[ale] just installed LibreOffice in Linux, should have been easier

[Ron Frazier]

I just got LibreOffice installed in Linux.  I got it done.  But, it was 
much more difficult than it should have been.  These are problems the 
developers must fix if they want wide acceptance of Linux outside of the 
ubergeeks.

Steps to remove OpenOffice on Windows:

01) Access programs and features menu.
02) Select OpenOffice and click uninstall.

Steps to remove OpenOffice on Linux:

01) Access the software center
02) Select OpenOffice word processor and click remove.
03) Select OpenOffice spreadsheet and click remove.
04) Select OpenOffice database and click remove.
05) Select OpenOffice presentation and click remove.
06) And do the same for 1 or 2 more.
07) Access Synaptic package manager.
08) Search for openoffice.
09) Filter by installed programs only.
10) Manually select each of about a half dozen items and select complete 
removal and apply.

Steps to install LibreOffice on Windows:

01) Download and save the installer.
02) Double click it.
03) Follow the prompts.

Steps to install LibreOffice on Linux:

01) Download and save a main tar ball.
02) Double click on it to extract it.
03) Download and save a help tar ball.
04) Double click on it to extract it.
05) Go find and double click on readme file and read it.
06) Open terminal and manually change to a very long path name directory 
for the main set of files.
07) Change to the DEBS directory.
08) Implement the sudo dpkg command with specific syntax from the readme 
file.
09) Change to the desktop integration directory.
10) Implement the sudo dpkg command again.
11) Change to the help files DEBS directory.
12) Implement the sudo dpkg command again.

Windows wins the least pain in the butt contest with this hands down.  
This is utterly ridiculous.  If I were to recommend to a family member 
or friend that they use Linux and try to explain the procedure to 
install an application like this, they'd laugh me right out of the house 
and say they'll just stick with Windows.  Now, obviously, I CAN do all 
these things, and I DID, and I WILL on my other PC's, but I shouldn't 
HAVE to.

Also, this should have been in the Ubuntu repositories, or LibreOffice 
should provide a repository of their own.  As far as I know, I 
completely bypassed the Synaptic / Apt package manager.  So, does anyone 
know how I can get Synaptic / Apt to understand that his new application 
is there and auto update it?

Sincerely,

Ron

-- 

(PS - If you email me and don't get a quick response, you might want to
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Ron Frazier

770-205-9422 (O)   Leave a message.
linuxdude AT c3energy.com