OpenOffice

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OpenOffice is a leading open-source office software suite for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, databases and more.

Contents

OpenOffice in Arch Linux

Arch offers 4 trees of binary packages for OpenOffice with different package names:

openoffice-base

This will always be the last released stable version of OpenOffice.
Current version: 3.1.1
Start it with "soffice" or from a desktop menu, if any

openoffice-base-beta

This package will be only present when a new release is not far away. It will be the alpha, beta, and release candidates packages for the next stable release.
Current version: 3.1.1_ooo310_m17-1 (way to=3.1.1rcX) (versions branched from DEV300_m40 that will lead to next stable 3.1.x release)
Start it with "soffice-beta" or from a desktop menu
It is safe to install it together with the stable and devel version.
Please test it carefully and report upstream bugs to OpenOffice and packaging bugs in our flyspray.
See http://wiki.services.openoffice.org/wiki/OOoRelease311 for roadmap

openoffice-base-devel

This packages will be updated from time to time and is a playground for the packager and for testing latest features. Please test and file upstream issues at http://www.openoffice.org/issues/query.cgi
Current version: 3.2_dev300_m55-1 / snapshot DEV300_m55 (snapshots past branching the 3.1 stable tree that will lead to 3.2 release and beyond)
Start it with "soffice-dev" or from a desktop menu
It is safe to install it together with the stable and beta version.
See http://wiki.services.openoffice.org/wiki/OOoRelease32 for roadmap

go-openoffice

In addition, there is a package for go-openoffice also called ooo-build - the "Novell fork" in the extra repository, which includes enhancements and features found in versions of openoffice.org available in Ubuntu, OpenSuSE and other distributions. For users of Arch switching from other distributions go-openoffice may be more familiar to them. It will always be the latest stable release in extra based on the source of openoffice-base pkg. Future beta/devel versions will go to the testing repo.
Right now go-openoffice cannot be installed along any other openoffice branch; consider it a replacement.

Note: If you play with more than one openoffice-base version it is highly recommended to always backup your configuration directory, ~/.openoffice{2,3}.

Installation

  • First, install a Java Runtime Environment (optional, highly recommended). See: Java
  • Also, make sure that fonts are installed, otherwise you will see only rectangles:
# pacman -S ttf-dejavu artwiz-fonts ttf-ms-fonts (and additionally any other needed for your language)
  • Download the base for stable and/or beta and/or devel and/or go-oo:
# pacman -S openoffice-base openoffice-base-beta openoffice-base-devel go-openoffice
  • Download a language package. The main package contains only en_US files, yet the repository offer every shipped upstream langpack, except for go-openoffice.
# pacman -S openoffice-en-GB openoffice-de ....

Extension management and spell checking for OpenOffice 3.x

The Arch package is now shipped with some dictionaries. Check Extension manager if your language is already there simply by loading up any OO program (Writer for example) and access the Extension Manager from the Tools menu. From there enter the following location to install a spell check dictionary:

/usr/lib/openoffice/share/extension/install/
Note: If you installed go-openoffice, the path will be /usr/lib/go-openoffice/share/extension/install/ instead.

Alternatively, there are several ways to accomplish this:

  • 1) Use the Extension manager from OOo menu for download and installation - installs only for the user into his ~/.openoffice.org/3/user/uno_packages/cache
  • 2) Download the extension and install it using "unopkg add extension" for the user or
  • 3) Download the extension and install it using "unopkg add --shared extension" for every user on the system (requires root permission)

Set OOo environment variable

OpenOffice supports to use several toolkits for drawing and integrates into different desktop environments in a clean way. To choose by hand, you need to set the OOO_FORCE_DESKTOP environment variable.

To run OpenOffice.org in GTK2 mode(this is default and already preset), you can issue (using bash):

 # OOO_FORCE_DESKTOP=gnome soffice

To run OpenOffice.org in QT/KDE3 mode, you can issue (using bash):

 # OOO_FORCE_DESKTOP=kde soffice

To run OpenOffice.org in QT4/KDE4 mode, you can issue (using bash):

 # OOO_FORCE_DESKTOP=kde4 soffice
Note: As KDE look was removed in Openoffice3 it is highly recommended to use the GTK mode for all users. KDE4 integration is in experimental state in go-openoffice and in openoffice-base-devel (starting from m56)

Configure OOo environment globally

To configure the look for anytime OpenOffice gets started, you can export the OOO_FORCE_DESKTOP variable in /etc/profile.d/openoffice.sh, or in /usr/bin/soffice, with the value gnome, kde, or kde4.

