LibreOffice introduction
LibreOffice is one of the most feature-rich office suites on the market. It has most of the capabilities that Microsoft Office has, and it several that the popular suite does not.
It has versions that have the same applications and features, regardless of the operating system. These are Windows, Mac, and most Linux distros.
Page Contents
LibreOffice has six applications: Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw, Base, and Math. Brief descriptions are below.
This gives a brief overview of installing LibreOffice on Windows, Mac OS, and various Linux distros.
Here is an overview of the story of how LibreOffice came to be. The office suite is taken from OpenOffice source code, which had been developed for two decades before LibreOffice came into existence.
These are links to Web pages and blog articles about LibreOffice as a whole and its related applications. Some of the links are to pages and articles to competing office suites.
Applications
Writer
The open-source word processor is simple enough for anyone to use. It also has advanced features for book publishers, Web developers, and office professionals in various fields.
Calc
The spreadsheet that works on just about every operating system is also for everyone. It can be used for lining up columns of data and basic calculations. It also can handle complex equations that scientists and engineers throw at it and create charts to illustrate the data.
Impress
The open-source word processor is simple enough for anyone to use. It also has advanced features for book publishers, Web developers, and office professionals in various fields.
Other apps
Draw
Vector graphics
As an easy-to use drawing application, Draw allows you to create creative fonts and artwork for presentations, documents and Websites.
Base
Relational database
Take data from a series of spreadsheets and package them to perform queries and create useful reports from them. You also can use Base to connect to SQL and other types of databases.
Math
Formula editor
This applications gives you the tools to write simple to complex formulas to insert in spreadsheets and scientific and engineering documents.
Installing
LibreOffice can be downloaded from its Website. the page has the two latest versions. They can be installed on Windows, Mac, and Linux distros. There are other ways to obtain LibreOffice.
Windows
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The Windows versions of the software can only be obtained through the Website. Windows users, who are still running XP, can download 5.4 or earlier. The latest version of the LibreOffice is available for 7, 8, 10, and 11.
There is also a portable version that can be downloaded to a USB drive or another type of external drive and taken from computer-to-computer.
Mac OS
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The DMG file can be downloaded from the Website, and it can be installed on 10.12 and later. There is also a version called LibreOffice Vanilla that is available through the Mac Store for a one-time fee.
Linux distros
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Another way to obtain the office suite is through an operating system's package manager. Most Linux distributions come with LibreOffice preinstalled. If they do not, they will typically have the applications in their package manager, a software program used to install and uninstall other software applications. However, the latest version of LibreOffice may not be available through one of these.
The latest versions may need to be installed by using the Terminal in Linux, a program that allows users to use the Linux distro's command line. This Web page shows how to install it.
History of LibreOffice
Since starting with version OpenOffice 3.3.0, The Document Foundation has released several updates and versions of the office suite. The organization’s goal is to release a new version every six months.
LibreOffice was first released in January 2011, several months after The Document Foundation was announced. It was based on OpenOffice 3.3 and patches and build software from Novell Go-oo.