[Office] Libreoffice irritating 'problem'

[JonPaul]

I am a new user using Kubuntu 18.04 with Plasma 5.12.4. Libreoffice 6.0.
I have the libreoffice apps pinned on icons-only-task-manager widget.
When I open writer/calc/impress, the icon moves from its pinned position to after the last pinned app. Rather wierdly, if I open a new instance it moves back to its normal position. Not a major problem but an annoying one!

[SpecialEd]

Instead of "pinning to taskbar," try "adding widget to panel."

[benny_fletch]

It might have something to do with the fact the main launcher is libreoffice6.0 and the launchers for writer / calc / impress are libreoffice6.0-writer / libreoffice6.0-calc / libreoffice-impress (or something similar... I am not on my kubuntu box atm).

[GreyGeek]

I am a new user using Kubuntu 18.04 with Plasma 5.12.4. Libreoffice 6.0.
I have the libreoffice apps pinned on icons-only-task-manager widget.
When I open writer/calc/impress, the icon moves from its pinned position to after the last pinned app. Rather wierdly, if I open a new instance it moves back to its normal position. Not a major problem but an annoying one!

That happens to every app that I've pinned to the task bar. It prevents the same icon from being used again to fire the app a second time. A response to folks who double tap the icon and get two instances of an app instead of one?
My assumption was that the behavior was by design.

[oshunluvr]

Using the regular Task Manager, I don't see this happening so it must be unique to the Icon-Only Task Manager. However, I do use the regular Task Manager on the side of the desktop so it actually only displays Icons and works as expected.

Since you're new to Linux and the is forum, I would like to suggest that you title your posts more appropriately and provide more specific detail of your issue and what you have discovered and tried (see the "Please Read Me" link in my sig). This will help you get more on-topic replies. For example in this case, based on your first post I would assume that you don't like the way the Icons-Only TM works. However, your title indicates the source of the problem is LibreOffice. You've provided no evidence that this is the case nor indicated that other apps icons behave differently so there's really no way to tell what needs trouble-shooting - we're left guessing. Also, it might be expected that someone with zero interest or experience with LibreOffice might skip over your post entirely since the title concludes it's a LibreOffice problem. It's better for the title to indicate the problem at hand rather than stating a conclusion. Just something to consider moving forward.

Welcome to Linux and KFN.

[JonPaul]

I think Benny_Fletch has the answer. It does the same on gnome with wayland...

[benny_fletch]

Now that I am on my kubuntu box I see it is a bit more complex these days, but the same idea holds true. In KDE, the menu shortcuts are LibreOffice (libreoffice), LibreOffice Writer (libreoffice --writer) LibreOffcie Calc (libreoffice --calc), etc. If you do some digging you will find a libreoffice symlink in /usr/bin that points to ../lib/libreoffice/program/soffice (oh, StarOffice). In that folder you will find the real launchers for Writer (swriter), Calc (scalc), etc. When you launch LibreOffice you will notice soffice.bin running even if you have both Writer and Calc open, but I assume that bin file sorts out what programs need to be ran and/or is running.

The long (the above) and the short of it (the following) is that all those programs are technically different, thus why you get different icons in your icons-only-task-manager. I also have the same issue as you with Latte Dock. If it bugs you a lot, then you can create launchers for each program you regularly use.

[JonPaul]

Thank Benny - it bugs me but I can live with it!! Thanks for your input. I am new to Kubuntu btw but not Ubuntu/Linux - been using it since 12.10. I even successfully installed Arch!
Have tried KDE several times but have previously found the number of tweaks intimidating. Decided to give it another go when Ubuntu dumped Unity.
Have got it how I like it now with left side panel. Icons only task manager and simple menu work well for me! Looking forward to Plasma 5.13.
Cheers

[benny_fletch]

Welcome to KDE / Kubuntu / kubuntuforums.net (KFN)!

I have using KDE since Mandrake Linux 7, but took the last couple of years off with Xubuntu 16.04. I did not like KDE 4.x very much and have always wanted to like XFCE... which is a nice little DE for sure, but KDE 5 is just as little weight (IMHO) and allows for so much more customization (not all of it I use, but there are certain things I cannot live without). I also enjoy mac like docks so Latte Dock was an appealing option in Bionic and I can say I have yet to be disappointed.

Best of travels JonPaul!