Environment variable scripts

If for whatever reason you do not want to configure the look globaly, as a non-GNOME/KDE user you may run into problems when trying to add the environment variable to the command in a *box menu, as such menus do not seem to like environment variables.

This script will run openoffice using the GTK look while still accepting command line options like -writer.

#!/bin/sh

#### openoffice-gtk - A script to start openoffice with the GNOME/GTK environment

OOO_FORCE_DESKTOP=gnome /usr/bin/soffice "$@"

Just use this script as a command (e.g, /usr/bin/openoffice-gtk) for your menu or whatever other sort of launcher you use.

Note: If you open a file in a filemanager, for example Thunar, the default look will be used, as the file association will not use your personal script.

KDE4 look and feel for OpenOffice

OOO_FORCE_DESKTOP=gnome never did the trick for me. A good workaround is to set (as root):

export SAL_GTK_USE_PIXMAPPAINT=1

into /etc/profile.d/openoffice.sh. In KDE4 systemsettings, make sure "use my KDE style in GTK applications" is selected in Appearance > GTK styles and fonts (you must install gtk-qt-engine first).

Alternative configuration=

Do not select "use my KDE style in GTK applications". Instead choose a native syle and font for GTK2 applications.

# pacman -S gtk-chtheme
# pacman -S gtk-engines

Use gtk-chtheme to select a style and font. There are also other GTK engine packages available.

There are two relevant parts of the OOo options dialog, View and Fonts:

  • View
    • set scale to 100%
    • set use system font OFF (otherwise replacement table will not be used)
    • set antialiasing OFF
  • Fonts
    • select "Use replacement table"
    • replace "Andale Sans UI" (you must type this in -- it is not in the drop down list) with another font.
    • Press the tick symbol to update the list
    • Select "always" and "screen only"
    • Press OK

When choosing fonts for OpenOffice note that the poor font rendering engine included in the package may not render a particular font in the same way as other apps on the desktop. Use the kmag magnifying glass to examine shape of each letter.

Running OpenOffice

If you want to run a specific module of OpenOffice.org (instead of the soffice default Startcenter), for example the word processor (Write), spreadsheet application (Calc) or presentation program (Impress), check for the following script front-ends:

Writer

 /usr/bin/soffice -writer

Calc

 /usr/bin/soffice -calc

Impress

 /usr/bin/soffice -impress

Draw

 /usr/bin/soffice -draw

Math (Formula Editor)

 /usr/bin/soffice -math

Base (Database frontend)

 /usr/bin/soffice -base

Printer Administration (Recommended to run as root)

 /usr/bin/spadmin

Trouble-shooting

Font substitution

These settings can be changed in the OpenOffice.org options. From the drop-down menu, select Tools > Options > OpenOffice.org > Fonts. Check the box that says Apply Replacement Table. Type Andale Sans in the font box and choose your desired font for the Replace with option. When done, click the checkmark. Then choose the Always and Screen only options in the box below. Apply the changes, and your menu fonts should look great.

Anti-aliasing

Execute

$ echo "Xft.lcdfilter: lcddefault" | xrdb -merge

To make the change persistent, add "Xft.lcdfilter: lcddefault" to your ~/.Xresources file. [1].

If this doesn't work you can also try adding "Xft.lcdfilter: lcddefault" to your ~/.Xdefaults. If you do not have this file, you will have to create it.

TrueType font detection

See Font Configuration#Programs can no longer access TrueType fonts. To add fonts to those already available in OpenOffice, run spadmin.

Qt looks with KDE >4

OpenOffice has transitioned to Qt 4, and as such the look of the applications can not be set with Qt 3 tools.

French dictionary

As of openoffice 3.0.0-2 the french dictionary is buggy due to a character encoding problem. To solve this problem, first execute the following commands (you will need zip and unzip packages):

$ cp /usr/lib/openoffice/share/extension/install/dict-fr.oxt dict-fr.oxt
$ unzip dict-fr.oxt -d dict-fr
$ cd dict-fr
$ iconv -f ISO-8859-15 -t UTF-8 dictionaries.xcu > dictionaries.xcu.utf
$ mv dictionaries.xcu.utf dictionaries.xcu
$ zip ../dict-fr.oxt *
$ cd ../
$ rm -r dict-fr

then go in the openoffice extension manager (Tools menu) and install the dictionary from the new dict-fr.oxt file.

Dark GTK themes and gtk-qt-engine

For a quick fix, see openoffice-dark-gtk-fix or if you have go-openoffice see go-openoffice-dark-gtk-fix on the AUR. This also sets 'OOO_FORCE_DESKTOP=gnome'.

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