Installing new software?

[geoff567]

I am new to Linux, so be patient with me.  I have read a few web sites I found with Google.  The best I think is Nix Craft.  So I understand that Open Office is in a tar file when I download it from the Open Office web site.  I understand that I need to type tar -zxvf {openoffice file name.tar.gz} or tar -zxvf openoffice file name.tar.gz.
I have tried doing this with the download manager that came with PCLinuxOS LDXE and downthemall.  I have tried brasero and file roller.  I think I have got the tar file for Open Office to decompress or open up.  But, then I can not figure out how to install the software.  The install file is just a document that can be read.  The user agreement file is the same way, I can not click on any user agreement to accept so the installation process can begin.   Is there a place within PCLinuxOS LXDE to type code to open up a tar file?  I know this is a very basic question.  I have looked in the postings going back about one year.  I have either missed that posting or there isn't a posting for this question.  I also have an old "Linux for Dummies Quick Reference" by Phil Hughes and Viktorie Navratilova.  The book talks about shells and directories, but how does a person get into a directory to type code to open up a tar file in PCLinuxOS LXDE?  Thank you very much. 

[Rudge]

geoff567, welcome to the forum.

You are over complicating things.

First, make sure your instal is up to date. Then look in your menu under "Office" there should be a program called "Libreoffice Manager" click on that and answer the questions. Presto,, LibreOffice will instal.

Good luck.  

p.s. OpenOffice is no longer supported. LibreOffice is the same thing basically.

[djohnston]

Welcome, geoff567. Repeating what Rudge said, OpenOffice is no longer used by any Linux distro I am aware of. We use LibreOffice now. Before installing new software, update your installed system.

http://www.pclinuxos.com/forum/index.php/topic,63199.0.html

You should not have to look on websites for what you need. Everything you'll want is in one place, the Synaptic Package Manager. You'll find it in the main menu in the Software Center section.

[Neal ManBear]

I am new to Linux, so be patient with me.  I have read a few web sites I found with Google.  The best I think is Nix Craft.  So I understand that Open Office is in a tar file when I download it from the Open Office web site.  I understand that I need to type tar -zxvf {openoffice file name.tar.gz} or tar -zxvf openoffice file name.tar.gz.
I have tried doing this with the download manager that came with PCLinuxOS LDXE and downthemall.  I have tried brasero and file roller.  I think I have got the tar file for Open Office to decompress or open up.  But, then I can not figure out how to install the software.  The install file is just a document that can be read.  The user agreement file is the same way, I can not click on any user agreement to accept so the installation process can begin.   Is there a place within PCLinuxOS LXDE to type code to open up a tar file?  I know this is a very basic question.  I have looked in the postings going back about one year.  I have either missed that posting or there isn't a posting for this question.  I also have an old "Linux for Dummies Quick Reference" by Phil Hughes and Viktorie Navratilova.  The book talks about shells and directories, but how does a person get into a directory to type code to open up a tar file in PCLinuxOS LXDE?  Thank you very much.  

We use LibreOffice here. It is developed by people who previously developed OpenOffice. It is like an improved OpenOffice. In the Menu, in the submenu Office, run LibreOffice Manager. It will download and install LibreOffice for you.

But first you should update your system. Menu > Software Center > Synaptic Package Manager -- give root password --- click Reload on Synaptic's toolbar > click Mark All Upgrades > click Apply and when the confirmation pane opens, again click Apply. A full update should be performed at minimum every 30 days - once a week is preferred. A full update should be performed before installing any new software.

We have around 14,000 packages in our repositories. For any software not there, we have the Package Suggest section of the forum. Please read and follow the rules posted in that section before posting.

Please do not post polls in Help sections. Polls should be posted in the Sandbox only.

We do not support installing from outside sources. When you do that, you can run into many problems - foremost of them is that your system could break, and you would need to know how to fix it.

[geoff567]

I want to thank everyone for helping me.  Thank you.  I will probably have more questions in the future.

[Rudge]

I want to thank everyone for helping me.  Thank you.  I will probably have more questions in the future.

geoff567, did you get LibreOffice installed successfully?

PCLinuxOS is easy. You don't need a "Linux For Dummies" book. Update on a weekly basis and a question or two here in the forum. You will feel like a pro in no time.

Most of those books were written before Linux as we know it today.

Linux, as we know it today, is actually easier than some other operating systems.