Beta Ubuntu LibreOffice Snap package
Post date: Jun 26, 2016 7:02:37 PM
LibreOffice 5.2.0 Beta Snap package
Bjoern Michaelsen announced the release of an Ubuntu Snap package of LibreOffice 5.2.0 beta. Snap is a new optional distribution format for Ubuntu programs. Read Text Extension does not work with the beta snap package of LibreOffice.
Version Information
Version: 5.2.0.0.beta2
Build ID: libreoffice-5.2.0.0.beta2-snap1
CPU Threads: 2; OS Version: Linux 4.4; UI Render: default;
Installation information
With Ubuntu 16.04, you can install the package using a command in the terminal.
The installer installs the application in /snap/bin/libreoffice. The settings files are independant of the regular LibreOffice installation. The snap version settings are stored in $HOME/snap/libreoffice/x1/.local-5.2.0.0.beta2/.
What is snap for?
Snap packages allow distributors to distribute self-contained Ubuntu applications with less risk of interfering with applications and libraries that users have already installed. Thus development versions or major revisions of applications can be made to work on system versions that are years old.
What is the problem with some extensions?
Snap applications work in a sandboxed environment. Therefore, system-wide tools are normally available to programs are not available unless they are packaged in the snap archive. For example, in the Ubuntu LibreOffice Beta snap, clicking a hyperlink does not activate a web browser because the xdg-open service is not available. Program functions that rely on java do not work. LibreOffice extensions that use external programs or web links to function also don’t work with the snap beta.
Simple self contained extensions like those that package templates and dictionaries, modify text files or add functions to spreadsheet documents should work. However, Read text extension (Read_Text.0.8.30.oxt) does not work with the beta snap release because the extension relies on external programs and scripts to activate text to speech or external web based tools.