LibreOffice upgrade faster than the repository

[52ROSt]

After updating kubuntu, the LibreOffice version is 4.2.7. The 4.2.7 version contains a bug in Calc, which is already removed in the 4.3 series.

Is it possible to upgrade LIbre Office faster than the repository?

What kind of experience was made in general and specifically with 4.2 to 4.3?

Thanks in advance for your reply.

[GreyGeek]

Here you go (I haven't tried this, I got it off the Internet):

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:libreoffice/libreoffice-4-3
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

This leaves you stuck on 4.3 until you decide to switch in a new repo and repeat this process but it will ensure you get all the release quality 4.3 updates without risking loading in libreoffice alpha or beta code.

[52ROSt]

Thanks a lot for this valuable information. It indicates me that i should not run into big problems when I upgrade outside of kubunto.repro.

[anika200]

Good thread, I thought I was up to date with Libre Office by default but I guess not.

[GreyGeek]

Thanks a lot for this valuable information. It indicates me that i should not run into big problems when I upgrade outside of kubunto.repro.

A word of caution is advisable here. A "PPA" is a Personal Package Archive. It is NOT an Ubuntu repository where packages are vetted. A PPA is an account on Launchpad where ANYONE can post their build files for any package after they have established an account. I've gone through the process and have an account on LaunchPad but the process is not immune from lying or deception. (I started it with the intention of helping out with Kubuntu but since I retired 6 years ago from 40 years of programming I've never wrote another line of code.) The security key for a PPA is generated by the account holder, usually using PGP, and that key is used to sign the files he or she uploads to the archive. When you install the PPA PGP key on your PGP ring it is used to verify the integrity of the downloaded files because, presumable, only the account owner has the ability to sign the packages. The account holder could be a rogue coder.

The LibreOffice PPA is described here and the details of the development team are given here. In this case the PPA creator and owner is the well known Bjoern Michaelsen with an indisputable vita, so I would personally have no problems with using this PPA to get LibreOffice 4.3. Michaelsen moderates the development team to assure their credentials as well, so it is a trusted PPA.

There are several long time members or admins of this forum who have a PPA on launchpad. I would trust their packages as well. For other PPA's I would see who started the account, is it a one man show or is a team involved, and if a team which member is doing the team moderation, and search out their vita on web before I used that PPA.

As far as installing packages from other sources besides the Ubuntu/Kubuntu repositories or a valid LaunchPad PPA my advice is DO NOT DO IT!

[52ROSt]

HI GreyGeek, Thanks lot for your very valuable information about the PPA. I even did not know that this exists.

My first intention was to install the newer LibO version by downloading the software from the LibO homepage (64rpm version) and follow the instruction manual of LibO.

I know the risk is on my side but would you use PPA or the download and installation guide from LibO?

Which method ever I will use, I will always first clone my root and boot partition using clonezilla.

[NoWorries]

If you are feeling courageous, you could try the pre-release ppa with instructions at https://launchpad.net/~libreoffice/+...ce-prereleases. I currently am using Version 4.4.0.0 beta2 and it is working very well except for a very brief white flash at the start of a mp4 file inserted into presentations. This is a long standing bug with Libreoffice presentations.

Edit:

As Steve Riley correctly pointed out later in this topic, you should use the deb files in launchpad. If you do not want to try the beta release above, you can try Version 4.3 at https://launchpad.net/~libreoffice/+...ibreoffice-4-3.

If you have been installing Libreoffice from non-ubuntu sources, you should remove all of these packages before using the deb files from launchpad.

[GreyGeek]

HI GreyGeek, Thanks lot for your very valuable information about the PPA. I even did know that this exists.

My first intention was to install the newer LibO version by downloading the software from the LibO homepage (64rpm version) and follow the instruction manual of LibO.

I know the risk is on my side but would you use PPA or the download and installation guide from LibO?

Which method ever I will use, I will always first clone my root and boot partition using clonezilla.

Both sites are good sources, IMO, but I'm sure you do not want to install the LO SDK (Software Development Kit) because I doubt you plan to compile LO from its source. What you want is the binary installer.
http://download.documentfoundation.o...-64_deb.tar.gz

If it has "sdk" in its name you don't want it.

P.S.: As far as "Clonzilla" is concerned, the next time you install from scratch use Btrfs. It allows you to create pre-install subvolumes of your system, then do the install, and if things don't work out then you can restore from you pre-install subvolumes by renaming and rebooting.

[52ROSt]

Hi GreGeek - As for binarys and compiling I don't have enough knowledge!!! I still have to learn what the ending ....tar.gz means and how to deal with such files...... I am renegate from MS XP and just installing my next PC with kubuntu and successfully could set up Japanese / English writing an got an XP machine runing in a VirtaulBox.

I will see what is the best way to upgrade faster - at least in this case.

