Installing Libreoffice..I'm almost there

rye37 · 06-13-2011, 09:11 PM

I''ve downloaded and extracted Libreoffice..that's LIBREOFFICE..one word.
I've followed the instructions using the synaptic package mgr.
That is, I've marked it for installation, clicked Apply, and Apply the following changes.
It appeared to have installed it.
Now the instructions say click on the main menu, then click on Libreoffice to launch the main program.
I don't know what that means..
but then..
I don't know how to add a contact to my address book, I don't know how to fill in my profile..
There's a whole lot of things I don't know..
Thanks folks

arizonagroovejet · 06-14-2011, 03:55 AM

Look in the same menu you use to launch other applications.

rye37 · 06-14-2011, 04:24 PM

Fellow Arizonan
The first place I looked is under applications, but it's not there.
I just started with Linux. I really don't have enough files to back up, but I will, and I will.
If I knew how to fill out the profile, I'd talk more about southern Arizona, bicycling, and other stuff I like.
I'd also like to know how to add contacts...
I'm sure I'll learn after a while, but let's start with libreoffice.
Thanks
Rye

arizonagroovejet · 06-14-2011, 05:08 PM

Open an instance of GNOME Terminal. That's under Applications > Accessories.

At the command prompt run these commands

Code:

$ which libreoffice
$ grep -i libreoffice /usr/share/applications/*.desktop | grep Exec

Post the output (wrap it in CODE tags when you post).

rye37 · 06-14-2011, 07:18 PM

grep: /user/share/applications/*.desktop: No such file or directory

first I put in $ which liberoffice, and the prompt came up
Then I put in the grep command, and you see what happened.
I must have made some kind of mistake, but I don't know what it is..

mark_alfred · 06-14-2011, 08:33 PM

Try pressing the keyboard key Alt, and while holding it down press F2 (aka alt+F2). A "run application" box should pop up*. Try entering "libreoffice" in it (without quotes), and see if anything happens. If nothing, then try looking in the /usr/bin directory for something similar to "libreoffice", and enter what you find in the run application box (or, if you can't find a run application box, and Alt+F2 doesn't provide one, then just enter the commands in your terminal.)

___
*If you already know of a place where Ubuntu has the run application command, then use that. I don't have gnome installed on my system, but when I did use gnome, the Alt+F2 key combo gave me the run application command.

rye37 · 06-14-2011, 08:53 PM

at first, I clicked "run" and got this

Error stating file '/home/rye/libreoffice': No such file or directory

Then I did run application..
something like it is in downloads, but if I click on it, it asks me where I want to put it..and I have no idea.
I don't know how to run it..
Now I'm not even sure it's propeerly installed...
Lost again

rye37 · 06-14-2011, 08:58 PM

I can change directories to /usr/bin but I don't know how to look into the directory
still wet behind the ears

TobiSGD · 06-15-2011, 01:25 AM

You can see if it is installed with the command

Code:

apt-cache policy libreoffice

craigevil · 06-15-2011, 04:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TobiSGD

You can see if it is installed with the command

Code:

apt-cache policy libreoffice

If its not installed do:

Code:

sudo apt-get install libreoffice

Installing software in Ubuntu : http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/installingsoftware

InstallingSoftware - Community Ubuntu Documentation : https://help.ubuntu.com/community/InstallingSoftware

arizonagroovejet · 06-15-2011, 04:43 AM

Erm... didn't I hit 'submit reply' on this two hours ago... apparently not...

Quote:

Originally Posted by rye37

grep: /user/share/applications/*.desktop: No such file or directorysudo apt-get install libreoffice-writer

Is that actually the command you ran? Because that's not what I wrote.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rye37

first I put in $ which liberoffice, and the prompt came up

Again, is that actually the command you ran? Because again, it's not what I wrote.

If you want to copy what's on the screen in to a post use copy/paste. Don't type and re-type it because mistakes may creep in. If you cannot accurately convey what it is you've done (or accurately type commands people provide) it gets a lot harder to help you.

