[Libreoffice-bugs] [Bug 117967] New: On Linux LibreOffice doesn't protect users from accidental content overwrite when a file, opened in a LibreOffice window, was updated outside of that window.

[bugzilla-daemon at bugs.documentfoundation.org]

https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/show_bug.cgi?id=117967

            Bug ID: 117967
           Summary: On Linux LibreOffice doesn't protect users from
                    accidental content overwrite when a file, opened in a
                    LibreOffice window, was updated outside of that
                    window.
           Product: LibreOffice
           Version: unspecified
          Hardware: All
                OS: Linux (All)
            Status: UNCONFIRMED
          Severity: normal
          Priority: medium
         Component: LibreOffice
          Assignee: libreoffice-bugs at lists.freedesktop.org
          Reporter: yury.dubinsky at gmail.com

There is no problems on Windows because of two facts:
1. Windows supports file shortcuts, but Linux by default supports only symbolic
and hard links.
2. Windows locks files, open for update, then other processes cannot modify
these files. Linux doesn't provide default file locking.
On Linux, LibreOffice behavior doesn't satisfy best practice.
1. Unlike most text editors, LibreOffice doesn't analyze if a selected file is
a symbolic link. LibreOffice opens every symbolic link in a separate window as
a different file instance. That allows LibreOffice users to simultaneously 
modify the same file in different, unrelated, windows that leads to much
confusion.
2. The lack of a default file locking mechanism on Linux is normally resolved
by file timestamp validations. Usually the timestamp is being validated in
three cases: when a window gets focus, periodically during the editing session,
and right before saving on disk. However,  LibreOffice validates  timestamps
only in one case, before saving, when users already finished their work.
LibreOffice checks the timestamp only one time, after the first attempt to
save. The subsequent attempt will overwrite the file on disk without any
further confirmation.

1. LibreOffice should validate symbolic links and should not allow opening
multiple windows for the same target file, when possible.
2. LibreOffice should validate timestamp before every save command and ask for
confirmation every time when the timestamp differs. Not just once.

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