LibreOffice update

[amdunn]

Any timetable for including an updated version of LibreOffice?

Current version appears to be 6.4.3.3 which has a nasty usability gap in the print dialog for LO Writer when used on 1024x768 or smaller screens (the print dialog is too tall and you can't click OK to... actually print!).

LO developers say the fix is in 6.4.4 but that doesn't seem to have rolled out yet.

Or is the alternative to uninstall the version that comes with LL and then download and install the .deb and fix up all the paths etc.?

[Valtam]

Last update was - http://changelogs.ubuntu.com/changelogs/.../changelog I would go with downloading from the LO website, then fix up paths etc. You seem to have a genuine reason for updating. With that method, you'll have to update LO yourself from then on.

[amdunn]

Fedora has LO 6.4.4.2-2 as the current automatic update.  It does have the fix for the print dialog (redone dialog and it has expanders for some of the options so you can shrink the dialog to fit on smaller screens).

I guess the Ubuntu repos are a bit behind.

The official Ubuntu advice has always been to not manually install LO as then you don't get updates.

[Şerban S.]

[...] automatic update. [...]

I gave up this. LibreOffice causes many trouble at every new version's issue. I explained in some other posts previously that I had trouble (tables format breaks) with this version. Nothing print relatetd though, so I'm a bit surprised, but since the printer suport in Linux now is really huge, anything is possible.

The official Ubuntu advice has always been to not manually install LO as then you don't get updates.

I did manual installs countless number of times and I always solved the problems I had, exactely this way. It's easy and you can uninstall the version, if it still causes trouble and, test another you are sure it works.
For that very reason, I keep in my archive, old packages. Just in case... I guess I still have some 3.x - 5.x versions.

As for being "up-to-date"... I'd rather stay with the old version. I just got sick and tired of the "new features" I never asked for, but that bring me tons of headaches I never asked for, either.
LibreOffice is an old app and even old versions have tons of functionality that allow you enough flexibility in your documents.
Since I use OpenOffice/LibreOffice for more than 20 years already (I started with the StarOffice 5.x, which in fact IS the base of all the FREE xOffice story...), I guess you can understand my reluctance on jumping the bandwagon of "the latest is the greatest" philosophy. I have some 300,000 files, maybe even more, only in .odf format. It's a 20 years worth of work. I guess that anyone in my shoes, would be reluctant on "new features update" as well.
To be very specific: I am working now on a Personal Development course and I needed some stuff I wrote back in 2003 - 2008. Do you belive I'm interested to have trouble opening those files and finding garbage inside, instead of what I need to get?
Is there anyone that wants this? So, why bother to update, IF IT WORKS FINE?

Obviously, these are my thoughts. Everyone is free to do as they find best to do. I just shared my experience, hoping that this helps.

My best regards!

PS: I forgot to mention the version I use now, and works. Unfortunately, my printer is a HP 1018 so it's for a long time in the printer's database and works OK. I'm unable to say anything about other printers.
My current install: 6.3.6.2.
Maybe this will work for you too. Uninstall the previous, though.

[amdunn]

In that sense I agree.  I too started with Star Office and have more than 20 years worth of document library.

The only issue is that I've been burned a few times by needing to do an update because there is, occasionally, a new feature I need (often printer support but also could be compatibility with other formats like reading MS Office documents that constantly change format) and if I then have to manually update, it's typically to the latest and I now have to reconcile any quirks that may have with the current OS version I'm on at the time... as opposed to automatic updating via the distro's update channel where generally hundreds if not thousands of people will quickly find any issues with that particular version combination -- and they get fixed faster. 

I might be the only one trying version a.b.c.d on distro version x.y.z and thus when I update it's bleeding edge.

Yes, distro auto is slower to get new versions out (thus my question at the start of the thread, because the print dialog issue makes LO unusable on smaller screens) but in the long run is less painful for general usability.

If the goal is to get people software that "just works" (and that's part of the basic premis of Linux Lite, namely a straightforward desktop that beats the pants off Windoze for simple user functionality) and cuts down on the esoteric technical roll-your-own work for the novice user, then minimizing the installed-version-spread of all the tools and packages and leveraging better update automation that just works is, in my opinion, an advancement towards that goal.