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Greetings Ladies and Gentlemen, Is it possible to install Libre Office on an
external hard drive ? The computer will have either Windows Operating System or
Linux Operating System. Thank you.
Hi 
I think you are looking for
http://www.libreoffice.org/download/portable/
but it only works on Windows machines.
On linux machines you will probably find that LibreOffice is already installed
although some have stayed with OpenOffice. You are more likely to be allowed to
install LibreOffice directly onto a Gnu&Linux machine if it doesn't already have
it. You do soemtimes find kiosk machines that wont let you install anything but
generally multi-user Gnu&Linux machines have much less need to be locked-down
than Windows machines so you should be able to install LibreOffice reasonably
easily.
Regards from
Tom
The key term here is "external drive". Tom is correct, there is a Windows Portable version that can be installed on a USB Thumb drive or external drive. There is even a process to install it on a CD/DVD drive, but you cannot store your working documents on a CD/DVD.
The current version is 3.4.2. Here is a direct link to the Portable Apps web site. There are a lot of portable software out there for you to use, besides LibreOffice.
http://portableapps.com/apps/office/libreoffice_portable
External drive version/installs for Linux is harder, if possible at all.
Now the question is, WHY an External Drive? How are you going to use it that way?
Do you want to take LibreOffice where ever you go? That sounds like Portable version.
If you do not have much room left on your primary drive and you want to have installed programs on an external drive that WILL NOT be used by any other computer? Easier on Windows than Linux. For Windows you would need Custom install and see if you can change the location of the install to the drive letter that your USB drive uses. For Linux, I do not know it well enough to tell you how to do this, if it can be done, with that OS.
The bottom line is, the Windows Portable version was designed for use on an External drive, like a thumb drive. It is slower to open and use, but it can go where ever you go, as long as you use it with a Windows system. I know that many Windows software can be run on Linux through a system like WINE, but like before, I do not know WINE to give you the info needed to use it that way.
Some years ago I copied the /opt/openoffice.org2/ directory to an USB stick
and ran /opt/openoffice.org2/program/soffice on another Linux machine which
allowed starting executables from external drives. The office started
creating a new user profile since there was no profile before. Missing file
name associations should not hinder anybody to open the right files with the
right program.
There must be a configuration setting which lets you reuse the same user
profile and extensions on the mobile block device.
Nevertheless, I think that all Linux desktops have some ODF capable software
installed so nobody really needs a mobile version for Linux (apart from
macro junkies of course).
Never tried running "directly" from the /opt/ folder[s] on a different drive before. I usually just deal with the "Applications" menu/link system.
Hi Andreas,
Andreas Säger schrieb:
Some years ago I copied the /opt/openoffice.org2/ directory to an USB stick
and ran /opt/openoffice.org2/program/soffice on another Linux machine which
allowed starting executables from external drives. The office started
creating a new user profile since there was no profile before. Missing file
name associations should not hinder anybody to open the right files with the
right program.There must be a configuration setting which lets you reuse the same user
profile and extensions on the mobile block device.
It is a parameter in the call, for example for Windows
<install path>program\soffice.exe" -env:UserInstallation=<path of user
If there is no portable version yet, you can make an administrative installation and tweak the file bootstrap.ini (Windows) to point to a user directory next to the installation.
Kind regards
Regina
Thank you Regina,
Under Linux the file is named bootstraprc and looks like this:
<snip>
[Bootstrap]
BaseInstallation=${OOO_BASE_DIR}
InstallMode=<installmode>
ProductKey=LibreOffice 3.3
UserInstallation=$SYSUSERCONFIG/.libreoffice/3
[ErrorReport]
ErrorReportPort=80
ErrorReportServer=
</snip>
Obviously, $SYSUSERCONFIG points to the respective user's home directory.
Where would the following path point to when bootstraprc is in
/media/disk2/libreoffice/program?
UserInstallation=$OOO_BASE_DIR/.libreoffice/3
In other words: Where are the script variables documented? (OOo
documentation seems to be falling apart now)
Thanks in advance,
Andreas
Hi,
Sorry if this not related to User. I was wondering if there are any spreadsheet design services that uses libreoffice anyone can point me towards. I'm curious about if such a business exists and how much such would charge.
