Can't find OpenOffice

[jpaul_johnson]

I'm new to Linux and have just installed Ubuntu 13.10. I completely removed LibreOffice. I downloaded the latest OOo package (4.0.1) and extracted the files to a new folder. Then I ran the sudo dpkg -i *.deb commands on the 2 folders. I got no errors.

But I can't find the openoffice software. I installed the Synaptics uninstaller and it shows openoffice programs as installed. Dash doesn't find them and I don't see them in a Software Center search. I don't know where to look on the HDD.

I think I did this right, but my results show otherwise. This is the very first thing I've done in Linux. I'm a PC Consultant trying to find alternatives to the Microsoft tyranny, and an OpenOffice fan. But WOW. Is Linux really this hard? What did I do wrong (with the installation)? How do I find OpenOffice? Should I have used the Software Center to install OOo?

Thanks.

[RoryOF]

Try the Office folder; under Ubuntu in that you should have links to all OpenOffice components. I'm not familiar with the Ubuntu Dash interface (read: I hated it!)

Or, just to prove OO is installed, in a terminal type

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whereis openoffice4

and to run OO, in a terminal type

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openoffice4

This last is suggested as a temporary measure until you find the normal links to OO. It can also be used for fault finding.

[RoryOF]

In your install did you do the following step?

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cd desktop-integration
sudo dpkg -i *.deb

This is often omitted by first time installers. It installs the working links to OO components into the Office Group.

[Villeroy]

On Linux Mint you have LibreOffice already installed which is almost identically to OpenOffice.

[RoryOF]

My own preference is for OpenOffice; I find it completely stable (for my usage) and there are one or two changes of appearance in LibreOffice that don't sit well with me.

[Villeroy]

My own preference is for OpenOffice; I find it completely stable (for my usage) and there are one or two changes of appearance in LibreOffice that don't sit well with me.

Yes, I prefer OpenOffice too. The differences are miniscule, though. For a beginner they are not relevant. For a Linux user it may be relevant that LibreOffice handles some more proprietary file formats. For a Linux beginner, it is relevant that LibreOffice comes from the distributor's repositories. It can be installed and removed within a minute and it updates automatically together with the whole system.
Personally, I don't give a shit on propietary file formats. I am not a Linux beginner. I don't like the the development path they have chosen including virtually untested code from anyone as long as it seems to do something.

[Villeroy]

@ jpaul_johnson
If you installed both packages, you may keep LibreOffice as default application and just add some links to /opt/OpenOffice/program/soffice to your desktop, menu and what else. The link is sufficient to start OpenOffice to its welcome screen from where you can go to anywhere. In any desktop environment (even Windows) you can do something like File_Icon>Right-Click>Open_With...

Linux is by far, far, far easier to handle than MS Windows. It is just completely different. All the nasty computer problems I have with Linux are nothing compared to the problems I have with MS Windows.

[igorGriffiths]

In your install did you do the following step?

Code: Select all

cd desktop-integration
sudo dpkg -i *.deb

This is often omitted by first time installers. It installs the working links to OO components into the Office Group.

Thanks Rory, having just recovered my system from a crash and with Libre being forced upon me, I thought I would give it another chance.
I had lived with it for 6 months on a Windows system prior to switching to Ubuntu and there were too many bugs and elements of weirdness for me. Thus I have no desire to use it and I can confirm that Libre and OpenOffice are not compatible when it comes to spreadsheet formulas, having opened an OpenOffice sheet in Libre thus I needed to remove Libre and make OpenOffice the default which thanks to your lines of code it now is.

Thanks Rory

[Villeroy]

Thus I have no desire to use it and I can confirm that Libre and OpenOffice are not compatible when it comes to spreadsheet formulas, having opened an OpenOffice sheet in Libre thus I needed to remove Libre and make OpenOffice the default which thanks to your lines of code it now is.

This would be a clear bug on either side. Can you please post some examples of such formulas? The core and the main purpose of both suites is the best possible compatibility between office applications using the ODF document standard. Of course you throw away the main advantage of both suites when you store MS document formats.