Simple Installation Instructions

users
#1

Hi,

Why Can't we have simple installation instructions on www.libreoffice.org like the following that I got from another website which had similar instructions for RC 1?

Installation
Open the terminal and type :-
Quote:
cd ~/Downloads
tar xvzf LibO_3.3.0rc1_Linux_x86_install-deb_en-US.tar.gz
cd ~/Downloads/LibO_3.3.0rc1_Linux_x86_install-deb_en-US/DEBS
sudo dpkg -i *.deb
cd desktop-integration
sudo dpkg -i libreoffice3.3-debian-menus_3.3-3_all.deb
and its done.

Credit: http://www.linoob.com/2010/10/libreoffice-3-3-0-in-ubuntu/

Regards,
Paul

Quote:
Download :- LibreOffice 3.3.0 RC 1 32 Bit or 64 Bit
For more see here.

Installation
Open the terminal and type :-
Quote:
cd ~/Downloads
tar xvzf LibO_3.3.0rc1_Linux_x86_install-deb_en-US.tar.gz
cd ~/Downloads/LibO_3.3.0rc1_Linux_x86_install-deb_en-US/DEBS
sudo dpkg -i *.deb
cd desktop-integration
sudo dpkg -i libreoffice3.3-debian-menus_3.3-3_all.deb
and its done.

Detailed instructions for LibreOffice 3.3.0 are here. (Pasted below:
LibreOffice 3.3.0 in Ubuntu

24
OCT
LibreOffice is a productivity suite that is compatible with other major office suites, and available on a variety of platforms. LibreOffice is a fork of the famous project OpenOffice project which is now under Oracle. It is free software and servers all your basic needs. It is the result of immense efforts by The Document Foundation aimed at making an Office suite or desktops that servers all your needs for free.

A group of key contributors to the OpenOffice.org (OOo) project have formed a new organization i.e. ‘The Document Foundation‘ to manage a community-driven fork of the popular open source office suite. Their goal is to liberate the project from Oracle’s control and create a more inclusive and participatory ecosystem around the software & save it from sudden-death just like Opensolaris project.

Download :-

LibreOffice 3.3.0 Beta2 32-bit
LibreOffice 3.3.0 Beta2 64-bit
[Update] LibreOffice 3.3.0 Release Candidate

RC1 32 Bit
RC2 64 Bit

Installing LibreOffice in Ubuntu :-

Installing LibreOffice is same as that of installing OpenOffice, simple and fast. Locate the downloaded file (.tar.gz) and place it on your desktop (for convenience).

Open the terminal and type :-

cd ~/Desktop

tar xvzf LibO_3.3.0_beta2_Linux_x86_install-deb_en-US.tar.gz

After the file extraction process is completed, access the directory of the extracted file to continue the installation.

cd ~/Desktop/en-US/DEBS

sudo dpkg -i *.deb

Ok. Now we are done with installing libreoffice (#great).

To put LibreOffice on ubuntu-panel, type-in this :

cd ~/Desktop/en-US/DEBS/desktop-integration

sudo dpkg -i libreoffice3.3-debian-menus_3.3-1_all.deb

and done. So Easy!!!.

#2

Sorry please note a correction:

This worked for Ubuntu 10.10.

Quote:
cd ~/Downloads
tar xvzf LibO_3.3.0rc2_Linux_x86_install-deb_en-US.tar.gz
cd ~/Downloads/LibO_3.3.0rc2_Linux_x86_install-deb_en-US/DEBS

sudo dpkg -i *.deb
cd desktop-integration
sudo dpkg -i *.deb

Note don't do the Last step given immediately below:
sudo dpkg -i libreoffice3.3-debian-menus_3.3-3_all.deb

That step in the previous post didn't make it work.

Sorry again.

Bye,
Paul

#3

Hi Paul:

Thanks for the note.

What may seem "simple" to a user may be complicated to another. There is no problem with having different methods of installment. Obviously the easiest would be a simple double-click on an icon and the installation would proceed without any more involvement from the user. But even with this method, some other users may want to see the installation process as it works through the installation.

