latest version of mint does not come with the latest version of libreoffice

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tito bandito
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latest version of mint does not come with the latest version of libreoffice

Post by tito bandito »

i was just wondering why the last several versions of mint don't come with the latest version of libreoffice? they all have a version in the 6.x.x.x area. whereas the latest version is 7.3.x.x. i have since learned how to uninstall the old and install the new so it isn't an issue for me. just something i was thinking about.
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deepakdeshp
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Re: latest version of mint does not come with the latest version of libreoffice

Post by deepakdeshp »

Mint isn't a rolling release so it doesn't have the latest software releases.
viewtopic.php?t=356907
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Re: latest version of mint does not come with the latest version of libreoffice

Post by Moem »

tito bandito wrote: Wed Apr 20, 2022 8:05 pm i was just wondering why the last several versions of mint don't come with the latest version of libreoffice?
Good question, and one that has been asked and answered many times: Why are my applications not the latest possible version?
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Re: latest version of mint does not come with the latest version of libreoffice

Post by Hoser Rob »

As mentioned, it's a good question that's been asked many times. Basically it's because Linux does not have great backwards or forwards compatability. Distros like Mint and its Ubuntu base are meant to be friendly to beginners so they're long term support for stability. Rolling releases like Arch give you the latest software but they trade that for stability. Rolling releases are NOT for beginners because it will break after updates sometimes. Major CLI recovery skills are needed for this and expert oriented distros like Arch don't offer much help for beginners.

You can install newer versions, as you've found out, but that can compromise stability too. Many, many newbies on this forum have broken their system this way. The main thing is that if you're installing from a ppa or .deb file, read the messages you get. If it tells you that installing the software will remove existing software, abort.
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Re: latest version of mint does not come with the latest version of libreoffice

Post by MikeNovember »

tito bandito wrote: Wed Apr 20, 2022 8:05 pm i was just wondering why the last several versions of mint don't come with the latest version of libreoffice? they all have a version in the 6.x.x.x area. whereas the latest version is 7.3.x.x. i have since learned how to uninstall the old and install the new so it isn't an issue for me. just something i was thinking about.
Hi,

Mint is based on Ubuntu LTS, and Ubuntu LTS, a "stable" distribution does not update the programs in the distro... except some (Firefox, Thunderbird...). "LTS" is for "Long Term Support", but this just mean that Ubuntu will correct safety bugs, not update apps. The "LTS" name is very misleading.

If you want a recent version of LibreOffice, download it from LO website and install it (download the deb for LO, language pack if other than English, help pack; uncompress the downloaded archives; in each archive there is a "debs" directory, go to it, open a terminal, and install the packages by the command "sudo dpkg -i *.deb; begin by LO, then language pack, then help pack; you can uninstall the old version from Mint or keep it).

If you want to have fresh programs, you have two solutions:
- use a rolling distro such as Archlinux,
- use flatpak apps within Mint; a tutorial is here: viewtopic.php?f=42&t=368501

Regards,

MN
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Re: latest version of mint does not come with the latest version of libreoffice

Post by Hoser Rob »

MikeNovember wrote: Thu Apr 21, 2022 9:38 am ...If you want to have fresh programs, you have two solutions:
- use a rolling distro such as Archlinux,
- use flatpak apps within Mint; a tutorial is here: viewtopic.php?f=42&t=368501
...
Dang, forgot to mention flatpaks. Appimages as well. They're the Linux version of portable programs. I actually have any flatpaks but I have a couple of appimages.
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Re: latest version of mint does not come with the latest version of libreoffice

Post by MikeNovember »

Hoser Rob wrote: Thu Apr 21, 2022 10:30 am
MikeNovember wrote: Thu Apr 21, 2022 9:38 am ...If you want to have fresh programs, you have two solutions:
- use a rolling distro such as Archlinux,
- use flatpak apps within Mint; a tutorial is here: viewtopic.php?f=42&t=368501
...
Dang, forgot to mention flatpaks. Appimages as well. They're the Linux version of portable programs. I actually have any flatpaks but I have a couple of appimages.
Hi,

AppImages do not update automatically, flatpaks do.

There are still other solutions (Snaps packages, Guix packages...).

Regards,

MN
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Re: latest version of mint does not come with the latest version of libreoffice

Post by DeathDancer »

If you don't mind using a PPA, there are PPA's for the latest version of libreoffice.
This site gives ways to get the latest version of libreoffice.
It is for Ubuntu but it will work in Linux Mint.

https://ubuntuhandbook.org/index.php/20 ... -04-21-10/

go to Method 3 for the instructions on how to add the PPA, and upgrade libreoffice.

Also you can use libreoffice-still found here.
(This is the one I prefer to use)
https://launchpad.net/~libreoffice/+arc ... fice-still

in terminal:

Code: Select all

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:libreoffice/libreoffice-still
then

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get update
Then refresh the Update Manager and install the updates, done deal.
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Re: latest version of mint does not come with the latest version of libreoffice

Post by AdamFirst »

I think the answers that have been given are valid. Mint isn't a rolling release and stability is a high priority.

