Apache OpenOffice Community Forum

I have a simple problem. I can't run open office. I download openoffice 4.1.2 from the source code but now i don't now how to run the program. I have Lubuntu. Can you write me exactly what i have to write in the terminal? Thanks

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
I do not know if lubuntu supplies libreoffice but the above command won't hurt.

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
if the answer is

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.

When that has completed, do this
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!

I'm sorry but i don't understand. Maybe my message was not clear.
1. I try to install openoffice in greeks
2. I get it with the source code already.(snv+ the openoffice)
3. My system is lubuntu and yes i have libre office but i need more.
4. I try to download the file but still have the same proble.I can't run the program.I don't now why?That was the reason ho make me to choose the source code.
5. Now i need the orders to make it run.
6. I 'm beginner(end old) so i don't understand to many from programming but i can follow (clear) orders. so please. Try to be simple.

thepos wrote:I'm sorry but i don't understand. Maybe my message was not clear.
1. I try to install openoffice in greeks
2. I get it with the source code already.(snv+ the openoffice)
3. My system is lubuntu and yes i have libre office but i need more.
4. I try to download the file but still have the same proble.I can't run the program.I don't now why?That was the reason ho make me to choose the source code.
5. Now i need the orders to make it run.
6. I 'm beginner(end old) so i don't understand to many from programming but i can follow (clear) orders. so please. Try to be simple.

7. my system is 32 bit
8.(replace the 6: I 'm beginner(dummy) so i don't understand to many from programming but i can follow (clear) instructions . so please. Try to be simple.
Thanks again

Is there some reason that you need to build from source code instead of using the DEB packages? Have you read the building guide? I use the DEB packages to install AOO and have no experience building AOO from source code.

Apache OpenOffice Building Guide

i have see that but i don't now what to write be twin the two (;)

I had interpreted the "from source code" to actually mean "downloaded package" which is what many posters mean; building OO from source code is not a trivial process, and I doubt you will get much assistance for that on this forum as most use the pre-built packages. I have just checked and there is a 32 bit Greek version available from the download site in a DEB package. I suggest you download the pre-built Greek version (32 bit) and install it using the commands I gave above. I will be very surprised if it does not install and run.

Without some slight modification to some file(s) on the computer (which I have never done) OpenOffice does not install on a computer with LibreOffice installed. Removal of LibreOffice is the purpose of the in my instructions. Perhaps that removal is what is needed to cause a downloaded OpenOffice to run on your computer.

I vaguely remember that Villeroy has mentioned the file modification to allow Open- and Libre-Office to run side by side on the one computer, but I have never done that.

I know from observation on the developer mailing list that building a version of OpenOffice from source code is very tricky, and very sensitive to the chosen compile parameters; I see, regularly, experienced builders coming back to the list again and again to seek help to solve problems arising from recent changes.. I have never attempted a build from source code, being content to use the pre-built packages.

There is no reason to not install LibreOffice from your Ubuntu repository. For 99% of the intended user base, LibreOffice is the same application as OpenOffice.

If your libreoffice installation uses a symlink file /usr/bin/soffice, this file may conflict with any additional installation of OpenOffice. The installation via sudo dpkg -i *.deb will break with a corresponding conflict message. In this particular case (when there is only one confilict with /usr/bin/soffice) you can use the --force-overwrite switch.

This may have worked before, but when I cd to en-US Ubuntu 16.04 informs me no such directory exists. It tells the same to administrator and sudo. Checking under files, the directories have disappeared. Is Ubuntu blocking AOO 4.1.3 installation? How can I get around this. I have a file locked in recovery under LO 5.3 and want to recover the file.
Should I post this problem under my posts? You have been very helpful in the past. Thanks.

JRBreton

RoryOF wrote: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* 

I do not know if lubuntu supplies libreoffice but the above command won't hurt.

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.

Code: Select all

    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!

The "en-GB" may be "en-US" or "en-something_else" depending on the variety of English you are using. This directory (whatever called) will not show up until you have unpacked and extracted the downloaded files.

Thanks RoryOF. I follow your instructions exactly, but upon cd /home/myname/Downloads/en_US, the command issues an error stating not such directory exists. When I try to find the extracted files, they also have disappeared. I'm thinking Archive Manager tries to put the download into a directory which does not exist. So long as the data exists in ram it can be accessed, but does not exist on a disk. So this may be a problem on the Ubuntu has been set up, or something similar. I'll keep investigating and let you know.

JRB

If you double click on the downloaded OpenOffice .gz file there is a button to extract its contents. That then opens a screen allowing one to define the directory into which you wish to extract. At bottom of the linux extractor I use (on Xubuntu, possible the same extractor on lubuntu) there is a checkbox for "keep directory structure". If that is checked, en-US (or as appropriate) is made on the current directory, which would normally (on *buntu versions) be Downloads.

Once you have found the en-US folder, in a terminal type

Getting there. On my machine i need to write
cd Downloads/en-US/DEBS
sudo dpkg -i *.deb
which unpacked the files.
Then desktop-integration was found in a folder under DEBS' so
cd desktop-integration
sudo dpkg -i *.deb
started but terminated in an error
Error encountered while processing
openoffice 4.1-debian-menus_4.1.3-9783_all.deb

Am I almost there?

JRB

Yes, almost there. I suspect that the error is due to some clash with libreoffice. In a terminal, type That should remove libreoffice (don't omit the * in the instruction)

Then cd Downloads/en-US/DEBS/desktop-integration (to get back to where you were) and do the sudo dpkg -i *.deb again.

AMDG

Thank you so much. Case closed OO installed. JRB