Make LIBREOFFICE more compatible with MICROSOFT OFFICE & 365

Summary

In this video, Nick explores ways to enhance LibreOffice's compatibility with Microsoft Office formats, making it more user-friendly for those accustomed to the ribbon interface. He covers changing the interface to a tabbed ribbon, customizing icons and themes, and adjusting settings for better document compatibility. Nick also discusses installing Microsoft fonts for accurate formatting, tweaking options for form compatibility, and setting default file formats. Additionally, he introduces useful LibreOffice extensions and highlights the importance of choosing the right device for a seamless Linux experience, sponsored by Tuxedo Computers.

Takeaways

• 🖥️ LibreOffice can be made more compatible with Microsoft Office by adjusting its interface and settings.
• 🔗 Switching to a tabbed interface in LibreOffice mimics the ribbon interface of Microsoft Office, enhancing user experience.
• 🎨 Customizing icon themes and sizes can improve the visual appeal and usability of LibreOffice, aligning it closer to Microsoft Office's aesthetics.
• 🔠 Installing Microsoft fonts on Linux systems ensures better formatting compatibility with documents created in Microsoft Office.
• ⚙️ Tweaking LibreOffice's options for compatibility features can reduce formatting discrepancies when exchanging documents with Microsoft Office users.
• 📝 In Writer, enabling form compatibility and adjusting paragraph spacing settings can improve document consistency with Microsoft Word.
• 💾 Changing the default save format to Microsoft Office formats can simplify document sharing with users who primarily use Microsoft applications.
• 📑 Importing custom styles and templates from Microsoft Office into LibreOffice can help maintain a consistent workflow for users transitioning between the two suites.
• 📂 Extensions can add functionality to LibreOffice, such as advanced find and replace, or compatibility checkers, making it more versatile.
• 🌐 LibreOffice is a feature-rich open-source alternative to Microsoft Office, but there are other options like OnlyOffice, WPS Office, and FreeOffice that also claim compatibility.
• 🔗 For a Linux-compatible device, Tuxedo Computers offers a range of laptops and desktops pre-installed with Linux, ensuring out-of-the-box compatibility.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video by Nick?

The main focus of the video is to explore various ways to make LibreOffice more compatible with Microsoft Office formats and to work more like Microsoft Office.

What is the first modification Nick suggests to make LibreOffice's interface more like Microsoft Office?

Nick suggests changing the user interface to a tabbed or ribbon interface, similar to what Microsoft Office uses, by going to the 'View' menu and selecting 'Tabbed'.

How can users customize the appearance of icons in LibreOffice?

Users can customize the appearance of icons by changing the theme from the 'View' menu in the tabbed interface. Options include Breeze, Colebra, Sukapur, Elementary, and C4, with the ability to adjust icon size as well.

What is the sponsor of the video and what does it offer?

The sponsor of the video is Safing, which offers Portmaster, an open-source tool for monitoring and securing internet connections, with features like ad-blocking, tracker-blocking, and the ability to use a DNS provider of choice.

How can users ensure that the documents they create in LibreOffice have Microsoft Office-compatible fonts?

Users can ensure Microsoft Office-compatible fonts by installing Microsoft fonts on their system, which may require enabling non-free software repositories and installing a package like 'ttf-ms-core-fonts'.

What steps does Nick recommend to make LibreOffice documents more compatible with Microsoft Office formats?

Nick recommends enabling all compatibility features in the 'Load and Save' tab of LibreOffice options, setting Microsoft Office formats as the default save format, and using extensions like Papito Cleaner to check for compatibility issues.

How can users import custom styles and templates from Microsoft Office into LibreOffice?

Users can import custom styles and templates by going to 'File', then 'Templates', clicking 'Manage', and selecting 'Import' to choose the desired templates or styles.

What is an alternative office suite mentioned in the video that is more compatible with Microsoft formats?

OnlyOffice is mentioned as an alternative office suite that is open source and generally more compatible with Microsoft Office formats.

