><div>phil</div><div><br></div>