What is "Btrfs" please? (you see I am not the expert you are!)

[52ROSt]

@anika200 - LibO has always two versions. A "still" and "fresh#. In the "still" branch the current version is 4.2.7 and in the "fresh" it is 4.3.5. For experts there is also a development version which is currently 4.4.x.

[GreyGeek]

... What is "Btrfs" please? ...

"Btrfs" is short for the "Butter Filing System", a replacement for EXT4 and previous filing systems. The Ubuntu help for it is here.

I installed it last January when I installed Kubuntu 14.04 alpha. I have not been disappointed with its performance and ease of use. Among other things you can mount your live btrfs on /mnt, for example, and make changes to it will you are running it!

For example, you are going to do a major upgrade of your system and you want to do a "backup" of it before hand. Here's what your do:

How to work with snaphots in Ubuntu's layout

In order to work with snapshots of / or /home in the Ubuntu layout it is very convenient to mount the btrfs filesystem at a separate location, and work from the top of the btrfs tree, rather than from the mounted subvolumes.
sudo mount /dev/sdX# /mnt

Create snapshots

To create a snapshot use
sudo btrfs subvolume snapshot /mnt/@ /mnt/@_snapshot
sudo btrfs subvolume snapshot /mnt/@home /mnt/@home_snapshot
this will create snapshots of the @ subvolume named @_snapshot and of the @home subvolume named @home_snapshot, also located in the top of the btrfs tree.

These snapshots will take only seconds!
Then, do you update. If things go badly and your system is messed up you can rollback to your snapshots.

Rollback to a snapshot

To roll back to a snapshot, you simply need to change its name to the name that Kubuntu mounts, using

sudo mv /mnt/@ /mnt/@_badroot
sudo mv /mnt/@home /mnt/@home_badhome
sudo mv /mnt/@_snapshot /mnt/@
sudo mv /mnt/@home_snapshot /mnt/@home
and reboot.

Either way, you can now delete the snapshots you made by doing:

Delete a snapshot

To delete a snapshot use
sudo btrfs subvolume delete /mnt/@_badroot
sudo btrfs subvolume delete /mnt/@home_badhome
btrfs snapshots are subvolumes in themselves, and self-contained, deleting the old @ subvolume like this is fine, provided we have a replacement.

There's more ... much more. Run out of room? Plug in one or more HDs or SD's or USBs and use btrfs' add device command, followed by the balance command.

Personally, I'm not returning to EXT4. Btrfs just offers too much to ignore or not use.

[SteveRiley]

My first intention was to install the newer LibO version by downloading the software from the LibO homepage (64rpm version) and follow the instruction manual of LibO.

Getting the RPM build to install will be quite troublesome, as Ubuntu is Debian based and uses DEB packages.

That said, it's generally better to install packages provided by your distribution (Ubuntu in our case) or by a service that caters to your distribution (Launchpad PPAs in our case). These have been compiled specifically the way Ubuntu organizes its files. The LibreOffice PPA will "fit into" *buntu better than the binaries from Libre Office's web site.

[52ROSt]

Hi SteveRiley - Thanks for your comment. I will now definitely use the PPA site. I will try it as soon as I have set-up the most important SW in virtual XP machine.


TO ALL WHO READ THIS THREAD: Have peaceful season - good health for the next year - and many happy moments in 2015! Reinhold

[52ROSt]

Hi GreyGeek, - Thanks for the explanations on Btrfs and the snapshots. I learned about snapshots while installing a Oracle VirtualBox in kubuntu. I like the idea of snapshots and will have a more detail look into the snapshot possibilities you explained above. ----- First I have to solve a bunch of no-goe items before I can takle the fine tuning of the kubuntu installation.Namely 1) running my very important SW for workflow modelling in the XP 32 bit virtual machine with a USB license dongle 2) arrange the trackpad and buttons and the little red stick in the middle of the keyboard (Thinkpad x240, the x230 has a better technology but with the new technlogy Lenovo might save 1$) so I can work without an external mouse 3) get a W7 virtual machine running. ----- So far I really like kubuntu a lot especially the KDE desktop enviroment, except that, although my main language is English, kubuntu changes more and more to Japanese. Even the terminal displays Japanese. This is something I really don't like because it creates additional problems when I really have enough other problems. Unfortunately I have not got any reply yet to this post of mine "my system changes languages". ----- I hope to get back to you on the snapshot topic soon.

[dtr]

HI GreyGeek, Thanks lot for your very valuable information about the PPA. I even did not know that this exists. My first intention was to install the newer LibO version by downloading the software from the LibO homepage (64rpm version) and follow the instruction manual of LibO.I know the risk is on my side but would you use PPA or the download and installation guide from LibO?Which method ever I will use, I will always first clone my root and boot partition using clonezilla.

I think you overlooked that LibreOffice provides deb packages as well as the rpm packages.