What is the recommended format for maximum compatibility when sharing documents?

For maximum compatibility when sharing documents, especially for reading or signing purposes, the recommended format is PDF.

How can users support the channel and get access to additional content like podcasts?

Users can support the channel by clicking the 'Super Thanks' button on YouTube, using the PayPal link in the video description, or subscribing to Patreon or YouTube memberships, which also grant access to weekly podcasts.

Outlines

00:00

🖥️ Enhancing LibreOffice Compatibility with Microsoft Office

Nick introduces viewers to various methods for making LibreOffice more compatible with Microsoft Office formats and functionalities. He discusses the default interface differences and how to enable a tabbed or ribbon interface similar to Microsoft Office. Nick also mentions a sponsor, Safing, which offers an open-source tool for monitoring and securing internet connections, with features like ad-blocking and DNS customization. The video promises to cover more than just the interface, including icon themes and keyboard shortcuts.

05:01

🔧 Customizing LibreOffice for a Familiar Experience

This section delves into customizing LibreOffice's interface to mimic Microsoft Office's look and feel. Nick explains how to change the theme and icon sizes for better visibility and usability. He also covers how to reorder icons and customize keyboard shortcuts. The paragraph emphasizes the importance of using Microsoft fonts for accurate document formatting when switching between the two office suites. It provides instructions for installing Microsoft fonts on Linux and setting them as default in LibreOffice to ensure document compatibility.

10:01

🖨️ Boosting LibreOffice's Usability and Compatibility

Nick continues by discussing how to make LibreOffice more usable and compatible with Microsoft Office. He suggests enabling all compatibility features, setting default fonts, and configuring document formats to Microsoft Office standards. The paragraph also touches on the importance of saving documents in Microsoft Office formats to facilitate sharing with users who primarily use Microsoft Office. Additionally, Nick mentions importing custom styles and templates from Microsoft Office to LibreOffice and introduces LibreOffice extensions that can further enhance compatibility and functionality.

15:04

🌐 Exploring Alternatives and Closing Thoughts

In the final paragraph, Nick acknowledges that despite the customizations and tweaks, LibreOffice may not be 100% compatible with all Microsoft Office documents, especially complex ones. He suggests using PDFs for universal compatibility when sharing documents that require only reading or signing. Nick also briefly mentions other office suite alternatives like OnlyOffice, WPS Office, and FreeOffice, noting their compatibility claims and open-source status. The paragraph concludes with a recommendation for Tuxedo Computers, a Linux-compatible hardware provider, and a call to action for viewers to like, subscribe, and support the channel.

Keywords

💡LibreOffice

LibreOffice is a free and open-source office suite that is compatible with Microsoft Office file formats. In the video, it's the primary software discussed for enhancing compatibility with Microsoft Office. The script mentions various ways to make LibreOffice mimic the interface and functionality of Microsoft Office, such as adopting a ribbon interface and ensuring document compatibility.

💡Microsoft Office

Microsoft Office is a proprietary office suite developed by Microsoft, which includes applications like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. The video script discusses making LibreOffice more compatible with Microsoft Office formats to ensure seamless document exchange. It is used as a benchmark for the improvements suggested in LibreOffice.

💡Ribbon Interface

The ribbon interface is a feature in Microsoft Office that provides a tabbed toolbar, making it easier to access and use various commands. The script explains how to enable a similar interface in LibreOffice to improve user experience and mimic the look and feel of Microsoft Office.

💡Compatibility

Compatibility in the context of the video refers to the ability of LibreOffice to work with Microsoft Office file formats without losing formatting or functionality. The script provides tips on ensuring that documents created in LibreOffice are compatible with Microsoft Office, which is crucial for users who need to share documents with others using different software.

💡Extensions

Extensions in LibreOffice are add-ons that can enhance the software's functionality. The video script mentions several useful extensions like 'Papito Cleaner' for checking document compatibility and 'Libreweb' for fetching data from web pages into spreadsheets. These extensions are meant to improve the overall usability and feature set of LibreOffice.

