[Solved] Installing Language Packs in Linux

Issues with installing under all GNU/Linux Distributions
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White Phoenix
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[Solved] Installing Language Packs in Linux

Post by White Phoenix »

In order to avoid any problems with Linux Mint trying to install something for Libre Office that would mess up my system, I told the update manager to ignore updates for Libre Office after uninstalling everything connected with Libre Office. Things that were indirectly connected with Libre Office I left especially if it is something that other programs (like Mozilla) use.

I have been installing several non-English language packs onto my system, all of which complained that some language packs were missing. I went through my Software Manager and my Package Manager and located all files marked “language pack” for the languages I wanted to install. I ignored dictionaries such as hunspell and myspell figuring that these were not language packs and if some other programs needed them they would be installed then. I also ignored all Libre Office localization files. They never seem to be used by AOO as they were by OOo.

Well, it wasn’t enough even though I installed all the language packs I could find. Just on a hunch I clicked on the “not all language packs were installed” line next to the first language on the list. Immediately the system started installing all language packs that were not already installed. It turns out it considers the dictionaries and localization files as language packs. It was downloading everything for the programs I had installed (Firefox, Thunderbird) and not installed (Libra Office). It wanted to install Libra Office in order to install the dictionaries (I am assuming that this is a programming error).

So the error message about not all language packs are installed is still there. My question here is, if I allow it to install Libre Office just to download the localization files, then uninstall Libre Office again, will that mess up my installation of Apache OpenOffice? Would AOO be able to access those localization files? If not, could it be made to do so? It seems that with all these files so easily acquired, it would be advantageous, especially since they are so easily updated. It also seems a shame to waste them. (Although, it seems to me that hunspell, myspell, and aspell are redundant as well.)
Last edited by White Phoenix on Sun Jan 03, 2016 11:06 am, edited 1 time in total.
Apache OpenOffice 4.1.11 on Windows 7 Professional. 4.1.11 on Linux Mint 18.3 with Cinnamon.
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RoryOF
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Re: Installing Language Packs in Linux

Post by RoryOF »

I can't answer your question specifically about language packs and Linux Mint, as I use Xubuntu exclusively. Normally to install OpenOffice on any of the *ubuntu series, I use

Code: Select all

 sudo apt-get purge libreofficecore* 
which removes sufficient of LibreOffice to permit OO install without problems,

I know Villeroy has posted a fix to allow OO and LibO run side by side. I've never used it as OO meets my needs.

OO uses Hunspell dictionaries as far as I know.
Apache OpenOffice 4.1.15 on Xubuntu 22.04.4 LTS
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White Phoenix
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Re: Installing Language Packs in Linux

Post by White Phoenix »

Well, okay for the Hunspell, but would AOO use LO localization files? On the other hand, probably not since the menus and help would be too different for AOO to use localizations written to translate LO. Am I correct in my understanding of what the localization files are for?

Here is a question that I just thought of, which may provide a different solution to the problem.

Is there a distro of Linux that installs AOO by default? Mint people seem to think that I am complicating my life by insisting on using AOO instead of their default Libre Office. I keep telling them they should not load either by default and allow the user to choose.
Apache OpenOffice 4.1.11 on Windows 7 Professional. 4.1.11 on Linux Mint 18.3 with Cinnamon.
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RoryOF
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Re: Installing Language Packs in Linux

Post by RoryOF »

White Phoenix wrote:Is there a distro of Linux that installs AOO by default? Mint people seem to think that I am complicating my life by insisting on using AOO instead of their default Libre Office. I keep telling them they should not load either by default and allow the user to choose.

Not that I am aware of; my experience is that most (all?) linux distros silently install LibreOffice when OpenOffice is requested. I think this is wrong, as there are some differences in runnable extensions and also differences in look and feel.
Apache OpenOffice 4.1.15 on Xubuntu 22.04.4 LTS
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White Phoenix
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Re: Installing Language Packs in Linux

Post by White Phoenix »

This is from a person at the Linux Mint forum:
I don't share your judgment about AOO. Also others merely think, that it is nearly stalled. So no wonder, if it does not "copy" anything. 18 months between the last 2 releases with hardly any feature enhancements tell the same. Also this vulnerabiliy, only closed half a year after finding, does not look really good. But of course it is the user's decision.
What are they referring to about having a vulnerability and being closed only half a year?

Come to think of it, Linux Mint has a lot of applications in its software manager that haven’t been updated in years. I keep looking through it and reading the reviews of the software. Except for maybe fifty “featured” packages out of over 73,000 that are available they are way outdated. In most of the reviews there are complaints that they have not updated to later versions for years. How ironic that this guy cares that OpenOffice doesn’t get updated except once in eighteen months. At least its current. For example, they offer the latest version of Firefox, but they only offer Opera 12 when Opera for Linux is now on version 33. They still have remnants of OpenOffice.org in their distro. I wonder if he is thinking that is what we are using.
Apache OpenOffice 4.1.11 on Windows 7 Professional. 4.1.11 on Linux Mint 18.3 with Cinnamon.
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