Apache OpenOffice Community Forum

Currently running OO 4.1.2 on Windows 7. Anyone out there running OO on Mint? Any issues? Any info appreciated!

Linux Mint comes with LibreOffice. No reason to install OpenOffice.

Villeroy wrote:No reason to install OpenOffice.

Why, Apache OpenOffice shows much better stability as compared to LibreOffice (I compare 4.2.0 and 5.0.2.1 on openSUSE 13.2 and Windows 7), especially when working with large Microsoft Word documents, and better handles XLS files. To me, having both is a good solution.

New Linux users don't know how to install 3rd party software. Distributor's packages install semi-automatically within seconds or minutes. Anyway: [Tutorial] Installing Apache OpenOffice on GNU/Linux
Whoever is forced to work with large/complex MS documents, should use MS software on MS Windows or Softmaker Office.
LO supports a lot more foreign file formats which is particularly useful on Linux where the original software is unvaillable.
I expect that AOO 4.1.2 is the very last or second last version of this branch. Nevertheless, I prefer AOO on Linux because personally because I'm more used to it. I dislike the ever changing LO shortcuts, bars and menues. What I'm doing personally with office suites can be done with any version of AOO since version 2.3 of 2008 and with most LO versions as well (some versions had bugs that affected me, so I skipped those versions and reported the bugs with some success). A few months ago I wrote a fairly complicated ODF document based on one of my ODF letter templates using OpenOffice.org 1.5 on a very old IBM laptop. The product version is less important than a general understanding of what you are doing with either tool. Same with installing software on Linux. Once you understand why software is packaged and distributed like this, the complexity becomes less discouraging.
Meanwhile I produce more plain text and markdown files than the classical document formats. I wish I had learned something like R in younger years when I was addicted to Excel. Nevertheless, I have to acknowledge that the distributed versions of LibreOffice are useful for new Linux users with MS Office background.

Villeroy wrote:New Linux users don't know how to install 3rd party software.

This is increasingly true. On Forum we are seeing a growing number of posters who appear to have little or no knowledge of computers and who seem incapable of performing any form of search for solutions to their problem, or of analysis of its causes.

I remain with OO for two reasons: firstly, stability - I have files which have been years in the writing/editing, of hundreds of pages. No crashes! Secondly, familiarity with the display - I'm used to it, know where to find things, and don't need rampant featuritis.

Hello

When you are a linux user then it is better to use libreoffice. It is possible that you can better switch to a more stable version then what is standard for your version.

I think for openSUSE the best stable version is on this moment 5.1.? There I think LibreOffice 5.0.? LibreOF 5.1 is not so stable I also have LibreOffice4.4.7.2. LibreOffice 4.4.7.2 is not an openSUSE version but an original version.
Index of /libreoffice/old


Connect your computer to this repositorium
http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/LibreOffice:/
You have to search which version is good for your OS and which version you want have.

This post means also I agree complete with Villeroy and RoryOF

Romke

Thanks to all for the responses. I am considering replacing the original Vista in my machine with Mint, and trying to chase down potential surprises beforehand. My computer has a second hard drive with Windows 7 installed, added some months ago when MS announced the demise of Vista, which we no longer use anyway in favor of W7. I went that route rather than just replacing the original OS in case I screwed it up.

Several with experience have pointed my in the direction of Linux Mint, but before I install it I'm wanting to find out if the various non-MS programs we use are compatible with Mint, OO being one of them.

My preference is for Xubuntu, but I like a very simple desktop and system. Remember that you can try most linux distros from a Live DVD or Live USB (faster).

My thanks to all who weighed in. Being timid about manipulating software, I think I'll look at the "Mint for dummies" type tutorials to get an idea of some of the gory details. If I go for it, I'll post back.

The potential surprise, connected with Linux generally, is the fact that for installation of software one often needs to revert to the command line rather than a graphic interface. This is not a major burden, provided one's brain is switched on, but many Windows users cannot make this shift. Once the desired software is installed all should run straightforwardly, using the graphic interface of the software.

RoryOF wrote:… for installation of software one often needs to revert to the command line rather than a graphic interface.…

Why, as far as I know, most (if not all) distros include GUI-based software installation. In openSUSE, it’s Yast. So, basically, you don’t need to use the console (please, don’t call it “command line”, it’s exclusively for Windows lusers). However, after you master the power of zypper, you won’t really want to monkey around with the GUI. And yes, it’s kinda brain shift.

esperantisto wrote:

RoryOF wrote:… for installation of software one often needs to revert to the command line rather than a graphic interface.…

Why, as far as I know, most (if not all) distros include GUI-based software installation. In openSUSE, it’s Yast.

It depends on what you wish to install; I find that about half of the programs I require need use of a terminal for installation.

RoryOF wrote:It depends on what you wish to install; I find that about half of the programs I require need use of a terminal for installation.

+1.
I'm not a fan of the terminal but especially with packages you download directly from their site (like XnviewMP and of course AOO), it's much faster to install with a command line (you even don't have to type the whole file name with the tab auto-completion).