Installing WordPerfect 8.1 for Linux by script on a distro current in 2024

Revision 6.1

October 2024

The installation scripts

This page, "wp81script", deals specifically with the installation of WordPerfect for Linux 8.1, by means of a script provided on this site, on a current debian-based distro, or on Fedora, Mageia, OpenSuse, or Slackware. A script may be obtained from the following links:

wp81in.sh (for debian-based distros)

wp81in-mag.sh (for Mageia or Fedora)

wp81in-suse.sh (for OpenSuse)

wp81in-slack.sh (for Slackware).

The script for Mageia or Fedora has been updated in 2024, to take into account a change in these distros since 2021, whereby the "/lib" structure has ceased to be a normal directory, and has become a symbolic link to the "/usr/lib" directory. The new script (v. 1.4) has been tested on Fedora 40 and Mageia 9.

Unfortunately changes in Manjaro since 2021 have prevented the creation of a script which works on Manjaro 24, and accordingly the 2021 script for Manjaro has been withdrawn without replacement. This is because current versions of arch-based scripts, such as Manjaro and EndeavourOS, not only make "/lib" a symbolic link to "/usr/lib", but also place in that folder some libc6 64-bit files which will be overwritten if a script following my normal method, which involves installing my "wp-utils" package available at this site, is run. Such overwriting is likely to destabilize the distro installation. It is strongly advised that a person wishing to install and run WordPerfect for Linux 8.1 on a current distro should use a debian-based or rpm-based distro, and avoid any arch-based distro.

WordPerfect 8.1 on Chrome OS

It is reported that WordPerfect 8.1 for Linux can be successfully installed and run on the debian subsystem in a recent (in 2022) version of Chrome OS on a Chromebook laptop.

For installation, one should use the "wp81in.sh" script, in the same way as on a normal debian-based Linux distro.

But, to enable the installed WordPerfect 8.1 to run, one must also install the debian package named "lib32z1" from the normal repository.

Summary of the script-based installation procedure

The procedure for installation of WordPerfect 8.1 for Linux by script involves the following steps, each of which is elaborated in a section below. These steps are:

(1) If you are using a 64-bit distro, you should ensure that the i386 architecture (as well as the amd64 architecture) is available. For information on this, see the Debian Multiarch wiki.

(2) Obtain a copy of Corel Linux OS. This may be the Light Edition, the Deluxe Edition, or the Starter Edition.

(3) In a debian-based distro or Mageia, Fedora or OpenSuse, create a directory named "~/Downloads/wp-inst". This serves as the working directory used by the scripts.

In Slackware, the working directory must be "/root/Downloads/wp-inst".

(4) Copy the WordPerfect core package and fonts package(s) from the CD to the said working directory.

(5) Copy the install script, downloaded from this page, to the said working directory.

(6) In a normal terminal window, from the said working directory, give the command:

sh ./wp81in.sh (in a debian-based distro), or

sh ./wp81in-mag.sh (in Mageia or Fedora), or

sh ./wp81in-suse.sh (in OpenSuse).

In the case of Slackware, one must install as root, use "/root/Downloads/wp-inst" as the working directory, and give the command: "sh ./wp81in-slack.sh" in a root terminal.

(7) Respond appropriately to requests for input by the script. For example, with regard to your "sudo" password, or to requests to authorise installation of packages from your normal repositories.

The script will itself:

- obtain and install the necessary support libraries;

- install the fonts packages;

- extract the WordPerfect code from the core package, and install it;

- set up the installed fonts, so as to be recognised by WordPerfect; and also

- install a wrapper enabling use of the WordPerfect Print Manager to manage printers.

Obtaining WordPerfect 8.1

As mentioned above, the WordPerfect 8.1 core package (wp-full or wpx-free) and the associated fonts packages (fonts-16, fonts-69, and fonts-115) are contained in the Corel Linux CDs. Such CDs are sometimes offered on ebay.

The present webpage is intended primarily for owners of original CDs containing Corel Linux OS and WordPerfect 8.1, with a view to enabling them to continue legitimately using their paid-for software. It is assumed that the user is moderately familiar with Linux, and moderately experienced in using the current distro on which he is installing WordPerfect.

The packages intended to be installed should be copied from the Corel Linux CD to a directory on your hard-drive. In a debian-based distro, or Mageia, Fedora, or OpenSuse, a directory named "~/Downloads/wp-inst" must be used as the working directory by the scripts. In Slackware, one must use "/root/Downloads/wp-inst" as the working directory.

