How to Install LibreOffice on Ubuntu 20.04

LibreOffice is a free and Open-source alternative to Microsoft Office, complete with spreadsheet program called Calc, presentation maker called Impress, vector-drawing program called Draw, database tool called Base, and word processor called Writer. In short it’s an suite of office software for anyone who is looking for a fully-featured office suite for free.

It’s an Cross platform application that can be installed on Microsoft Windows, Linux and macOS. LibreOffice application is written in the C++, XML and Java programming languages and this application is available in 119 languages.

LibreOffice is also compatible with all Microsoft Office file formats including DOC, DOCX, PPT, PPTX. So even professionals hoping to reduce costs can use it without having to concern about it affecting their business or the way they interact with clients. LibreOffice has a program launcher that opens at startup so users can easily select an application to open.

The portable version of LibreOffice is handy for working while on the go. It offers a choice of interface styles: A traditional system of icons and toolbars, and an optional NotebookBar (similar to the ribbon used in Microsoft Office). One disadvantage of this application is that You don’t get anything for managing mail, contacts, or calendars, but you probably use something else already.

LibreOffice offers an impressive array of office products at absolutely no cost and It’s truly remarkable. Give it a try and you might never pay for office application again.

Pros:

  • Free and Open-Source
  • Works with most desktop operating systems.
  • A portable version is available.
  • Cross Platform Application: Offers desktop apps for Windows, macOS, and Linux
  • Can import and convert almost any legacy document
  • Opens most of the same files types as Microsoft’s apps.
  • Supports templates and extensions to add more features.
  • Automatic spell-check in all parts of the suite.

Cons:

  • Unable to save files as MS Office templates.
  • ACCDB and MDB files can’t be used.
  • Less stable than rival suites
  • Must install the whole suite at once (can’t install just Writer, etc.).
  • No online collaboration features
  • Can’t save to PowerPoint/Excel/Word macro-enabled files.
  • Confusing and overstuffed interface

This article explains three methods of installing LibreOffice on Ubuntu 20.04.

Choose the installation method that is most appropriate for your environment.

Method 1: Installing LibreOffice as a Snap Package

The easiest way to install LibreOffice on Ubuntu 20.04 is by using the snap packaging system.

A snap package is a type of universal Linux package that you can enjoy irrespective of the distro. Its an self-contained software packages that include the binary all dependencies needed to run the application.

All you need is the snap service pre-configured, In the case of Ubuntu 20.04, it comes with snap pre-installed.

If snapd package is not already installed then you can install it by running following command.

$ sudo apt install snapd

Note: Snap packages can be installed from either the command-line or via the Ubuntu Software application.

This is actually the Snap version of the LibreOffice. It can be used on any Linux distribution that has Snap support.

Open your terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and type the following command to install the LibreOffice package.

$ sudo snap install libreoffice

At this step, you have successfully installed LibreOffice on Ubuntu 20.04 system.

If you are not comfortable with the command line, open Ubuntu Software, search for “LibreOffice” and install the application.

Type the following command to update LibreOffice package.

$ sudo snap refresh --list

Method 2: Installing LibreOffice via AppImage

Before installation let’s understand what is AppImage.

What is AppImage?

We have .deb packages for Debian/Ubuntu based Linux distributions and .rpm for Fedora/SUSE based Linux distributions.

While these packages provide a convenient way of installing software to their respective distribution users, it is not the most convenient for the application developer.

The developers have to create multiple packages for multiple distributions. This is where AppImage comes into picture. AppImage is a universal software package format.

By packaging the software in AppImage, the developer provides just one file to rule them all. End user can use it in most modern Linux distributions.

Step #1

Click on following button to download the latest stable version of LibreOffice AppImage executable file for Linux.

Step #2

The downloaded file name would be something like: LibreOffice-still.full-x86_64.AppImage.

By default, the downloaded AppImage file won’t have the execution permission. You will have to change the permission on the file to make it executable and You don’t need root privilege to do that.

Now type the following command to make the AppImage executable.

$ chmod u+x LibreOffice-still.full-x86_64.AppImage

Step #3

Once you have made the AppImage file executable, just double click on it to run it Or run the following command to install through terminal.

$ ./LibreOffice-still.full-x86_64.AppImage

That’s It.

Method 3: Installing LibreOffice via PPA Repository

If you want to install the most recent version of LibreOffice, you can use the PPA repository.

Personal Package Archives (PPA) are software repositories designed for Ubuntu users and are easier to install than other third-party repositories. PPAs are often used to distribute pre-release software so that it can be tested.

Step #1

First of all open the terminal from system application launcher and type the following command to add the LibreOffice PPA to your system.

$ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:libreoffice/ppa

Step #2

Then, execute the following commands to install LibreOffice package on your Ubuntu system.

$ sudo apt update && sudo apt install libreoffice

Once installed, launch it from your system application menu.

Starting LibreOffice

In the Activities search bar type “LibreOffice” and click on the icon to launch the application.

LibreOffice User Interface:

How to Uninstall LibreOffice from Ubuntu 20.04

For some reason, If you want to uninstall LibreOffice, refer following methods.

Method #1

If you have installed LibreOffice via Snap type the following command:

$ sudo snap remove libreoffice

Method #2

If you have installed the application via AppImage:

Since the software is never installed, there is no need of uninstalling it. Just delete the associated LibreOffice file and your software is removed from the system.

Method #3

If you have installed the appication via PPA then uninstall by running the below commands.

Step #1

It’s most likely that you added the PPA using add-apt-repository command. You can use the same command to remove the PPA as well. Just give it --remove option in the command.

$ sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:libreoffice/ppa

Step #2

As of now we removed the PPA. What about the applications installed using these PPAs? Will they be removed as a result of removing the PPA? The answer is NO.

So this is when ppa-purge comes in picture. It not only disables the PPA but also uninstalls all the programs installed by the PPA or revert them to original version provided by your distribution.

So type the following command to install the ppa-purge package and uninstall the LibreOffice package.

$ sudo apt install ppa-purge && sudo ppa-purge ppa:libreoffice/ppa

Conclusion

I hope that now you have a good understanding of How to Install LibreOffice on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS Focal Fossa.

If anyone does have any questions about what we covered in this guide then feel free to ask in the comment section below and I will do my best to answer those.

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