💡Font Compatibility

Font compatibility is crucial for maintaining the visual and formatting integrity of documents when they are exchanged between different software. The script discusses installing Microsoft fonts on Linux systems to ensure that documents created in LibreOffice look the same as those in Microsoft Office.

💡File Formats

File formats like DOCX, XLSX, and PPTX are specific to Microsoft Office applications. The video script provides instructions on how to set LibreOffice to default to these formats when saving documents to ensure better compatibility with Microsoft Office users.

💡Interface Customization

Interface customization refers to the ability to change the look and feel of the LibreOffice user interface. The script explains how users can customize the interface, including changing themes and icon sets, to make LibreOffice more visually appealing and user-friendly.

💡Security

Security in the context of the video is related to the sponsorship message about 'safeing,' which is a tool for monitoring and securing internet connections. While not directly related to LibreOffice, it emphasizes the importance of security in the digital environment, which is a broader theme that can include securing documents and data.

💡Open Source

Open source refers to software whose source code is available to the public for modification and enhancement. LibreOffice is highlighted as an open-source alternative to Microsoft Office, which is proprietary. The video script emphasizes the benefits of open-source software, such as the ability to customize and adapt it to user needs.

💡Themes

In LibreOffice, themes determine the visual appearance of the user interface, including colors and icons. The script mentions different themes like 'Breeze' and 'Colebra' that can be applied to make LibreOffice look more like Microsoft Office or to suit user preferences.

Highlights

LibreOffice can be made more compatible with Microsoft Office formats and work more like it.

Switching to a tabbed interface in LibreOffice mimics the ribbon interface of Microsoft Office.

LibreOffice allows customization of the user interface, including toolbars and icons.

Themes can be changed to improve icon visibility and user experience in LibreOffice.

Customizing keyboard shortcuts can enhance productivity in LibreOffice.

Installing Microsoft fonts in LibreOffice on Linux ensures document formatting compatibility.

LibreOffice can be configured to use Microsoft fonts by default for consistent formatting.

Enabling all compatibility features in LibreOffice improves document compatibility with Microsoft Office.

Forms created in LibreOffice Writer can be made fully compatible with Microsoft Word.

LibreOffice documents can be saved in Microsoft Office formats by default for easier sharing.

Custom styles and templates from Microsoft Office can be imported into LibreOffice.

LibreOffice extensions can add features like advanced find and replace, or media controls.

Extensions like Papito Cleaner can check for compatibility issues in documents.

LibreOffice Calc can have differences when compared to Microsoft Excel, especially with complex spreadsheets.

For documents intended for reading or signing, PDF format ensures compatibility.

Alternatives to Microsoft Office like OnlyOffice and WPS Office are mentioned for their compatibility.

Tuxedo Computers are recommended for Linux users seeking hardware compatibility out of the box.