For the ordinary user, IHO, the "one-click" installation process would be the best.

Cheers

Marc

#4

I would have to agree with Mark Pare'. A unified installation format
should be created. In the beginning of OOo. There was a tar one could
extra and put into place anywhere and just run OOo from that. When OOo
began creating distro specific package, it became easier for those
running these favoured distros, but for everyone else, it became more
difficult.

For example I run Ark Linux. Its an independent rpm based, kde centric
distro. We are not a clone distro like the ubuntus. So I have to
adapted OOo and even LiberOffice (which is easier than OOo). It would
have been better to be able to just use an install script of some
kind.

This is coming from an advanced user and minor independent none cloned
distro devel. Can you image how noobs must feel?

Mark is right, LO needs to have one common installation format that
doesn't reward some distros for having money to push themselves into
the spotlight or punish those little distros that don't.

Thanks and hope I haven't offended anyone,

Kate Draven

#5

Hi :slight_smile:

I agree with Keep It Simple for the noobs, at least for the entry-level distros
such as Ubuntu, Mandriva and so on. I can't really imagine people disagreeing
as having the option is unlikely tp stop people choosing more difficult methods
to get a more tailored result if they feel the need.

If the larger entry-level distros have the personnel for doing the final
flourish to make it a 1 (double-) click install then could we focus on less well
supported entry-level distros? How generic could installers be or would they
have to be different for each and every distro?

My impression about OpenSource software was that advanced users could do quite a
bit to help = anything ranging from adding a guide to the wiki site or up
through developing bash scripting or even adapting a fully written installer to
make it work in yet another distro. Perhaps an "advanced users guide" on the
wiki page for adapting the installer to help people see what issues they might
have to consider. Perhaps wiki-space might help for people to write guides for
distros that haven't yet got a 1 click installer. I think we already have some
of this space available?

Many thanks and regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

#6

I see no need for anyone to take offense. Even though I use Ubuntu that has to be an easer way to install the non-standard distro versions. If one is willing to stick with what the distro provides that is fine but some prefer to move ahead for new features or bug fixes that do not make it into the distro versions.

My 2cents.

Andy

#7

I did notice that the default download is for an rpm package, which
will be nice when I boot to Fedora but for LMDE I did find the link for
deb packages and though the link is called 'release notes' it leads to
install instructions, from the Document Foundation home page. It's here:
http://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Installing_LibreOffice_on_Linux#Installation_of_LibreOffice_3.3_on_Debian.2FUbuntu-Based_Linux_systems

That's the information I've been using to install the rc1 and then
remove it and install the rc2 deb package. It's much easier than
getting a source package I have to try to compile (configure and make
and all of that...).

However the link on that page under 'Download this
package' points to an rc1 download location that comes back with a 404
not found error. I started downloading the correct package before
I got to that link so it's not an issue for me, but I thought I'd
mention it ... and otherwise it's written well enough that I've been
able to follow it pretty easily.

cheers,

Cia W

#8

Maybe the pain felt now is temporary, because LO is a RC and each distro has not
had time to package LO. I prefer my distro to manage my packages for me. Having
a package manager be aware of installed apps, having the system share libraries,
dictionaries/spellchecking, fonts, etc is my preference.

Not sure if the 'one installer to rule them all' fits or does not fit the
traditional way Linux has been using for package management, rpms, debs, tgz etc.
I am fortunate that Debian has folks packaging LO, thanks for that.

#9

Hi Greg,

[...]

Maybe the pain felt now is temporary, because LO is a RC and each distro has not
had time to package LO.  I prefer my distro to manage my packages for me. Having
a package manager be aware of installed apps, having the system share libraries,
dictionaries/spellchecking, fonts, etc is my preference.

That's the right way to do it. The package manager of your distro
should know about all the packages you installed.

But, if you use dpkg (for debian based distros) or rpm (for rpm based
distros) then your package manager will know about the package you
installed. You could test it by installing the deb packages with dpkg
and check then in your software center (assuming that you use ubuntu),
you'll see LibreOffice being listed there. At least, this is true for
me using Mandriva (rpm based).

