Having trouble installing Libre Office

users
#1

Hello,

I have been trying to install the Libre Office onto my computer. I am using
Ubuntu Linux, 10.10. I have tried several times to down load it, even one
that took hours. I finally stopped it. I tried to follow the instructions,
but I am not technologically literate and I tried to follow as best I could.

Libre Office was not automatically installed when I upgraded. Open Office
was the only office program that installed. I am hoping that you can help
me. I would really like to try your program. Everyone on the Linux forum
speaks so very highly of it.

Sincerely,

Wanda Bates

#2

LibreOffice is still in beta test, so you won't get it as an automatic
anything yet.

You have to download the .deb gzipped-tar file, uncompress it and then
run the installation directly. Just be sure you have the right
version: Linux x86 or x64 (deb) and pick your language. x86 is for
32-bit systems, x64 for 64-bit (of course).

tar xzf <the file you downloaded>, cd into the newly created LibO_*
directory, then cd into the DEBS directory, run 'sudo dpkg -i *.deb",
then cd into the desktop-integration directory and run the same dpkg
command again.

That's it.

#3

I just installed LO 3.3.x RC3 on my Ubuntu 10.10 64-bit system
The instructions above are for use in Terminal and it works well.

You should have no problems. And yes, it would be great if Linux
systems had an .exe file that you click on in the folder navigation
system, like Windows has in "Windows Explorer" options. Well
maybe one day it will be more point and click like Windows, but
at least Linux is more stable than any Windows OS I have used
and the software is free for things that cost a lot for the popular
Windows software. Still software like LO makes MS Office look
like something that is too bloated for its own good.

#4

Hi mrzenwiz,

Thank you for responding, but I am lost after installing x64 for 64 bit. I
do not understand:

tar xzf <the file you downloaded>, cd into the newly created LibO_*
directory, then cd into the DEBS directory, run 'sudo dpkg -i *.deb",
then cd into the desktop-integration directory and run the same dpkg
command again.

Is there a more simple way of explaining it?

Thank you.

#5

Hello webmaster,

Thank you for responding, but unfortunately, I am not yet computer literate
enough to understand all the technical terminology. I love Linux and have
been using it for over 2 years, and would not go back to Windows, but I
still have to click here and there to get things done. I am still at the
Linux for dummies stage.

Thanks.

#6

Hello,

I have been trying to install the Libre Office onto my computer.  I am using
Ubuntu Linux, 10.10.

...CLIPPAGE...

Everyone on the Linux forum
speaks so very highly of it.

LibreOffice is still in beta test, so you won't get it as an automatic
anything yet.

You have to download the .deb gzipped-tar file, uncompress it and then
run the installation directly.  Just be sure you have the right
version: Linux x86 or x64 (deb) and pick your language.  x86 is for
32-bit systems, x64 for 64-bit (of course).

tar xzf <the file you downloaded>, cd into the newly created LibO_*
directory, then cd into the DEBS directory, run 'sudo dpkg -i *.deb",
then cd into the desktop-integration directory and run the same dpkg
command again.

That's it.

That probably sounds like Chinese to our new friend here, who is
clearly new to the gnu/linux world.

Wanda,
Most likely, you need this file:
http://download.documentfoundation.org/libreoffice/testing/3.3.0-rc3/deb/x86/LibO_3.3.0rc3_Linux_x86_install-deb_en-US.tar.gz
(unless you have a 64 bit system, which is possible but unlikely, in
which case you would want this file:
http://download.documentfoundation.org/libreoffice/testing/3.3.0-rc3/deb/x86_64/LibO_3.3.0rc3_Linux_x86-64_install-deb_en-US.tar.gz
This second is ONLY for 64bit, such as an Athlon processor, or such).

Download it somewhere in your /home directory.
Open your filebrowser, likely Nautilus, by default in Ubuntu, I
believe, find and right-click on the file.
Choose "extract" from the menu that pops up.
You will then have a new directory/folder such as
LibO_3.3.0rc2_Linux_x86_install-deb_en-US (or similar)
click into there, and you will find another directory called
DEBS
Click into there.
Now, you're going to have to right click and choose "Open in terminal".
A command prompt terminal will appear.
That is when you enter the command
sudo dpkg -i *.deb
(you will have to enter your password)
Then you'll see a lot of text whiz by, and with any luck in a moment or two
you'll have LibreOffice installed.
Once all that text is done whizzing by, check for any error messages.
If there are any, copy them to an e-mail and send them to the list.
Otherwise, no errors, you should find that LibreOffice is installed.
You can close the command line terminal and enjoy your shiny new
office suite.

(c'mon guys...I don't use ubuntu or gnome, but I could explain that
easily enough
for a n00buntu-er, and it took all of 2 minutes).

./tony

#7

See my message.
I explain in "point-n-click-ese".

:slight_smile:
tony

#8

Hi Baldwin linguas,

I do have a 64 bit system. The technician who built my computer and
introduced me to Linux made sure I knew that. Thank you for your patience,
understanding and taking the time to type this out step by step. I will try
it and see what happens.

Thank you,

Wanda

#9

I have a 64b system, too.
Once LibreOffice is installed, you may have to open up your file browser
as sudo/root (press alt-f2, enter sudo nautilus, then your password), and go
to /opt/libreoffice/basis3.3 and remove the file libcairo.so.2
You could just copy that /opt/libreoffice/basis3.3 right into the address bar of
your nautilus, or type it in there.
Your system should already have a libcairo.so.2, which works better than
the one packaged with the libreoffice.
At least, that was my experience, on Debian (the gnu/linux distribution
upon which Ubuntu is loosely based).
Only do that if you can't get Libreoffice started.
Open the command line terminal and enter "swriter", or "libreoffice",
and if it says something about libcairo.so.2, there's your answer.