Thanks in advance,
Jack
Hi Andreas,
Andreas Säger schrieb:
Thank you Regina,
Under Linux the file is named bootstraprc and looks like this:
<snip>
[Bootstrap]
BaseInstallation=${OOO_BASE_DIR}
InstallMode=<installmode>
ProductKey=LibreOffice 3.3
UserInstallation=$SYSUSERCONFIG/.libreoffice/3
[ErrorReport]
ErrorReportPort=80
ErrorReportServer=
</snip>Obviously, $SYSUSERCONFIG points to the respective user's home directory.
Yes.
Where would the following path point to when bootstraprc is in
/media/disk2/libreoffice/program?
UserInstallation=$OOO_BASE_DIR/.libreoffice/3
In other words: Where are the script variables documented? (OOo
documentation seems to be falling apart now)
I don't know. I use the variable $ORIGIN which points to the place where the bootstap.ini file itself is. Completely
for user directory inside the same folder as the installation
UserInstallation=$ORIGIN/..
or for user directory as neighbor to installation.
UserInstallation=$ORIGIN/../..
Both makes sense for an installation on an external device.
But to make it clear, I have shown methods
(1) Use an already installed soffice.exe and change the call to use your personal user directory which is on your external device. -> use parameter -env:Installation=
Addition: Pathes have to be written in special notation for example -env:UserInstallation=file:///e:/myLO/LOuser
(2) Use an administrative installation on your external device -> change bootstrap.ini
Kind regards
Regina
You _might_ be able to do this using the parallel install procedures:
http://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Installing_in_parallel
I say _might_ as I've not tried with an external drive (yet).
In news:loom.20110905T023739-412@post.gmane.org,
Charles E. LaMonte <n3vuo@arrl.net> typed:
Greetings Ladies and Gentlemen, Is it possible to install
Libre Office on an external hard drive ? The computer
will have either Windows Operating System or Linux
Operating System. Thank you.
Yes. Or course, some parts that must reside on the boot drive will still go
to the boot drive as with any other app.
My solution is to install Linux (Ubuntu or Mint in my case) on the external
drive. If the computer used does not have a built in external drive boot
capability then use PLOP or SuperGrubDisk and boot either of these from the
CDRom.
nvsoar
Hi
Ahh, i like that one I have a tiny usb-stick (150Mb) with a full install of
SliTaz on it and a couple of massive (8Gb) ones with Ubuntu. I carefully made
it so that Grub installed to the MBR of the usb-stick instead of to sda but they
kinda wanted to default to the usb-stick anyway so that was fairly easy I am
trying to sort a LiveUsb stick with a large enough persistent file that i can
install various things i need. It's a struggle because i don't want my boss to
notice me setting it up on one of the idle machines at work.
Another route might be to have the portable apps version of LibreOffice for use
on Windows machines and the 2 main installers for Gnu&Linux, ie the debs and the
rpms. Then having the config folder on the usb-stick should hopefully mean
that LibreOffice works the same whichever machine you use. The same config
folder can be used for both Windows and Gnu&Linux apparently.
~/.libreoffice/3/user
or something like that. The trick is trying to find your config folder and then
find a way of changing the
Tools - Options - LibreOffice - Paths
to point at your config folder. Remember to switch it back when you are done if
other people use LibreOffice on that machine! Is it possible to have 2 user
profiles set in some way?
Regards from
Tom
Hi
This is a good list to ask any kind of questions on. if we don't know a good
answer then we probably know a good place to point you to.
However in this particular case it seems that people have no idea what you
mean! Lol.
1. I would guess that normal "Spreadsheet Design Services" could easily adapt
to using LibreOffice / OpenOffice if you asked them. It's possible that they do
most of their development in Calc anyway and then export it to Excel formats.
As LibreOffice is rapidly increasing in usage it makes sense for such services
to start getting used to it.
2. There are a lot of skilled and talented people in here that might be able to
help but it would be good to have an example of an organisation that does this
type of service for other packages so that we could gauge whether it is
something that might be viable for some of us to think about. Perhaps that
might give us a nudge and remind us of something that does already exist that
does something like this. Btw which country are you in?
Regards from
Tom
Thanks for that, Tom. I actually have a situation in which this is going to
be useful. I have been exploring some of the other portable apps as well.
My workplace is going to soon roll out new systems, and I understand they
are being locked down in terms of what can be installed on them. I have had
OOo/LO on my box for several years, and know that they are talking about not
allowing other programs to be installed beyond what they specify.
