How to upgrade LO on Ubuntu 14.04.LTS

users
#1

Hello Linux experts,
May I ask for help -- the instructions on the web are too confusing for me.
On my laptop (Win7, 64bit) I have recently installed the Oracle VirtualBox and there Ubuntu 14.04.2 LTS.
The LibreO version in Ubuntu is 4.2.8 has only Writer, Calc and Impress.
I want to replace that old LO4.2.8 version -- upgrade it to LO5.02.3 with all its components (at least Writer, Calc, Base, Draw and Math) but
I do not want the lastest fresh versions.
Can somebody tell me the step-by-step process/commands how this is performed?
And must the old version be removed before installing the new one?.
Thanks in advance.
Pertti Rönnberg

#2

Terminal -

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:libreoffice/libreoffice-5-0;
sudo apt-get update;
sudo apt-get install libreoffice

Best,
Joel

#3

I have been trying to get this for years. Thank you!

But, I got an error. First I got "sudo: apt-get-repository: command not found"
I then added a space after get in apt-get in case -repository is an argument of apt-get

but then the error changed to: "E: Command line option 'r' [from -repository] is not known."

John

#4

Because you put the wrong command. Copy and paste exactly what I write.

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:libreoffice/libreoffice-5-0

note: it is not "apt-get" it is "add-apt". Also note that there is no colon
after sudo.

Best,
Joel

#5

Joel Madero,
Thank you for your reply.
But this is one of the confusing details: does your answer not lead to install not
the version 5.02.3 but a later/the latest one?
Pertti

#6

It will install the latest version in the 5.0 repository. You'll get
updates until 5.0 is end of life. You'll have to do the same procedure once
5.1 is released (add the 5.1 repository, update, then upgrade).

Currently 5.0.2 is the latest version in 5.0 so that's the version that
will be installed.

#7

Sorry that is incorrect - you'll actually get 5.0.3 which is the latest
version in the repository.

You can also install from the debian packages but this is not recommended
for Ubuntu users - it is highly recommended to install from the ppa.

Best,
Joel

#8

Joel,
I have installed the version LO5.02.2 on both my PC (Win 7, 64bit) and on another laptop and that is why I want to
install it on Ubuntu too.
But obviously it is not possible -- how come?

By the way. Will the LO5.0x.x helppack install on Ubuntu together (automatically) with the LO-upgrade or shall it be installed
separately?
Pertti

#9

It is possible. If you want 5.0.2 specifically (not sure why...having
identical versions on all machines really isn't required) but here are
steps (assuming you're using 64 bit machine):

1. Download the debian package located:
https://downloadarchive.documentfoundation.org/libreoffice/old/5.0.2.2/deb/x86_64/LibreOffice_5.0.2.2_Linux_x86-64_deb.tar.gz
;

2. Untar the file (navigate to folder using your file browser, right click
on .tar.gz, uncompress it);

3. open terminal

4. use "cd" command to navigate to the DEBS folder inside of the
uncompressed folder you just uncompressed, for example if I uncompressed
the tar.gz to ~/Downloads then I would be something like this "cd
~/Downloads/[FOLDER NAME]/DEBS

5. sudo dpkg -i *.deb

for the help files:

https://downloadarchive.documentfoundation.org/libreoffice/old/5.0.2.2/deb/x86_64/

Download the relevant one and install the debian file the same way as
described above.

Best,
Joel

#10

You should always install the _latest bugfix_ of the current
[Stable/Fresh] branch.
The current [Stable/Fresh] branch is [4.4/5.0] and its latest bugfix is
[4.4.6/5.0.3].
As you have already chosen the Stable branch, you should install 5.0.3

Best regards.
JBF

#11

Joel, Jean-Baptiste & others. Thank you for replying.

A short explanation of my thinking.

Many on this list have expressed the advice not to install the latest fresh version but install the latest bugfix of a 1-3 steps earlier version, just to minimize the risk of bugs and enjoy new features. OK?

According to LibreO’s homepage the LO5.o2 and LO5.o3 are two different versions – probably not only regarding bugfixes but also with some new features; the most recent fresh&bugfix now is LO5.03.2.

So I decided for LO5.02.3 both on my Windows-machines (all 64bit) and on Ubuntu. Installing on Windows went OK but seems problematicto get it on Ubuntu (!!??)

askUbuntu says not to use PPA because of safety reasons

Joel says LO5.02.3 cannot (as a specific version) be installed directly

in Ubuntu – not without even more confusing extra hockus-pockus with debian.tar.gz, etc (but not recommended?)

May I put my main question this way:

what is the general procedure (definite, correct) for upgrading an old

LibreO version to a newer one in Ubuntu (e.g. Ubuntu 14.04.2 LTS)

And the “subquestions”:

(a)must the old version (& its help-pack) be removed before installing the new one in this Ubuntu?

(b)when upgrading LibreO in Ubuntu does the help-pack upgrade automatically together with the main program or must it be installed separately?

Please forgive me, I am trying to learn Ubuntu.

Pertti Rönnberg

#12

Terminal -

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:libreoffice/libreoffice-5-0;
sudo apt-get update;
sudo apt-get install libreoffice

Best,
Joel

I know that the following is not 100% accurate but typing commands into
terminals explains nothing.

