[SOLVED] Install older/newer version of LibreOffice??

[deanr]

For some reason spellcheck doesn't work on the latest repo version of LibreOffice (6.0.7.3) on my Kubuntu 18.04 and some other distros: this has been reported apparently as I found numerous 'unsolved' cases online. Note: It works perfectly on my main Mint XFCE desktop thankfully as this is a function essential to my work as a proofreader.

I tried to install the latest stable version 6.1.6 direct from the LibreOffice site to see if that works and, following the guidelines on the LO website, here's what happened:

1. Downloaded the deb.tar.gz file
2. Followed instructions to unzip, open and go to DEBS folder, highlight all files in DEBS, right click and select 'open with installer' - in this case QApt package installer.

With QApt (I also tried Discover, Muon and Synaptic - none could 'open' the files) I then got lots and lots of windows opening with 'cannot satisfy dependencies'. Needless to say, it didn't install correctly.

Am I doing something wrong? Is there an easy (easier) way of installing another - older or newer - version of LibreOffice? Isn't it possible just to download a regular .deb file somewhere, right click and install, for example?

Thanks.

Edit: I'm getting the same error message with an older .deb file of WPS Office which I've installed on my other machines with Mint XFCE.

[jlittle]

My main install is disco (19.04) and it came with 6.2.3.2. I've got it running sweetly, though I don't usually use it for much.

So, in investigating your problem I didn't want to muck up my 6.2.3.2. I thought about snaps and flatpacks and VMs and each didn't appeal for different reasons. But then I found How to install multiple versions of LibreOffice on askUbuntu and it worked very simply, and only took a minute or so. That post refers to editing ./install/opt/libreoffice/program/bootstraprc but it is ./install/opt/libreoffice6.1/program/bootstraprc.

Your mention of QApt, Muon, and Synaptic, but not dpkg (as the instructions in the read-me say) suggests that you might not be confident on the command line, but don't worry, we'll have no problem helping you through the simple steps, and maybe setting up menu or panel items to run the 6.1 version.

A downside with that approach is its virtue that it appears to keep entirely separate from other installations of LibreOffice, and so doesn't pick up preferences and similar stuff (macros, templates...) from them. I imagine there's a way to copy those things to the 6.1 install, but I'm not familiar with it.

[deanr]

Sweet! Thanks @jlittle - I got LO 6.1.6 running and working (for now at least )

I did try the terminal actually but really had no idea what I was doing. Your mention of it in your reply and the fact that the read-me suggests a solution prompted me to have a second look - and to look specifically for installing via command line. In the end it was simple enough even for me to do:

1. navigate to aforementioned DEBS folder
2. right click, open the DEBS folder in terminal
3. type $ sudo dpkg -i *.deb

Worked like a charm!