While I understand their concerns, I absolutely find working with MS Office
to be mostly just awful. OK, Excel is not bad, but Word, well... I just
can't take it. Anyway, Portable Apps gives me the ability to use LO without
having to install it. There is also the portable VirtuaWin, which lets me
have my virtual desktops in their Windows environment.
The bottom line? I feel much more at home at work now.
Hi
It might be worth contacting the IT Staff that are going to install the systems
and make the point that your work requires using specialist software or
something or that you prefer using Firefox because it's safer and faster than
Internet Explorer and you feel the same way about Office.
It takes a lot of luck to find the right angle but it would be great if you
could get Firefox and LibreOffice installed alongside whatever they are told to
force you to use. Firefox has built a strong reputation for being low-maintance
and popular so the IT guys might be happy to let you install that and then
LibreOffice is "similar" but just not as famous yet. Perhaps other people at
work might be happy to join in kicking up a fuss about getting Firefox on their
machines too.
You might like this article
http://www.computerworld.dk/art/118467/
or translated to English ...
http://translate.google.com/translate?js=n&prev=_t&hl=da&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&sl=da&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.computerworld.dk%2Fart%2F118467%2F>
There are other articles on
http://wiki.documentfoundation.org/LibreOffice_In_The_Press
but it's not very comprehensive or up-to-date. There are just tooo many
articles out there so it's better to use a search engine if you want to find
articles.
Regards from
Tom
What do you want designed?
Thanks,
-- Tim Deaton
HI,
I agree with Tom.
It is difficult to get IT people who have never worked with anything other than MS products to accept that there is a better alternative, especially younger IT staff. Older IT workers have mostly had experience with Unix based operating systems, word processors, spread sheet and drawing / presentation applications long before MS even existed so are aware that better alternatives do exist.
However in my organisation I have been successful in getting almost everyone including young IT MS orientated staff to use Firefox as their preferred browser and I now have a small following of execs and senior staff who prefer to use Libre Office because of it's greater functionality and ease of use but because of company policy, must also have MS office installed on their machines.
The long term goal is to demonstrate to the senior management the false economy of making everyone install MS office as this is an expense the company can do without.
Except for development environments, I personally have only one MS application running on my work machines and that is Outlook.
Keep demonstrating the advantages of these alternatives and you will win through in the end. Little by little.
Bruce Carlson
Bruce
HI,
I agree with Tom.
It is difficult to get IT people who have never worked with anything other than MS products to accept that there is a better alternative, especially younger IT staff. Older IT workers have mostly had experience with Unix based operating systems, word processors, spread sheet and drawing / presentation applications long before MS even existed so are aware that better alternatives do exist.
However in my organisation I have been successful in getting almost everyone including young IT MS orientated staff to use Firefox as their preferred browser and I now have a small following of execs and senior staff who prefer to use Libre Office because of it's greater functionality and ease of use but because of company policy, must also have MS office installed on their machines.
The long term goal is to demonstrate to the senior management the false economy of making everyone install MS office as this is an expense the company can do without.
Except for development environments, I personally have only one MS application running on my work machines and that is Outlook.Keep demonstrating the advantages of these alternatives and you will win through in the end. Little by little.
An possible replacement for Outlook might be Thunderbird.
HI,
I agree with Tom.
It is difficult to get IT people who have never worked with anything other than MS products to accept that there is a better alternative, especially younger IT staff. Older IT workers have mostly had experience with Unix based operating systems, word processors, spread sheet and drawing / presentation applications long before MS even existed so are aware that better alternatives do exist.
However in my organisation I have been successful in getting almost everyone including young IT MS orientated staff to use Firefox as their preferred browser and I now have a small following of execs and senior staff who prefer to use Libre Office because of it's greater functionality and ease of use but because of company policy, must also have MS office installed on their machines.
The long term goal is to demonstrate to the senior management the false economy of making everyone install MS office as this is an expense the company can do without.
Except for development environments, I personally have only one MS application running on my work machines and that is Outlook.Keep demonstrating the advantages of these alternatives and you will win through in the end. Little by little.
planas wrote
An possible replacement for Outlook might be Thunderbird.
From Bruce,
Hi Planas, and others,
I used to use thunderbird for my personal email client but had some problems and switched to Evolution but I am currently having another look into the new thunderbird and so far I'm excited about what I've seen.
I know this is really nothing to do with LO but the two go hand in hand and gaining acceptance of one helps lead to acceptance of the other.
All good advice. Thanks, Planas