[Solved] Linux DEB package install

[colin23erk]

Downloaded > Apache_OpenOffice_4.1.2_Linux_x86_install-deb_en-US.tar.gz

Unpacked to find 42 individual Deb items and 2 readme files

When I try to intall one using Gdebi package installer I get an Error "dependency is not satisfiable openoffice "
I was able to install > openoffice4.1-debian-menus_4.1.2-9782_all without the error

I cannot find any help to indicate what Deb packages I need to Install > I only need Writer OR what dependancies I need to overcome the Error

Any solutions welcome but please bare in mind I am a GUI user not a power CML one . I apologize if I have missed some obvious instructions .

AS a temporary get round I have installed the Windows Exe using "Wine" emulator
I found its installer very easy to use and I had the option to install Writer without the parts I do not want .

The program appears to be functioning OK so far but I would expect Writer to run better in native Linux

I have installed AOO Writer on a Windows 10 PC and was pleased with how easy it was to set the Default Template I wanted and like so say how user friendly the excellent pdf user manual is.

After the simple installation on Windows I am disappointed with the total lack of help on the Linux Deb Installation on what needs to be installed

Colin

[RoryOF]

OpenOffice installs perfectly on Ubuntu - I've used it on Ubuntu and Ubuntu derivatives from 8.04 on; I've just installed a 64 bit version on an 8 year old computer using the method below (which I can do in my sleep). I suggest you print this out to have in front of you.

How to install OO in Ubuntu: Start a Terminal - I think you should find this under Accessories in Ubuntu as "Terminal Emulator"

In the terminal type

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get purge libreoffice* 

Note that the the trailing * is important.

Download the correct version of OpenOffice for the bitness of your Ubuntu. To find this out, in a terminal type

Code: Select all

uname -i 

if the answer is

Code: Select all

x86_64

then you are running 64 bit Ubuntu. If it is i386, then 32 bit Ubuntu.
Best to match the bits of your OpenOffice with the bits of your Ubuntu

When the file is downloaded, double click on it and the system archive manager should start up. Tell it to extract the files - these are normally extracted to a sub directory of the Downloads folder, in my case called en-GB (as I use the GB version). If you use the US version, this folder might be en-US.

Now, in a terminal manoeuvre to that sub folder. In my case this is by the following commands; in your case rory will be replaced by your logon name and en-GB may be changed, as I mentioned.

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cd /home/rory/Downloads/en-GB
cd DEBS
sudo dpkg -i *.deb 

When that has completed, do this

Code: Select all

cd desktop-integration
sudo dpkg -i *.deb

Do not omit this last change of directory and repeat of the installation command, as this puts links for OpenOffice into your Office group.
Also note that in linux caps/lowercase are important

It takes longer to write out all this than it actually takes to do!

[colin23erk]

Thanks for the reply but I was looking for a non command line install method similar to the Windows installer

I might give your way a go but to me I find the Terminal very unforgiving if you do not input the exact data including its syntax. As I only want Writer I would like to know the minimum of packages I need to install

To me the computer should do all the work after I tell it what result I need and not having to tell it, each step of the way , what to do . If people need to do basic computer programming they should be inputting in binary etc .

I like LinuxLite because of its speed and it attempts to be a Windows XP replacement for ordinary people who do not want to learn commands and prefer to use Graphic user interfaces which are more user friendly if they are not experts as they try lead you by the hand on what data needs inputting and when .

Windows if far from perfect and gets too many changes that are superficial ( new icons etc ) in the name of progress but Linux has still go a still a long way to go to make it as easy to use without the Terminal

An operating System should work unseen in the background as its purpose is to enable people to use programs .

Colin

[RoryOF]

It is possible that the Gdebi method works, but you are installing a 32 bit OpenOffice on what I suspect is a 64 bit Linux. Verify the bitness of your LinuxLite and install OO of the same bitness. In linux it is difficult to avoid use of the terminal. If you follow my instructions they will certainly install correctly on a *buntu system - I cannot answer for LinuxLite, but as it is ubuntu based they will probably be OK.

LibreOffice is preinstalled on LinuxLite, as far as I know. If you wish to install OpenOffice, it is best to remove traces of LibreOffice ~(the first line of the code sequence I gave),

Because the code of the OpenOffice suite is so integrated, there is little saving in installing only part of it; often, on partial installs the full functionality of the partially installed section will fail. If you only need a text editor, perhaps AbiWord will suit your needs. It may be that AbiWord is available from LinuxLite's software centre.

[colin23erk]

As it is a old Advent 4211 Netbook it is a 32bit machine that had Win XP preinstalled and I installed LinuxLite 32 bit and dual boot

I downloaded "Apache_OpenOffice_4.1.2_Linux_x86_install-deb_en-US.tar"
This is what I get when I unpack the tar
[img]

[/img]

Not sure if I got how to insert a image correct but I have tried to send you a screen dump of the list of 42 Debs . I have also attached the screen dump file

I have progressed a little when i tried to install "Core1" it said it said " Error dependancy not satisfied -- Ure"
After installing the Ure package I could the load Core 1
So far I have installed Core 1-6 , Core 7 shows new folders and OpenOffice Writer( 2nd to end)
At the moment I am not sure what to do next .
I was looking for some documentation that tells me what order they need installing in and not just having to "Poke and Hope" I get it right

I have tried Abiword but found it virtually impossible to create a personal template without it reverting its own Font Choice and output file type .Also the help files tend to be written for someone who knows what they are doing and leave out crucial background knowledge

Colin

[RoryOF]

Just use the command line option and have done with it. The repeated command line I gave you and the intervening directory change will install the whole things in about two minutes from the terminal. It is not necessary to handle the individual deb files.