Not sure if the  'one installer to rule them all' fits or does not fit the
traditional way Linux has been using for package management, rpms, debs, tgz etc.
I am fortunate that Debian has folks packaging LO, thanks for that.

I am grateful for those folks too, but sometimes I want to install the
"vanilla version" or want to install a developer snapshot, because I
want to write documentation for the upcoming release, so it's not a
good idea to wait until the software is out. It's nice to have
documentation almost as soon as the software is out. :wink:

Sigrid

#10

Many good points, all of which should be explored.

If a distro has enough hands and experience, its likely they will make
the installation quite easy for their users.

Is the distro who don't have the hands or the experience to do it that
will suffer most.

As for the installer itself, options are great, standard install, and
customs installs. Shouldn't be too hard to do (I hope).

On another note, I've been spreading the word about LO among my users,
the overall opinion is very good. The slight improvements in design
and appearance have the vast majority switching to LO over OOo and MS
Office. Its been well received. Well done to all.

Kate Draven

#11

Just a note from a Perpetual n00bie (who's written in, here, for help in
getting LO installed):

I've used prepackaged rpms years ago when I was running Red Hat. I've
used prepackaged debs through Synaptic with Ubuntu and now Debian. I've
had occasion to want to install something for which packages didn't
exist (and know the value of having packages that can be uninstalled
cleanly). I've even got one program that I have to use config and make
(though I had to be taught how to do it). Most recently I had to be
taught to use dpkg -i *.deb to install LO.

Though I call myself a perpetual n00bie, the reality is that I simply
don't have the knowledge to do things that others consider easy or basic
unless I'm taught. I don't mind learning new things - even at my
advanced age of 65 (you really CAN teach old dogs new tricks, but
they've got to want to learn). Not everybody is like me. Not everybody
wants to learn or has the ability to learn (one has to learn how to
learn, really).

And in some cases I've helped others, so I understand the problems they
have. I was part of an Ubuntu LoCo for a few years, and helped with
installations and other problems where I could. Certainly, for those
distributions and operating systems that can and do provide prepackaged
versions of a program, using such takes care of those less fortunate
than I and makes it possible for them to enjoy a certain independence
and sense of accomplishment. But for others some method needs to be
found to make it easier, and I would encourage LO to provide such a
script for those distributions.

Craig
Tyche

#12

I do like your points [all of the posts of this thread] about ease of
install and uninstall.

I also use Ubuntu and due to 3 strokes I have found it difficult
to do things that others find easy. It would be nice to have LINUX
software easy to install like Windows' .exe file installation. That is
one of the sticking points for people to move over to LINUX from
using Windows based systems since Win 95 days.

I do thank people hear for the instructions shown in earlier posts
on how to install LO on Ubuntu. Though OOo [not the Go-oo version
on the repository] is my default office suite, I have LO installed as
well so I can use it from time to time and see how well it works for me.

It took time to get friends and former clients to run OOo and as soon
as LO goes from a RC version to a final release version, I can start
looking at options to use to have those OOo users to look at LO for
their office suite needs. I just have to get the reasons to use this
fork of OOo instead of OOo or the other forks clear in my own head
first.

Now back to the tread topic:
I wish there was a simpler way to install LO on Ubuntu, but the
issue of desktop menu integration is the problem with that. At least
it is still a simple .exe install for Windows, unless that has changed
since I rarely use Windows anymore and I only have a laptop running
it.

Again Thanks everyone for the help here.
Tim L. - retired from the computer field with 2 degrees in programming
and one in networking, but lost most if that knowledge with my last
2 strokes and had to "retire" from working due to that problem.

#13

... snip

http://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Installing_LibreOffice_on_Linux
Unfortunately, there is no link for that on the
http://www.documentfoundation.org/download/
page & that should be fixed by whoever maintains the download page.

I reckon that one could wander over to the website list to complain, but
it might be better to just open a bug report on
https://bugs.freedesktop.org/ to ensure that the problem gets tracked
and fixed.