Transcripts

hey everyone this is Nick and if you're

using Linux as your desktop or if you

just like free software chances are

you're using Library office as your

office suite and chances are you also

wished it worked more like Microsoft

Office or it was more compatible with

Microsoft Office formats hey Microsoft's

formats are open it's not their fault if

they Implement them in a way that

basically makes them incompatible with

the way their own standard is written

still today is your lucky day because

we're going to look at a ton of ways we

can make LibreOffice more compatible

with Microsoft Office and work more like

it and though it's not just moving to

the tabbed interface there's a lot more

that we can do so let's get started

right after I tell you how today's

sponsor can help you Monitor and secure

your internet connection

this video is sponsored by safing

safeing makes the portmaster an open

source tool to take back control of your

internet connection it's free of charge

and it lets you see every connection

every application makes and it lets you

act on these connections by blocking ads

and trackers malware not safe for work

stuff or scams with auto blocking

capabilities and even the ability to use

a DNS provider of your choice you can of

course create your own rules globally or

per application boardmaster is available

as a Dev or an RPM package it's in the

Aur or you can also install it on

Windows using it is free of charge and

they have paid tiers starting at 3 Euros

per month to support the development or

9.9 Euros per month if you want the

total package including the SPN which is

a VPN on steroids that uses a different

IP address for every connection so

you're truly impossible to try so click

the link in the description to download

the boardmaster

so remember how I said it wasn't going

to be just moving to the tabbed

interface in library office well we're

still going to look at how to do that

because by default Library office is

more Office 2003 than modern Microsoft

Office and while it's fine for some

people most people are now used to the

ribbon interface now fortunately this is

super easy to do in LibreOffice just

open any of the applications of The

Suite here is LibreOffice writer click

on The View menu then user interface by

default it's the standard menu bar and

toolbar combo but if you click on tabbed

you'll see that you can now use a ribbon

interface just like what Microsoft

Office uses there are other options as

well like a single toolbar for smaller

screens a sidebar more like what IBM

Lotus did back in the day a compact

tabbed variant that will be reminiscent

of Microsoft Office online and grouped

bars which puts the menu bar underneath

groups of icons now for our purposes

here select tab and click apply to all

this will make the ribbon interface the

default for all LibreOffice programs of

the suite so you don't have to repeat

this action for each app why this isn't

the default yet I don't really know

because I'm pretty sure that most people

are now used and are learning an office

suite with a ribbon interface which was

introduced with Office 2007 so 15 years

ago but hey at least you've got the

option next we'll look at the icons

depending on your system and your theme

and whether you use doc mode or not it's

possible that your icons can be black on

a black background and illegible we can

change that as well from the tabbed

interface click the main menu in the top

right corner and select options then

click the view menu and in the theme

drop down menu you will have plenty of

options Breeze is the default but if you

want something that looks more like

Microsoft Office select colebra or

sukapur

if you want something more like gnome

select the elementary theme and if you

want something symbolic the C4 theme is

for you you can also change the icon

size in the notebook bar drop down if

everything feels too small the SVG

variants of these icon themes will be

useful for example if you use fractional

scaling as the icons will scale better

and they are dark variants if you use

dark mode to make icons more legible on

a black background so just try them out

click apply to see how they look and

pick the one you prefer they will apply

to all programs in the suite and finally

if you really want to push it you can

also reorder any of the icons from any

of the tabs of the ribbon click the main

menu again and then customize then click

the notebook bar tab here you will see

the target drop down menu that lets you

select which tab you want to change you

can earn track icons you don't want to

see or reorder them by drag and drop if

you want you can spend some time

reordering the icons to be exactly in

the same order as as Microsoft Office I

personally would not do it because it

feels like a big waste of time but if

there are two or three actions that

don't really feel well placed and you

want to keep your muscle memory you can

always change them and you can also

change keyboard shortcuts in the

keyboard tab okay now that this is out

of the way let's make LibreOffice more

usable first are the fonts if you're

using Library office on Windows chances

are you already have the Microsoft fonts

installed if you're on Linux though

they're probably not there and you'll

probably want to use these phones just

to make sure that the documents you

create are the ones you edit respect the

formatting by default Linux and

LibreOffice use almost compatible fonts

which are almost exactly the same but

not perfectly Pixel Perfect so you will

need the Microsoft phones to ensure that

the formatting isn't lost or moved

around to install Microsoft fonts you'll

generally have a package in your distros

repositories provided you enable the

non-free software repos the package is