The Debian packages are located:

- in CLOS 1.0 in /dists/corellinux-1.0/corel/binary-i386; or

- in CLOS 1.2 in /dists/corellinux-1.2/corel/binary-i386/editors and /dists/corellinux-1.2/corel/binary-i386/text.

You should copy such of the following Debian packages as are available to you from a Corel Linux CD to the working directory used by the scripts.

As regards the fonts:

- fonts-16_1.0-5.deb (included in the Standard and Deluxe Editions, but not the Starter Edition);

- fonts-69_1.0-4.deb (only included in the Deluxe Edition); and

- fonts-115_1.0-4.deb (only included in the Deluxe Edition).

As regards the main WordPerfect code:

- wp-full_8.1-12_i386.deb (included in the Standard and Deluxe Editions, but not the Starter Edition); or

- wpx-free_8.0-78_i386.deb (included in the Starter Edition).

If you only have the Light Edition of Corel Linux OS and WordPerfect 8.1, only a limited range of extra fonts (from the fonts-16 package) will be available.

If you only have the Starter Edition, only the basic fonts will be available.

Satisfying dependencies

The wp-full and fonts packages declare dependency on libc6, libc5, xlib6g, and type1inst. The scripts will ensure that these dependencies are satisfied. Since March 2021 they do so by downloading and installing a single package named "wp-utils", created by the present author, Peter Stone, which will be downloaded from "www.xwp8users.com/packages" as a debian package or as a tarball. This package provides the facilities required by the dependencies on ldso, libc5, xlib6g and type1inst.

Thus it provides the necessary libc5 and locales files, and includes code from the old type1inst package, which creates a list of scalable fonts, and is needed to set up the WP fonts. The relevant libc5 files are placed in your "/lib" directory.

It also includes a useful installation utility ("installpkg" from Slackware 14.2) used by the scripts; and a menu-link with an icon for WordPerfect.

It also includes a "wrapper" which restores to life the WP Print Manager.

It also includes a utility named "padkeys", created by the present writer, which can set the numeric keypad to emulate the normal keypad. This is placed in "/usr/bin".

It also includes (located in "/opt/extras/eurosign") a typographical font, adapted by the present writer, which includes the Euro-currency symbol. After installation, you can activate this by copying the relevant files to your "/usr/lib/wp8/shlib10" directory.

It also includes an HP postscript colour printer driver, from the WPdos website, which useful for printing to CUPS and onwards to many HP colour printers (even where the printer is not a postscript printer). This is placed in your "/usr/lib/wp8/shlib10" directory.

From March 2021, the scripts also endeavour to enable WordPerfect 8.1 to coexist better with an installation of WordPerfect 8.0 on the same partition. Such coexistence may be useful if difficulty is experienced in editing the style settings (especially "Initial Styles") in WordPerfect 8.1. There is no such difficulty in WordPerfect 8.0, and the style settings defined in WordPerfect 8.0 may be shared with WordPerfect 8.1.

Running the script

In all cases except Slackware, after you have copied the WordPerfect core package and fonts package(s) from the CLOS CD to the working directory ("~/Downloads/wp-inst"), and copied the appropriate install script, downloaded from this page, into that directory, you can run the script, in a normal terminal window, from that directory, by giving the command:

sh ./wp81in.sh" (in a debian-based distro); or

sh ./wp81in-mag.sh (in Mageia or Fedora); or

sh ./wp81in-suse.sh (in OpenSuse).

In all these cases, you should give the command as a normal user, without "sudo". The script will ask for your "sudo" password when it first encounters a "sudo" command.

In the case of Slackware, the procedure is slightly different. One must install as root, and use "/root/Downloads/wp-inst" as the working directory. One must give the command: "sh ./wp81in-slack.sh" in a root terminal window.

You should respond appropriately to requests for input by the script. For example, by confirming that the installation of a package from your normal repository should proceed.

The script will itself:

- obtain and install the necessary support libraries;

- install the fonts packages;

- extract the WordPerfect code from the core package, and install it;

- set up the installed fonts, so as to make them useable both by WordPerfect and by other programs (such as LibreOffice);

- place a menu-link and icon for WordPerfect 8.1 in the Office folder of your main Linux menu, to enable you to run WP from the menu; and finally

- install a wrapper enabling use of the WordPerfect Print Manager to manage printers.

