We have recently started using Libre Office and have little expertise. Another user, using Writer, has drop downs for style, font, and font style. When I start Writer there is no section to open the drop down for these three items. Sometimes in the style section there are multiple lines of text written to it. (The text “Default Style” is overwritten by “Heading 1” or something.) The rectangular outline around the tools are missing.

I cd’ed into .config and changed the name of the libreoffice directory to something else. When I next started Writer it created a new directory but the problem remains. I tried copying the entire directory form another user but wound up with some problems that I was not able to resolve. Remember, I am a Linux novice.

Does anyone know how I can get my LibreOffice configuration files set up such that these drop downs become functional?

RESOLVED
Unfortunately we have little expertise with LibreOffic so after having received a few complaint from me the admin guy created a brand new set up for me and that resolved the problem. I regret that no solution was found.
Thank you for your replies.

Could you take a screenshot of the issue and post it here please?

I don't see any method to put an image here but I did manage an attachment.
I cannot copy from my Linux box to this machine so took a cell phone picture. One image of a good system and one of mine with the problem.

Attached Thumbnails

   

Thanks. The images aren't great but it looks like it could be a theme issue. Am I right in saying that apart from the visual difference, the big difference is the lack in drop-down selection boxes for those three icons?

Have a play around with Tools->Options->Icon Style (and sizes) and see if that makes a difference.

I personally use the Oxygen theme, but that entails the installation of the libreoffice-style-oxygen package on Ubuntu/Mint.

I have never used a theme but will look that up and try it.
Yes, the problem seems to be associated only with not being able to change the paragraph style and fonts.

If you can tolerate a side question from a newbie: A terminal window is open way down in a directory structure. Can I open LibreOffice Writer on a file right there from the terminal window rather and having to navigate all they way there again.

Of course I can tolerate it.

Remember to enclose the filename in quotes (single or double but matching) if it has spaces in it or, alternatively, escape any spaces with a preceding backslash.

Google returned an answered question that said to go to: Tool -> Options -> View -> Icon style.
Mine had the same setting at the good system so I changed it anyway. All the icons changed but there is still not drop down for paragraph style and the font type and size.

Curious. Have you tried clicking where the dropdown arrow should be?

There is a lengthy series of podcasts on using LibreOffice at Hacker Public Radio. You may well find some or all of them useful.

I've never used any theme for LibreOffice other than the default, but here's a like to LO's article about personalization: https://help.libreoffice.org/Common/Personalization

I've always done pretty well at https://ask.libreoffice.org/en/questions/ You have to sign up, but just doing a search usually can resolve the issue.

There are huge manuals for LibreOffice and all of its constituent parts, available as PDFs, ODTs, or even real books!
https://documentation.libreoffice.or...documentation/
That should take care of the "little experience" problem. But the display in your picture is something else, and I've never seen anything like it. Do you have the same problem with spreadsheets?

Is this actually CentOS, or something else, and with what desktop environment?

Thanks for the replies. Yes I did try clicking where the dropdown option should be and it did not work.
Yes, I am reasonably sure this box is running Centos. On the screen in the lower right, on the standard wall paper, it display a 7 with CENTOS just below. I don't remember which desktop and have to boot to see what it was. I was using what ever was default. I was asked to use GNOME standard but already don't like it much. Every files that has spaces in the name must be quoted and I cannot find the tool to change monitor positions or set the inactivity time out value.

After I pestered about this for a while the guy that manages all of our stuff said to just log out and he would set me up with a completely new desktop or something. My Linux box does a cloud boot. I had also been having problems where the mouse would move but not accept any keyboard or mouse click entries. He also made some changes to X.

So now my Writer screen looks normal. We have no idea of the root cause, but do suspect something in the configurations here.

Sorry to end in this manner, but thanks again for the suggestions.

No problem. I'm just glad that you resolved the problem.