1) Open a terminal (shortcut Ctrl+Alt+T)

2) Select the first line starting with sudo

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:libreoffice/libreoffice-5-0;

3) Middle-click anywhere in the terminal. If your selection included the
new-line character, the command will start running. If not, hit enter to
start the command.

4) Enter the admin password to confirm that you are a sys admin.
add-apt-repository adds a new subscription to your subscribed software
newsletters in the name of the sys admin. This implies that you trust
the maintainers of ppa:libreoffice/libreoffice-5-0

Without the preceeding sudo command, just running
add-apt-repository ppa:libreoffice/libreoffice-5-0, you would get an
error message about missing privileges because you as a naked user are
not allowed to write any files outside your home directory or the /tmp
directory.

Repeat steps 2 and 3 for the second and third line.
Select and middle-click

sudo apt-get update;

to update all your subscribed software newsletters in the name of the
sys admin.

sudo apt-get install libreoffice

installs libreoffice from the new subscription in the name of the sys admin.

Finally,

sudo apt-get dist-upgrade;

Compares the latest newletters with the your currently installed
software and updates all software to the announced latest version. If
there is something to upgrade, it will prompt you for confirmation. Just
hit Enter to confirm.
You may notice that the same terminal remembers your given admin
password for some minutes so you don't need to re-enter the admin password.

Your system maintains a software database about all the files on your
system that arrived through debian packages (*.deb). It keeps detailed
records about which file belongs to which software package, which
software packages are installed, originating from which source.
Any graphical software management tools for Debian/Ubuntu/Mint/whatever
do exactly the same things in the background. I recommend to install
synaptic ( sudo apt-get install synaptic ) for a better overview over
the subscribed software, installed, not yet installed, updatable and
removable software.

There is another way to install software from manually downloaded
packages, from CDs etc. This method involves the dpkg command:

sudo dpkg --install *.deb

or shorter but less mnemonic:

sudo dpkg -i *.deb

installs all *.deb files of the current directory updating your system's
software database (which file has been placed where belonging to which
package). The difference is that the Debian packages were already stored
your system rather than downloaded from an external source. With this
method you install unmaintained software at your own risk. The automatic
update/upgrade mechanisms do not apply to this software, nevertheless it
will be registered at your local software database so it will not be
overidden, compromised or harmed in any way by any other software.
The typical install directory for this software is /opt. The latest
debian packages downloaded from libreoffice.org or Openoffice will be
installed in /opt.

Finally you can download and install some software freely, bypassing the
software database like you use to do on a Windows system. Sometimes they
come as executable binaries (analog to Widows setup.exe), sometimes they
come as source code which means that you need developer tools to compile
the program from the downloaded source code before installing it (or
before building your own .deb package and adding it to your sofware
database).
I use a Java program which is distributed as a zip archive. From time to
time I download the latest version and extract it to a freely chosen
subdirectory in my /opt directory.

There is no need to remove any existing ODF suite before installing
another ODF suite. There is just one conflict you need to know.
The file /usr/bin/soffice is registered to some already installed office
suite. The system will not allow you to install any software claiming
the same file /usr/bin/soffice. This is a very important feature of your
Debian/Ubuntu system. If your installation fails because of a conflict
about /usr/bin/soffice you have 3 choices:
1) Remove the old suite.
2) Move the package with "debian-menu" in the name to another directory.
This is the single package which tries to install another
/usr/bin/soffice. Without this "debian-menu-x-y.deb" your old suite
remains the default program and you can add menues and links to your
newly installed secondary suite.
3) Do the same as in 2), then switch to the other directory and install
the "debian-menu-x-y.deb" separately like this:

sudo dpkg -i --force-overwrite libreoffice-debian-menu-x.y.z.deb

This way you tell the system that it is perfectly OK to resolve file
conflicts for this particular package by overwriting files and their
registration in the software database. In the software database
/usr/bin/soffice will belong to the new suite and the new suite will be
the default suite with menu entries, file associations etc.

dpkg-query --search /usr/bin/soffice

informs you to which package the file belongs currently.

Using a terminal, I can install any ODF suite faster than with Setup.exe
on Windows, including any /usr/bin/soffice conflict I can choose to
resolve one way or the other.

sudo apt-get install --> download from repository, add to local software
database, upgrade automatically from repository.
sudo dpkg --install --> install locally stored packages, add to local
software database, no automatic updates.

#13

Ok, but you do not do what you say. Current "Fresh" version is the third
bugfix of 5.0, aka 5.0.3. The fourth digit in the version number is the
release candidate number. Current 5.0.3 is 5.0.3.2 because its 2nd RC
has been declared stable enough to be final 5.0.3.

Current "Still" version is the 6th bugfix of 4.4, aka 4.4.6.

Best regards.
JBF

#14

Hi Joel And Andreas and all:

  Thank you for this guide to install LibreOffice on Ubuntu from PPA and
without conflict.

Regards,

Jorge Rodríguez

#15

I think you really need to figure out what it is that you want. For
additional help I suggest going to the #libreoffice IRC channel. What
you asked for has been provided (how to upgrade to 5.0.2 as well as
5.0.3). If you want "still" version (I would argue it's not really all
that more stable and you'll miss out on a lot of features that are in
5.x series) you need to install 4.4 not 5.0.

#16

Joel, Jean-Baptiste and especially Andreas,
thank you so very much for your help and kindness!
Pertti Rönnberg