[colin23erk]

Looks like its your way or nothing - as I said from the start in my first post I was looking for a GUI way to install Open Office Writer simply like Windows does .
I feel this is the way forward to make computers usable by non-computer hobbyists .To me its a tool to achieve what I want it to do .

Thanks for trying to help

Colin

[Jesse Heywood]

OpenOffice installs perfectly on Ubuntu - I've used it on Ubuntu and Ubuntu derivatives from 8.04 on; I've just installed a 64 bit version on an 8 year old computer using the method below (which I can do in my sleep). I suggest you print this out to have in front of you.

Thank you for posting these instructions. Even this addle-minded curmudgeon was able to install OO on Ubuntu 15.10.

[squirreltasm]

Thank you Rory, (From 11 years in the future) This one- minute read ended a 4 hour struggle that may have ended poorly for me, or my laptop. Thankyouthankyouthankyou.

[murdock2525]

All the open office idiots need to do is offer a repo or a simple .deb package download.Not the zip crap they offer up to people. That's why no Linux distro even offers it other than Sparky.
Work creates popularity and, obviously, thats why OO was run over by the LO train.

[Bidouille]

All the open office idiots need to do is offer a repo or a simple .deb package download.

SF (unofficial) repo here: https://sourceforge.net/projects/apache ... es/debian/

[Villeroy]

Work creates popularity and, obviously, thats why OO was run over by the LO train.

One may ask why LibreOffice has become much more attractive to the workers. Anyone wanting to install AOO on Linux won't be detered by a zip file containing the required packages. Everyone else has LO preinstalled.
OK, some don't recognize that LO is the new OO.

[Hagar Delest]

Nonetheless, why have such a complicated bunch of packages?
Why can't it be a single one to be installed with GUI or command line with a mere apt-get install libreoffice? Is there a limitation in the size of .deb? Is there a technical reason to have that break down structure?

[floris v]

What I don't apt-get is that the developers of Linux distro's remain stuck in the days when it was cool to have to type lots of cryptic commands in a terminal window to install a program when all you have to do in Windows is double click the install program to run it and confirm that you actually want to take the risk of damaging your system by doing so.

@Villeroy: I downloaded and installed the 7.04 LO on Ubuntu , then updated Ubuntu to 20.whatever and found that it included a home-made LO 7.2 that didn't have a Dutch dictionary set while 7.0.4 has. I uninstalled it. Gives me the blues. Why Do They Do it That Way?

[RoryOF]

Unfortunately, people now consider computers to be "Magic Boxes", that can read the mind of the user. This was why I moved away from Windows - it kept trying to make me do what it wanted, installing default applications (Outlook - ugh!).

I now run Xubuntu, and a hand installed OpenOffice, and am very happy!

[Hagar Delest]

What I don't apt-get is that the developers of Linux distro's remain stuck in the days when it was cool to have to type lots of cryptic commands in a terminal window to install a program when all you have to do in Windows is double click the install program to run it and confirm that you actually want to take the risk of damaging your system by doing so.

I was not a huge fan of the command line. That said, in some cases, it's far better: when I upgrade may Xubuntu distro, I do it from scratch. To install all my favorite applications, I just have to copy and paste in a terminal a single command line (that is saved in a text file for that purpose). It's the mere apt-get instruction with the list of all the applications.

To install other packages, I just use the bash history with the keyboard arrows to get the magic command dpkg -i *.deb after download. Way quicker than search for it in the Ubuntu software application.

[Villeroy]

What I don't apt-get is that the developers of Linux distro's remain stuck in the days when it was cool to have to type lots of cryptic commands in a terminal window to install a program when all you have to do in Windows is double click the install program to run it and confirm that you actually want to take the risk of damaging your system by doing so.

@Villeroy: I downloaded and installed the 7.04 LO on Ubuntu , then updated Ubuntu to 20.whatever and found that it included a home-made LO 7.2 that didn't have a Dutch dictionary set while 7.0.4 has. I uninstalled it. Gives me the blues. Why Do They Do it That Way?

The pre-installed LO is supposed to use the system wide dictionaries that are installed for all text processing applications, doesn't it? Ask your Ubuntu forum. The downloaded LO should support the dictionary extensions from libreoffice.org. At least I have no dictionaries installed and spell checking works for various lanauges. If I remember correctly, I added dictionaries to the freshly installed Ubuntu but not to the office suite.

[floris v]

So far, no good. Installed Libre from the repositories, it provides language support for Spanish, German, Turkish, and a few others, correctly sets my location to Dutch but fails to add a Dutch dictionary. I say, downloading it from the official site is so much easier. *end rant*

[Hagar Delest]

+1.
The language management is a PITA. The packages, have been broken up, you may have to install additional ones in Synaptic. (Hunspell/Mythes).
Better just rely on the extensions (see my comment recently about the en-GB thesaurus).

What I don't apt-get is that the developers of Linux distro's remain stuck in the days when it was cool to have to type lots of cryptic commands in a terminal window to install a program when all you have to do in Windows is double click the install program to run it and confirm that you actually want to take the risk of damaging your system by doing so.

That's the tendency it seems with snap and flatpack. But it somehow defeats the point of an integrated system.
There must be a middle point somewhere.