[Tutorial] Installing Apache OpenOffice on GNU/Linux

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RGB
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[Tutorial] Installing Apache OpenOffice on GNU/Linux

Post by RGB »

Apache OpenOffice and your distribution

For additional information about the integration of OpenOffice in the repositories of your distribution, see: Linux @ Apache OpenOffice

NOTE: In general, AOO can be installed side by side with LibreOffice (both suites use different directories). But for some Linux distributions it is not that easy: when they switched from (the heavily modified version of) OOo to the (also modified version of) LibO they packaged their versions of LibO in a way that cause conflicts with OOo or AOO. Notice that these problems are completely artificial and came from some decisions made during packaging: on other distros like openSUSE, this does not happen.

[Note: *ubuntu here means all the differing Ubuntu based versions]

To my knowledge, two distributions that have such problems are *ubuntu and fedora: on those distros you need first to uninstall LibO to install AOO. To do so, you can use sudo apt-get purge libreoffice* (you may have also to sudo apt-get update and sudo apt-get autoclean) on *ubuntu and sudo yum remove libreoffice* on fedora. Note that you can install again LibO afterward but with the packages provided by its website, don't use the distro packages.

Another point is that AOO cannot be easily installed side by side with old OOo versions so it is recommended to uninstall OOo first.

For parallel installs, see below.

Download the right package

AOO is available here:

http://www.openoffice.org/download/other.html

There are several packages for Linux
  • Linux 32-bit RPM
  • Linux 32-bit DEB
  • Linux 64-bit RPM
  • Linux 64-bit DEB
The right package to choose depends on your Linux Distribution:

Some Linux distributions using RPM packages: openSUSE, Fedora, Mandriva, Mageia

Some Linux distributions using DEB packages: debian, ubuntu, Linux Mint

Your system can be 32 bits or 64 bits. It is also possible to have 32 bit systems on 64 bits computers. If you are not sure which architecture is used by your system, open a virtual terminal (konsole on KDE, gnome-terminal on gnome...) and issue this command:

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uname -i
if the answer is "x86_64", then your system is 64 bits, if you obtain i386, i586 or alike, then your system is 32 bits.

Now you need to download the right package
  • For 32 bits rpm
    AOO up to version 3.4.1: Apache_OpenOffice_incubating_<version>_Linux_x86_install-rpm_XX.tar.gz
    AOO from version 4.0.0: Apache_OpenOffice_<version>_Linux_x86_install-rpm_XX.tar.gz
  • For 64 bits rpm
    AOO up to version 3.4.1: Apache_OpenOffice_incubating_<version>_Linux_x86-64_install-rpm_XX.tar.gz
    AOO from version 4.0.0: Apache_OpenOffice_<version>_Linux_x86-64_install-rpm_XX.tar.gz
  • For 32 bits deb
    AOO up to version 3.4.1: Apache_OpenOffice_incubating_<version>_Linux_x86_install-deb_XX.tar.gz
    AOO from version 4.0.0: Apache_OpenOffice_<version>_Linux_x86_install-deb_XX.tar.gz
  • For 64 bits deb
    AOO up to version 3.4.1: Apache_OpenOffice_incubating_<version>_Linux_x86-64_install-deb_XX.tar.gz
    AOO from version 4.0.0: Apache_OpenOffice_<version>_Linux_x86-64_install-deb_XX.tar.gz
where XX stands for your locale (es for Spanish, it for Italian, en-US for American English, en-GB for British English...).
Last edited by RGB on Sun Jul 14, 2013 3:30 pm, edited 10 times in total.
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RGB
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Installing the packages

Post by RGB »

Installing the packages

Once you downloaded the right package, you need to unpack it. You can accomplish this on two ways:

Graphically: using the tools from your desktop environment. For example, on KDE is enough a right click → Unpack archive here.

Virtual terminal: open a virtual terminal (konsole on KDE, gnome-terminal on gnome...) on the folder containing the archive and issue this command
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    tar -vxzf <file-name>
    where <file-name> is the name of the package you downloaded.
On both cases a new folder will be generated. Inside this folder you'll find a folder named RPMs or DEBs, depending on the package you downloaded. Move to that folder and open a virtual terminal there.

