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So I'm working on a spreadsheet called "tutoringlogs.ods" when my laptop freezes (OS is Ubuntu if that matters). Nbd, I reboot, and I try to open the spreadsheet again. LibreOffice Calc gives me the error message:

Document file 'tutoringlogs.ods' is locked for editing by: Unknown User.

OK. So I open up a terminal:

chmod 777 tutoringlogs.ods

Try to open the file again, and lo and behold...

Document file 'tutoringlogs.ods' is locked for editing by: Unknown User.

OK, weird but whatever, it's giving me the option to open a copy so I open the copy and save the copy as 'tutoring.ods'. Now I go back to the terminal:

rm tutoringlogs.ods
mv tutoring.ods tutoringlogs.ods

Self-satisfied, I open tutoringlogs.ods.

Document file 'tutoringlogs.ods' is locked for editing by: Unknown User.

:(

So for now my tutoring notes file is named 'tutoring.ods', which is fine, but I want answers! LibreOffice must have some kind of system file with a secret list of filenames I can never write to. Please help me find that list so I can edit it and regain control of my life. This doesn't really affect me at all but it's about the principle.

UPDATE: I just knew if I posted this it would end up being an embarrassingly obvious answer. Yes, there was a hidden file 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

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  • Permission to use the file is different from the file being locked because it is in use. It sounds like the file was left in a corrupted state and LO thinks it is still in use. Open a copy, verify that it's good (although it might not be exactly at the state you left it. Save it under a new name. Then delete the old file. Look for any temporary "in-progress" version of the file and delete that. Verify that you can open and edit the new version. With the new version closed, you should be able to rename it to the old name (or with it open, try saving it to the old name).
    – fixer1234
    Apr 9, 2019 at 4:48

1 Answer 1

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Both Microsoft Office and Libre Office use lock files.

It will be created, when the document is being opened, and deleted when closing. So if your computer or Libre Office will lock up, the file won't be deleted causing a new instance to think, the document is open.

That will save you from two people editing the same file at the same time, even on a unstable network connection.

The filename will be ~lock.filename.odt, so renaming the document solved the issue for you, as there is no ~lock.newfilename.odt.

Also see here: https://ask.libreoffice.org/en/question/51950/lockfilenameodt/

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