I also think your question has merit. Why does an 0S not ship with a current office suite and a current web browser that it keeps current? To me those are the most important apps on my system. I consider my browser being current to be a matter of security. I want my office suite to be up to date mainly for compatibility issues. So, I keep my browser up to date. (And, I let my office suite gracefully age.)
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Re: latest version of mint does not come with the latest version of libreoffice

Post by Hoser Rob »

AdamFirst wrote: Tue Apr 26, 2022 8:48 pm .... Why does an 0S not ship with a current office suite and a current web browser that it keeps current? ...
All browsers I know of are the newest up to date version. Unless you use an appimage or possibly a built from source one.
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Re: latest version of mint does not come with the latest version of libreoffice

Post by Hoser Rob »

One thing about ppas - they can break things, there's actually generally a reason they aren't in the default repos. It's not laziness.

If you are installing a package from a ppa read the messages you get. If it says it's going to replace another package, stop the install. Those other packages are dependencies and these are used globally, often by many programs.
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Re: latest version of mint does not come with the latest version of libreoffice

Post by AdamFirst »

Hoser Rob has corrected me. Seems I've been living in the past.
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Re: latest version of mint does not come with the latest version of libreoffice

Post by DeathDancer »

It is true that a PPA can brake a system, therefore never use a PPA from an untrusted source. Malware is another possibility from PPA use, so caution is always a watch word here. I have used the libreoffice-still PPA for quite sometime without problems. But for the timid there is the flatpak apps as stated above. I have used flatpak’s in the past, But the download can be massive for some apps. So if you really need the latest version of libreoffice several options exist for the user. I believe the reason this question keeps coming up is because the version of libreoffice included in Mint/Ubuntu is outside its supported life cycle.
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Re: latest version of mint does not come with the latest version of libreoffice

Post by Hoser Rob »

DeathDancer wrote: Fri Apr 29, 2022 9:12 am It is true that a PPA can brake a system, therefore never use a PPA from an untrusted source. Malware is another possibility from PPA use, so caution is always a watch word here. ...
Actually malware is the main reason that you'd want a trusted source. If I do add a ppa it's going to be the orighinal host. ppas can break things even if the source is trustworthy.
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Re: latest version of mint does not come with the latest version of libreoffice

Post by rickNS »

It doesn't appear that the OP is very interested in their own thread, but if they were, I'd ask; Just what feature is in the newest version 7*, that is not in version 6*, that you must have ?
The answer to which is "usually" nothing, or I don't know. Heck, there may not even be any new features. I didn't bother to look as it is at the very bottom of my list of things to worry about.

So for most people worrying about the newest versions of things is a waste of time, and so, no need of PPAs or flatpaks.
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Re: latest version of mint does not come with the latest version of libreoffice

Post by Second Round »

rickNS wrote: Tue May 03, 2022 9:06 am It doesn't appear that the OP is very interested in their own thread, but if they were, I'd ask; Just what feature is in the newest version 7*, that is not in version 6*, that you must have ?
The answer to which is "usually" nothing, or I don't know. Heck, there may not even be any new features. I didn't bother to look as it is at the very bottom of my list of things to worry about.

So for most people worrying about the newest versions of things is a waste of time, and so, no need of PPAs or flatpaks.
You may be right, if most people only need functionality within the LO suite.

However, for those who collaborate with others who use Microsoft Office, having the latest LibreOffice usually minimizes the incompatibilities between the programs. I recall being unable (at times) to open password-protected MS Office documents that were solved by manually installing a more recent version of LO. It depended on which version of MS Office had been used. I infer they change their algorithm for password protection now and then, and LO may take awhile to catch up.

Even with the latest version of LO, there was at least one feature I needed that didn't work in LO. As best I recall, it related to check boxes in MS Word documents - they showed up as images in LO but you couldn't check them (insert a check mark) with a left-click of the mouse, like you could in Word. The issue may have involved macros. Anyway, I was given a Word document (a template, in the colloquial sense) to fill in - a mix of commentary/prose and checking appropriate boxes. I couldn't do the latter; I ended up just using highlighting to indicate those boxes I would have checked.
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Re: latest version of mint does not come with the latest version of libreoffice

Post by sip »

I recall being unable (at times) to open password-protected MS Office documents that were solved by manually installing a more recent version of LO.
Good day.
Documents on which the password is set and will work in limited access .. According to the compatibility of MS Office and LO personally in my work practice there was only one problem, and that is in spreadsheets with macros ...! :? But also decided.! :)
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Re: latest version of mint does not come with the latest version of libreoffice

Post by rossdv8 »

I know we shouldn't do it, and shouldn't advise new users to do it - but for years I've had the default LibreOffice installed, that comes with Mint, plus the latest stable version.
At the moment, than means I have LibreOffice version version: 6.4.7.2, installed alongside LibreOffice version 7.3.3.2.

I tend to avoid having the same document opened concurrently in two versions at the same time - and in fact I deliberately never open both versions at the same time.

I had a problem with 'lock' files a few times, and I blamed it on my stupidity doing this. However it turned out to be completely unrelated, and a hell of a lot of people who were not running concurrent versions of LibreOffice also had the problem.

There may be some inherent risk of data corruption across documents - but I have not managed to find it yet. I like having the latest version on tap 'just because', but mostly I use the default version out of habit.
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Re: latest version of mint does not come with the latest version of libreoffice

Post by antikythera »

You can't check the spelling and grammar of Klingon in LO 6.4.7.2 though :D
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