Installing Lotus Notes 8 on Ubuntu 7.10 Gutsy

Ubuntu isn’t a supported platform for installing Lotus Notes 8, but the installation is surprisingly easy, once you know a few tricks. Before you begin, make sure you have the proper fonts by installing the “ttf-xfree86-nonfree” package:

sudo apt-get install ttf-xfree86-nonfree

If you don’t, your fonts will be horribly ugly, and in many places, down right unreadable.

Next, you need to run the regular setup.sh install script:

sudo ./setup.sh

The installation creates a directory called ~/lotus, (in your home directory) but owned as root. I guess it assumes you logged in as root to run the install. I had to remove that (you could also probably just chown the directory, but Notes recreates it, so either way works):

sudo rm ~/lotus -r -d

I also had to make the binaries readable and executable by every user:

sudo chmod o+rw /opt/ibm/lotus/notes/*

Then I ran this (not sure if it is needed, but I saw it on another website):

sudo chmod -R 755 /etc/lotus

Now you should be able run Notes and everything should be fine:

/opt/ibm/lotus/notes/notes

You should also find an icon under the Applications->Office menu.

Good luck.

About Josh

Josh is a software architect and engineer with a fine arts background. You can connect with him on Google+.
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11 Responses to Installing Lotus Notes 8 on Ubuntu 7.10 Gutsy

  1. Misha Bazanov says:

    Also lotus installer have a GUI problems (blank screen) with working compiz/beryl.

  2. pardsbane says:

    That’s interesting, I had Compiz turned on, but I didn’t have a problem.

    If you have a black screen when you open a new window with Compiz open, you may have run out of texture memory on your video card. That happens to me sometimes.

    Try closing some of your open windows, or making them smaller.

    Then there will be enough texture memory for your new window.

  3. Misha Bazanov says:

    Can not chek it now — i have ATI card and do not install compiz :)

    sudo chmod o+rw /opt/ibm/lotus/notes/*

    after that there are no rights for run lotus
    i’m execute

    sudo chmod o+rwx /opt/ibm/lotus/notes/*
    (not secure, but for fast install — good, but not secure.

  4. Dirk says:

    Its very important to install the package “libstdc++5” to get the installer (installshield) running! A fresh Ubuntu install might not have this dependenciy fulfilled automaticly.

  5. phx_james says:

    Yes. I followed steps as above and the only thing modified is reinstalled the package “libstdc++5”.

    IBM thinkpad R40
    ATI card with compiz installed and turned on.

    Good luck guys!

  6. Ronit says:

    Unable install fonts…can some one help….my email id is: ronit.burnett@gmail.com

    I am running a Gutsy 7.10 and want to run Lotus notes version 8. I have Dell D 500

    Help will be appreciated

    Ronit

  7. Simon Taylor says:

    I’ve been looking for a site the talks me through this for a couple of days. I’ve been through the install several time as always the same error about not being able to start the graphical interface on install

    I installed ‘libstdc++5’ first which was not installed on my new Hardy heron install, and then ran the instructions as above and it worked excellently, first time and note is running with no problems.

    I’m running Hardy Heron 8.04 on a Thinkpad T30 with notes 8.0.

    Thanks all for your help!

    Simon

  8. claudio.gallerani@crcento.it says:

    Si è verificata una installazione parziale. Di segui…
    Ecplipse: an error has occured see the log file /hom/…..

  9. Sebastian says:

    where can i download the package ?

    thx for your help !

  10. pardsbane says:

    The Lotus Notes package? Since Notes is a commercial program you’ll need to get it from your IT department or who ever controls Notes installation in your organization. All the other packages mentioned in the post and comments are part of the regular Ubuntu package management system, so you don’t need to download anything else.

  11. sava says:

    Hi, thanks for the instructions. Installed OK on Kubuntu 8.04. There are two things that still bug me a tad though. Font:

    1. Wanted to get BitstreamVera (some luxi nonsense was the default) as the default font, but it is not in the list that Notes provides. Any idea where notes gets its fonts?
    2. Attachments don’t open with the default application or any other application (click on open with, nothing happens). Any idea where this is set in Notes?

    In any case, many thanks for the instructions.

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