Linux Format forums

joshua · Joined: Thu Mar 09, 2006 7:41 pm Posts: 61

Hi, In 2009 I created a file which I then saved. I now can't open it. I have no idea what program I used to write it. Also I can't remember whether I used XP, Vista or Mint to write it I have tried scribus and libre office to open it but no luck. As I have said the file has a .dtp extension and is quite large so probably has images in it and was maybe written with some form of desktop publisher. Any ideas please..

nelz · Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2013 3:39 pm Post subject:

Try using the file command to identify it

joshua · Joined: Thu Mar 09, 2006 7:41 pm Posts: 61

I have found the file I just can't open it...

lok1950 · Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2013 4:04 pm Post subject:

Just did a goggle of .dtp lots of useful stuff Wink

File created with Publish It one of the links was from the scribus forums on importing .dtp files

Enjoy the Choice Smile

ajgreeny · Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2013 4:07 pm Post subject:

It looks as if scribus, which is probably available in all distro's repositories can open .dtp files.

Worth a try, I think.
_________________
Xubuntu 12.04 user, and loving it!

nelz · Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2013 4:20 pm Post subject:

joshua · Joined: Thu Mar 09, 2006 7:41 pm Posts: 61

Nelz, sorry about that, done what you suggested and got the following

barry@desktop ~ $ ls
AlaskaPhoto.iso Desktop Downloads Modelling Pictures SingaporeDiary Videos
Album Diary kdenlive Music Projects test Writings
bookmarks-2012-09-05.json Documents Misc one recipes Travel ZipDiaries
barry@desktop ~ $ cd SingaporeDiary
barry@desktop ~/SingaporeDiary $ ls
diary.dtp
barry@desktop ~/SingaporeDiary $ file diary.dtp
diary.dtp: Composite Document File V2 Document, Little Endian, Os 0, Version: 5.1, Title: greenstreet publisher 3 document, Subject: Samples, Author: GST technology LTDComposite Document File V2 Document, corrupt: Can't expand summary_info
barry@desktop ~/SingaporeDiary $ ^C
barry@desktop ~/SingaporeDiary $

I think it says it was composed with greenstreet publisher and is probably corrupt.

johnhudson · LXF regular Joined: Wed Aug 03, 2005 2:37 pm Posts: 778

KDE File Associations doesn't know anything about it - which suggests it is a pretty rare type.

I have sometimes been able to access unknown files with Kate; unless it is completely encoded in binary, the text can normally be copied and pasted into another file.

Another possibility would be to use:

strings -a --encoding={b,l} -n 2 diary.dtp

You may need to tweak the options but that is a good starting point.

joshua · Joined: Thu Mar 09, 2006 7:41 pm Posts: 61

Thanks for the efforts, I have now tried everything I can think of from Kate to Open Office I made this file on an old laptop which came with Green Street publisher on it. I still have the laptop but not the programme on it and I can't find the additional disc that came with the machine. I have found that there are copies of Green Street publisher out there but of a later version which apparently doesn't read older version files. Fortunately I still have the written copy and the photo's so it looks like a lot of writing to do..