Now issue the right command, depending on your system:

For RPM based systems
For DEB based systems
  • First remove any remains of the LibreOffice default installation

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    sudo apt-get purge libreoffice*
    Then install the main packages and the desktop integration

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    sudo dpkg -i *.deb desktop-integration/*.deb
Type your superuser password when asked.

For DEB based systems, you are all set. For RPM based systems, the installation is not ready yet. Now, to install the icons and menus.

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cd desktop-integration
and then

For RPM based systems
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    sudo rpm -Uvh <package-name>
    where <package-name> is the name of the package with a name valid for your distro on it.

    For example, for Fedora and version 4.0.0 you may use:

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    sudo rpm -Uvh openoffice4.0-redhat-menus-4.0-9702.noarch.rpm
    NOTE: the previous commands are only an example, actual numbers on the desktop-integration package can be different depending on the version you are installing.

    Also, it is possible to use the "freedesktop" package instead of the distro specific ones. In fact, it is possible that future versions of AOO will drop the distro specific packages in favour of the freedesktop one.

    TIP: virtual terminals have the ability to complete instructions and file names. You can start by typing "sudo rpm -Uvh o" and then press TAB: the instruction will be completed up to the "4.0-" part. Then, type one character (r for fedora/Red Hat, s for openSUSE, f for freedesktop...) and then press TAB again: the file name is now complete.
Last edited by Hagar Delest on Wed Nov 04, 2020 8:35 pm, edited 8 times in total.
Reason: changed the deb install command to single line.
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RGB
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Parallel installations

Post by RGB »

Parallel installations

AOO have few external dependencies and the program itself is quite self contained. Because of that, RPM and DEB packages can be unpacked to obtain a local install that will work without problems.

The procedure described below is useful to test new versions without unistalling the previous one.

The first part of the process (downloading and unpacking the right package) was already discussed above. Now, once you are on the RPMs or DEBs folder, instead of opening a virtual terminal create another folder with a simple name, something like INSTALL. Enter on this new folder and open there a virtual terminal to issue the following command

For RPM based systems

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for i in ../*.rpm; do rpm2cpio $i | cpio -id; done
For DEB based systems

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for i in ../*.deb; do dpkg-deb -x $i . ; done
Be careful to not forget anything! Not even a single dot!

A folder named opt will be created, containing the whole "install". On the path

for OpenOffice up to version 3.4.1

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path-to-INSTALL-folder/opt/openoffice.org3/program
for OpenOffice from 4.0.0

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path-to-INSTALL-folder/opt/openoffice4/program
you'll find the scripts to start the different components (swriter to start Writer, scalc for Calc, simpress for Impress...)

NOTE: with this "installation" you cannot use the desktop-integration package. Menu entries and file associations must be done by hand.
Last edited by RGB on Sun Jul 14, 2013 3:37 pm, edited 4 times in total.
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RGB
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Changing the user profile folder

Post by RGB »

Changing the user profile folder

NOTE: for more detailed information, see here: The OOo user profile, in particular this section.

If you want to change the user profile location in order to not disturb the system installed version, go to

For AOO up to version 3.4.1

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/path-to-INSTALL-folder/opt/openoffice.org3/program/
For AOO from version 4.0.0

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/path-to-INSTALL-folder/opt/openoffice4/program/
folder and change write permissions on the bootstraprc file. You can do that graphically (on KDE: right click → Properties → Permissions tab and changing the value for Owner to "Read and Write") or from the command line with

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chmod +w bootstraprc
Now, open the bootstraprc file with your favourite text editor (kwrite, gedit...) and modify the line

For AOO up to version 3.4.1

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UserInstallation=$SYSUSERCONFIG/.openoffice.org/3
For AOO from version 4.0.0

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UserInstallation=$SYSUSERCONFIG/.openoffice/4
to something else, like

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UserInstallation=$ORIGIN/..
in which case the same INSTALL folder will be used to host the user profile.
Last edited by RGB on Sun Jul 14, 2013 3:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Cherock
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Re: [Tutorial] Installing Apache OpenOffice on GNU/Linux

Post by Cherock »

This is a very good tool, written very well and easy to follow, even for a beginner like me. This tells me exactly what I have to do to install on Linux. Thank You !!!
Last edited by MrProgrammer on Sat Sep 12, 2020 6:31 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Reason: Removed huge font
I have LinuxMint 20 - Cinnamon loaded alongside Windows 10 - Pro. I use LinuxMint 20 all of the time.
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