Also, you definitely want this file
http://download.documentfoundation.org/libreoffice/testing/3.3.0-rc3/deb/x86_64/LibO_3.3.0rc3_Linux_x86-64_install-deb_en-US.tar.gz

./tony

#10

[...]

One notable downside of installing .debs (other than the long commands)
is missing the automatic fixes and updates being published to the Ubuntu
packages, and having to reinstall future versions of LibO. You also have
to know if you have 32-bit or 64-bit, and be precise in the order of
package installation. This is not necessary anymore for Ubuntu users.

A third-party repository (Personal Package archive or PPA) has been
available for a few weeks now, which should be the recommended way for
end-users (as opposed to developpers) to install LibO under Ubuntu
(10.04 LTS and 10.10). In order to use the PPA:

1) Open a terminal window under Applications > Accessories > Terminal
2) Type the following command to add the Ubuntu LibreOffice repository
(remember to type ENTER at the end):
*sudo add-apt-repository ppa:libreoffice/ppa
(you will need to enter your user password)
3) Type the following command to install Libre Office:
**sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install libreoffice
libre-office-gnome *
4) To exit the terminal type use CTRL-D or type "exit" (without quotes)
followed by Enter.

All LibreOffice applications will be in the Applications > Office
directory. From there on you will get notifications as usual when new
versions are out.

If you wonder what a PPA is and want to know more about that, see:
https://help.launchpad.net/Packaging/PPA

Cheers,

Fabián

#11

I have used PPA packages but LibreOffice Base has some issue (missing or blank) with toolbars... I don't know if other software works fine. Deb files from documentfoundation.com works correctly...

#12

If you are running Ubuntu, do NOT do this. It should not be required.

#13

Sorry - I did shortcut that a bit. You can take tony's explanation,
except you also need to do the last steps here:

Let's say you downloaded the installation file to a directory called
"Downloads."
open a terminal window.
On that terminal, execute the following lines:

cd Downloads
tar xzf LibO_3.3.0rc3_Linux_x86-64_install-deb_en-US.tar.gz

This will create a directory with the name
LibO_3.3.0rc3_Linux_x86-64_install-deb_en-US.

cd LibO_3.3.0rc3_Linux_x86-64_install-deb_en-US/DEBS
sudo dpkg -i *.deb

You'll need to enter your password for this to work, then it will take
a while. You can shortcut the tar and cd commands by typing LibO<tab>
instead of the whole filename and it will fill in the right
completion. When the dpkg is done do this last step:

cd desktop-integration
sudo dpkg -i *.deb

That should do it. After that you can go back and delete the whole
LibO_* directory if you want - it's pretty big and a complete waste of
space once LO is installed.

#14

:

1) Open a terminal window under Applications > Accessories > Terminal
2) Type the following command to add the Ubuntu LibreOffice repository
(remember to type ENTER at the end):
*sudo add-apt-repository ppa:libreoffice/ppa
(you will need to enter your user password)
3) Type the following command to install Libre Office:
**sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install libreoffice
libre-office-gnome *
4) To exit the terminal type use CTRL-D or type "exit" (without quotes)
followed by Enter.

What's with the asterisks?

#15

http://www.asterix.com/
http://www.asterix.com/index.html.fr?rub=francais
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asterix

#16

Hi Tom,

http://www.asterix.com/
http://www.asterix.com/index.html.fr?rub=francais
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asterix

I'm a bit surprised about your links. I know Asterix and I love it.

But MrZenWiz was asking about *asterisks*.

"Asterisk" is the name for this '*'.
This star is a so-called wild card and can represent one or more letters in
a word (or serch term) like libreoffice-*
This will return
libreoffice-base
libreoffice-writer
libreoffice-calc
and so on.

FYI, the question mark '?' is another wildcard, that usually represents
exactly one letter in a word / search term.

I hope, I could help.

Sigrid

#17

Apparently Thunderbird decided to format my message and translated bold.
Here are the steps again:

1) Open a terminal window under Applications > Accessories > Terminal
2) Type the following command to add the Ubuntu LibreOffice repository
(remember to type ENTER at the end):
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:libreoffice/ppa
(you will need to enter your user password)
3) Type the following command to install Libre Office:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install libreoffice libre-office-gnome
4) To exit the terminal type use CTRL-D or type "exit" (without quotes)
followed by Enter.

Fabian

#18

Fascinating, thank you, but irrelevant - asterix != asterisk.

#19

She could probably add the repo to synaptic and install
by simply copy/pasting the repo url appropriately into
the synaptic repo tool, then searching, clicking, installing,
too, since we're in pointy clicky land here.
Not that learning to manage in the CLI is ever a bad idea,
and, in truth, it really IS simpler than all the gui-goodness (bloat).
Just, our job on this list is to help her get the LO software installed,
more than make a real hacker out of her.
Sometimes I think we scare folks off, is all.
I find nothing wrong with luring them in with all the eye-candy and newfangled
"user friendliness" (although I really concur with tuomo about that
term "user friendly"),
then, when they're really hooked, get 'em writing bash scripts and
learning ruby and python and shite...

USE THE SOURCE, JOIN US, TOGETHER WE CAN RULE THE GALAXY!
Muahahahaha!

./tony

#20

snip

On that terminal, execute the following lines:

cd Downloads
tar xzf LibO_3.3.0rc3_Linux_x86-64_install-deb_en-US.tar.gz

The 'tar' man page says to use a '-' for the main operation mode, and
options, ' -xzf', have not tried it without the dash to see if it works.