If you did actually type the command I wrote as I wrote it and not what you wrote above and there was no output, then that means libreoffice is not installed.

Try running this command

Code:

$ sudo apt-get install libreoffice-writer

It should install the Writer component of libreoffice if it's not already installed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TobiSGD

You can see if it is installed with the command

Code:

apt-cache policy libreoffice

Hmmm. I have libreoffice installed, but the output of that command suggests I don't. I'm not familiar with apt-cache but I'm assuming it uses package names and that there's no package called libreoffice.

Code:

$ mike@mike-VirtualBox:~$ apt-cache policy libreoffice
libreoffice:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 1:3.3.2-1ubuntu5
  Version table:
     1:3.3.2-1ubuntu5 0
        500 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ natty-updates/universe i386 Packages
     1:3.3.2-1ubuntu4 0
        500 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ natty/universe i386 Packages
mike@mike-VirtualBox:~$

compare with

Code:

mike@mike-VirtualBox:~$ apt-cache policy libreoffice-writer
libreoffice-writer:
  Installed: 1:3.3.2-1ubuntu5
  Candidate: 1:3.3.2-1ubuntu5
  Version table:
 *** 1:3.3.2-1ubuntu5 0
        500 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ natty-updates/main i386 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     1:3.3.2-1ubuntu4 0
        500 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ natty/main i386 Packages

TobiSGD · 06-15-2011, 05:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arizonagroovejet

I'm not familiar with apt-cache but I'm assuming it uses package names

Yes.

Quote:

and that there's no package called libreoffice.

http://packages.ubuntu.com/natty/libreoffice

arizonagroovejet · 06-15-2011, 05:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TobiSGD

Yes.http://packages.ubuntu.com/natty/libreoffice

OK, I stand corrected

I was jumping to a conclusion based upon my Natty installation doesn't have the package libreoffice installed and yet if I look in Applications > Office I see

LibreOffice
LibreOffice Calc
LibreOffice Draw
LibreOffice Impress
LibreOffice Math
LibreOffice Writer

Also I have a file called /usr/bin/libreoffice. But it turns out that belongs to the package libreoffice-common.

Anyway, I would say that I have LibreOffice installed and yet I don't have the package libreoffice installed. So the absence of the package libreoffice can't be taken as an indication that LibreOffice isn't installed. Which is completely counter-intuitive and and makes my brain hurt a little.

This actually leads me to another point: We've been assuming the OP is using Natty. LibreOffice is installed by default in Natty - that's how I come to have it installed. I didn't install it. So if the OP does have Natty installed I would expect LibreOffice to be there without them having to do anything.

rye37 - what version of Ubuntu are you using?

Also instead of insatlling libreoffice-writer as I suggested try

Code:

$ sudo apt-get install libreoffice

since evidently that package does in fact exist

rye37 · 06-15-2011, 09:03 AM

using apt - cache policy libreoffice, I received an output "it's not installed, use this command" which involved jdk -6- something. I can no longer find it...It appeared to install, but I can't find it in the terminal. I'm going to try to restart. Maybe it requires that.
Thanks folks

rye37 · 06-15-2011, 09:08 AM

rye@Bullsnake:~$ apt - cache policy libreoffice
apt: invalid flag: -
Usage: apt <apt and javac options> <source files>
where apt options include:
-classpath <path> Specify where to find user class files and annotation processor factories
-cp <path> Specify where to find user class files and annotation processor factories
-d <path> Specify where to place processor and javac generated class files
-s <path> Specify where to place processor generated source files
-source <release> Provide source compatibility with specified release
-version Version information
-help Print a synopsis of standard options; use javac -help for more options
-X Print a synopsis of nonstandard options
-J<flag> Pass <flag> directly to the runtime system
-A[key[=value]] Options to pass to annotation processors
-nocompile Do not compile source files to class files
-print Print out textual representation of specified types
-factorypath <path> Specify where to find annotation processor factories
-factory <class> Name of AnnotationProcessorFactory to use; bypasses default discovery process
See javac -help for information on javac options.