After running the scripts

After a script has terminated successfully with the message: "Enjoy!", you should be able to load WordPerfect, as a normal user in a terminal window, by giving the command "xwp". Preferably the command should be given (initially and subsequently) from your home directory. Once WordPerfect has been run from your home directory, it may be useful to create, in your Documents directory, a symbolic link named ".wprc" pointing to the ".wprc" folder in your home directory.

You should also be able to load WordPerfect from an entry in the Office folder of your Linux menu.

On loading WordPerfect, you may get an error message referring to "too many processes". This error is not fatal, and you can get rid of the message permanently by running WordPerfect once as superuser.

This can be done, in a debian-based system, or in Fedora or Mageia, by giving in a normal terminal window the command "sudo xwp -adm".

It can be done in OpenSuse, by opening a root terminal window from your Linux menu, and giving there the command "xwp -adm".

It can be done in Slackware by giving in a root terminal window the command "xwp -adm".

Adding printers

At this stage WordPerfect has been installed. But no printer has been made available. Moreover, without a wrapper, the WP Print Manager, which is designed to add, modify and delete WordPerfect printer drivers, will not run in a current distro. To enable it to run, it must be called by way of a wrapper. A wrapper, suitable for recent distros (whether debian-based or rpm-based), has been devised by the present writer. We are grateful to DisneyDumbazz at youtube for suggesting this method.

The wrapper is automatically installed by the scripts. It works by installing "ld-2.27.so" (from libc6:i386 version 2.27) in your "/lib" directory, and a script named "xwppmgr" in your "/usr/bin" directory. The script is designed to use ld-2.27.so to access the libc5 utilities necessary to load the WP Manager.

To install a WP printer driver, the following procedure should be followed.

First ensure that a Linux printer is installed on the distro; usually a CUPS printer. For testing at least, it may be useful to install the cups-pdf printer (by installing the "printer-driver-cups-pdf" package from your normal repository), especially if no actual physical printer is available.

Then, in a debian-based distro, or in Fedora or Mageia, give (in a terminal window) the command: "sudo xwppmgr", to load the WP Print Manager using the wrapper. This should achieve the desired result of successfully loading the WP Print Manager, and thus enabling you to install a WP printer driver. Then you will then be able to make that driver available as a user by using the print command within WordPerfect.

In OpenSuse you should open a root terminal window from your Linux menu, and give there the command "xwppmgr". In Slackware you should give the command "xwppmgr" in a root terminal.

A tutorial on using the WP Print Manager, once it has been loaded using the wrapper, kindly contributed by Leon Goldstein, is provided on the Tutorial page.

If you have a monochrome printer, or do not wish to print in colour with WordPerfect, the Passthru Postscript driver, supplied as part of WordPerfect, pointed to the Linux Cups driver for your printer, should work well.

If you have a colour printer, you may find it useful to use the HP Color LaserJet 4600 (Postscript) driver, devised for the Columbia University WPdos website, and available on its page entitled "New Printer Drivers for WordPerfect 6.x". This driver, named "hpc4600p.prs", is included by the scripts among the drivers available for installation, and should work well with a colour printer, even if it is not postscript capable, so long as the CUPS driver, at which the WP driver is pointed, is suitable for the physical printer.

If you cannot get the wrapper to work, you may still be able to use WordPerfect to create and edit documents. You may then wish to print your WordPerfect documents using LibreOffice. This and other ways of printing .wpd documents are discussed on the Tweaks page.

The euro-currency symbol

The scripts provide, in the "/opt/extras/eurosign" directory, an amended version of the WP font for Typographical Symbols, created by the current author, which make a Euro-currency available as character 4,72.

You may wish to install this in WordPerfect by using the WP Font Installer utility, which can be called from the font menu in WordPerfect, when loaded as superuser by the command: "sudo xwp -adm". Or you can make it available by simply copying the relevant files to your "/usr/lib/wp8/shlib10" directory.

Some tweaks

Having installed WordPerfect, you may wish to carry out some tweaks to improve its usability. Further information - on printing; importing MS Word document files; colour-schemes; the euro-currency symbol; menus, abbreviations and dialog boxes; and keypad keys - is provided on the Tweaks page.

Other possibilities

Other versions of WordPerfect for Linux are considered on the versions page. More specifically, version 8.0 is considered on the WordPerfect 8.0 page.

The use on Linux of a version of WordPerfect for Windows, or WordPerfect for MSDOS, through a compatibility layer, are considered on the emulation page.

Further assistance

The author of this site, Peter Stone, may be contacted by email as "peter@xwp8users.com".

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Last updated in October 2024.