OpenOffice hangs with internet connection

[CaptainIgnorant]

system:
x86 Mandrake 9.1 Gnome 2.2

I was wondering if anyone else had come across this problem (google search was not helpful.) OpenOffice.org writer will open and run fine. However, if and only if I am connected to the internet using RP-PPPOE, openoffice hangs on the opening splash sceen. Opening from the terminal yields this error message:
SIOCGIFADDR got '00:00:00:00:00:00'

Since 9.1 was released I have installed it 3 separate times. The first time it hung up with PPPOE connection. The second time it DID NOT-- I have no idea why. With this install, it again hangs.

Any ideas?
Thanks

[CaptainIgnorant]

I reinstalled Mandrake 9.1 for a fourth time. Unfortunately, I did a few things differently so I can't pinpoint exactly why its working now. I did install more packages this time, including several more libraries. I doubt this should have an effect, but I have no idea. More likely, I started OpenOffice.org twice BEFORE ever connecting to the internet. The first 2 times OOO starts it runs a query asking to (first time) adapt Netscape user profile, and (second time) register the program. After I opened the program a third time, I rebooted, and started the internet connection, and launched OOO. Opens without hanging. Perhaps those two initial queries were the processes hanging with the RP-PPPoE connection. Who knows....

[CaptainIgnorant]

I was wrong above about the intial OOo queries hanging the program.

Subsequent google and newsgroup searches have shown that other people also experience this, and no one seems to know why. So, here is what little I've figured out--I hope it helps someone else.

The message: SIOCGIFADDR got '00:00:00:00:00:00' indicates a process looking for an address. I connect with ADSL, and others have posted the same error with dialup. Although I do connect through the eth0 interface, it seems to not be able to get the address.

The workaround I've come up with in Mandrake 9.1 is: Rather than disabling the Network Service at boot (which is a pain and will look for a DNS server for 2 or 3 minutes before moving on), leave it alone and instead disable the eth0 interface boot.

The easy way to do this (if you are not yet a console master) is:

Under Mandrake Control Center \ Network & Internet \ DrakeConnect \
click on the Expert tab.
click on Configure Local Area Network
uncheck the Started at boot option

Now when I open OOo in a terminal window with my ADSL connection running I still get the same error message: SIOCGIFADDR got '00:00:00:00:00:00 But the program loads without hanging, and that's good enough for me.

If any of you real hackers understand why this worked for me, I might could use some learnin'.