How to Install Apache OpenOffice on Ubuntu

by | Aug 12, 2013 | How-To/Tips, Linux

Quick answer: Apache OpenOffice is not in the Ubuntu repositories, so you install it by downloading the official 64-bit .deb archive, extracting it, and running sudo dpkg -i *.deb inside the extracted DEBS folder. You do not need to uninstall LibreOffice first, though you will want to fix file associations afterwards.

That is the whole job in one sentence. The rest of this guide covers the part most tutorials skip: whether you should actually do it, what breaks along the way, and how to undo it cleanly.

Should you install OpenOffice at all?

Let’s be honest, because this matters more than the commands. Ubuntu ships LibreOffice by default, and for the overwhelming majority of people that is the right office suite to stay on. LibreOffice and OpenOffice split from the same codebase back in 2010, but they have not aged the same way.

LibreOffice receives frequent releases and has far better support for modern Microsoft Office formats, particularly .docx, .xlsx and .pptx. Apache OpenOffice development has slowed dramatically, with releases arriving years apart.

  Apache OpenOffice LibreOffice
In Ubuntu repos No, manual download Yes, preinstalled
Release pace Slow, years between releases Frequent, several per year
Saves .docx / .xlsx Opens them, cannot save to them Full read and write
Default format ODF ODF
Updates via apt No, reinstall manually Yes
Best for Familiarity, legacy documents, older hardware Almost everyone else

The row that catches most people out is the third one. Apache OpenOffice can open .docx files but cannot save to that format. If colleagues send you Word documents and expect them back in the same format, OpenOffice will frustrate you within a day.

So who is this guide genuinely for? Three groups:

  • You have used OpenOffice for years and prefer its interface and sidebar layout.
  • You maintain older ODF documents or macros that behave better in OpenOffice.
  • You are running very modest hardware and want a lighter suite.

If none of those describe you, stay on LibreOffice and save yourself the effort.

Before you start

Check a few things so the installation does not stall halfway:

  • A 64-bit Ubuntu system. OpenOffice stopped shipping 32-bit Linux builds, so x86-64 is your only option. Confirm with uname -m, which should return x86_64.
  • Around 750 MB of free space for the download and extracted packages.
  • Java (optional). Some features, notably Base and certain wizards, need a Java runtime. Install it with sudo apt install default-jre if you plan to use them.
  • Terminal access. Open one with Ctrl + Alt + T.

Step 1: Download the official package

Apache OpenOffice is distributed from its own download page rather than Ubuntu’s archives, so start by grabbing the Linux 64-bit DEB archive. Head to the official OpenOffice download page, choose Linux 64-bit (x86-64) DEB and your language, and copy the download link.

Then fetch it from the terminal. Move into your Downloads folder first:

cd ~/Downloads
wget https://sourceforge.net/projects/openofficeorg.mirror/files/4.1.15/binaries/en-US/Apache_OpenOffice_4.1.15_Linux_x86-64_install-deb_en-US.tar.gz

Version numbers change, so check the download page and adjust 4.1.15 to whatever the current release is. If the link is stale the download fails with a 404 rather than quietly grabbing the wrong file.

Step 2: Extract the archive

tar -xvf Apache_OpenOffice*.tar.gz

This creates a folder named after your language, such as en-US for English. Inside it sits a DEBS directory holding every package the suite needs.

Step 3: Install the packages

Move into the DEBS folder and install everything in it:

cd en-US/DEBS
sudo dpkg -i *.deb

Then install the desktop integration package, which puts OpenOffice in your applications menu and registers its file types:

sudo dpkg -i desktop-integration/*.deb

If dpkg complains about unmet dependencies, resolve them and run the install again:

sudo apt --fix-broken install

Step 4: Launch and confirm it works

Open your applications menu and search for OpenOffice, or start it from the terminal:

openoffice4

You should land on the OpenOffice Start Center, with Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw, Base and Math all reachable from one window.

 

Apache OpenOffice Start Center on Ubuntu showing Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw, Base and Math

 

Fixing the problems that usually appear next

Installing is rarely where people get stuck. These are the issues that actually generate support questions.

Symptom Cause Fix
Documents still open in LibreOffice LibreOffice remains the registered handler Right-click a file, choose Properties, then Open With, select OpenOffice and set it as default
dpkg reports dependency errors Missing supporting libraries Run sudo apt --fix-broken install, then repeat the dpkg command
No OpenOffice entry in the menu Desktop integration package skipped Install it with sudo dpkg -i desktop-integration/*.deb
Base or wizards refuse to run No Java runtime present Run sudo apt install default-jre, then restart OpenOffice
Cannot save as .docx Not a bug, the format is unsupported for saving Save as .odt, or use LibreOffice for Word files
Fonts look wrong in shared documents Microsoft fonts absent Run sudo apt install ttf-mscorefonts-installer

Can OpenOffice and LibreOffice coexist?

Yes. Older guides, including the original version of this article, told you to purge LibreOffice first. That advice has not aged well. Both suites install to separate locations and run side by side without conflict.

The only real friction is file associations, since whichever suite registered last tends to claim your documents. Setting your preferred handler manually, as in the table above, resolves it.

Keeping both is actually the pragmatic choice. You get OpenOffice’s interface for daily work and LibreOffice on hand for the moment somebody emails you a .docx that needs editing and returning.

How to remove OpenOffice

If it does not work out, removal is straightforward:

sudo apt remove --purge openoffice*.* && sudo apt autoremove

And if you removed LibreOffice at some earlier point and want it back:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install libreoffice

Your documents are untouched by either operation, since package removal does not delete files in your home directory.

Frequently asked questions

Is Apache OpenOffice still maintained?
Technically yes, but slowly. It remains an Apache project receiving security fixes, though feature releases are years apart. If active development matters to you, LibreOffice is the healthier project.

Will it update through apt?
No. Because you installed .deb files directly rather than from a repository, apt upgrade will not touch OpenOffice. You need to repeat this process manually when a new version ships, which is worth noting since it is easy to sit on an outdated build for years without realising.

Can I open my old .doc files?
Yes. Legacy .doc, .xls and .ppt files open and save without trouble. It is only the newer XML-based formats where saving is unavailable.

Does this work on Ubuntu derivatives?
The same steps work on Kubuntu, Xubuntu, Linux Mint, Debian and anything else using dpkg and apt.

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