generally called ttf- Ms core phones or

ttf- Ms core phones Dash installer on

Ubuntu or Ubuntu based distros for

example you can open a terminal and run

sudo apt install ttf Dash Ms core fonts

Dash installer if you're using an

arch-based distro you can find it in

your graphical package manager through

the Aur and for Fedora I left a link in

the description of the video once you

have the fonts installed Library office

should detect them automatically if

that's not the case quit all LibreOffice

apps and reopen them

now you can open Office documents

without messing up the formatting and if

you want to use these phones by default

you can configure that as well click the

main menu then options then go to the

name of the app you're using here it's

Library office writer and select the

basic fonts tab here you can change the

defaults to the font you prefer like

calibri or Times New Roman or comic and

now let's apply a few tweaks to make

sure that documents you create or edit

are as compatible with Microsoft Office

as possible first you will want to

enable all compatibility features to do

that open the main menu then options in

the load and save tab click on Microsoft

Office and make sure all the checkboxes

are ticked generally they all are apart

from the smartart one which you should

also check

next in writer if you want to ensure

that forms you create are fully Word

compatible open the options menu again

then delivery office writer Tab and the

compatibility tab

click the reorganize form menu to have

it Microsoft compatible checkbox and

also tick the word compatible trailing

blanks check mark So Library office

automatically adds a space after a

paragraph like Microsoft Word does next

if you interact with Microsoft Office

users a lot you will want to send them

documents using the office formats click

on the general tab of the load save

panel and in always save as select Word

2007 365 docx then in the document type

drop down you can select spreadsheet and

change the always save as field to Excel

2007 365 xlsx and you can repeat that

step for presentations and the pptx

format this means that all your future

documents that you create using Library

office will use the Microsoft Office

formats now personally I prefer the odf

Open document format because they are

technically the standard everyone should

use and technically Microsoft Office is

able to open them but since everyone

mostly uses Microsoft Office formats

it's probably easier to just change the

default for you for what you create you

will also get an annoying pop-up when

saving using these formats you can

disable it by unchecking the warn when

not saving in odf or default format

checkbox in the same settings page we

used previously now if you also had

custom Styles and templates that you

used in Microsoft Office you can also

import them into Library office just

click the file tab in writer and then

templates there click the manage button

in the top right corner and click import

then you can select templates

presentations or Styles click the one

you want then OK and you will get a file

picker to go grab your templates or your

Styles if you're using Windows by

default these are located in your C

drive in users your username app data

roaming Microsoft and then templates or

quick styles for Styles and that's also

where you can grab them if you want to

make a backup of them now let's take a

look at extensions Library office lets

you install extensions to add features

to the suite you can head over to

extensions.librayoffice.org to view a

full list

there are plenty of excellent ones

including alt search which is a more

powerful find and replace tool for

LibreOffice writer you have multi-save

which lets you save files in multiple

formats at once like a PDF and a

Microsoft format for example or one of

the most useful to check for

compatibility called Papito cleaner this

will open a window with a list of all

formatting mistakes in your document

there's also transcriber which lets you

have play and pause buttons from media

files inside of LibreOffice which means

you can transcribe an interview without

switching apps back and forth all the

time for Library office calc you have

librew web which lets you fill the cells

of your spreadsheet with data sourced

from a web page or calendar which opens

a calendar pop-up to let you select a

date range and add it in ISO format

there are a ton of other great

extensions in their extensions portal

and there are also document templates

for cover letters or resumes or

everything else in between so check the

link in the description to see what you

might want to install or add now to

install extensions download them from

the extensions portal and you will get a

DOT oxt file then in LibreOffice click

the extensions tab then the extensions

menu and extension manager click the add

button and go find your oxt file to

import it after that these extensions

will all display their commands in the

extensions tab even with all these

tweaks and changes you need to know that

Library office will not be a hundred

percent fully compatible with all

Microsoft Office documents especially

for complex ones like giant reports with

tons of features or super complex data

sheets there will be discrepancies and

that's pretty normal but still it should

give you a very nice experience for

simple documents like the one you

regularly exchange with other co-workers

if you want to check the exact

differences between Microsoft Office and

LibreOffice there's a super complete

table that points out all of them I left

a link to it in the description below

generally writer is very very compatible

with word you shouldn't get major issues

impress is also very nicely compatible

with PowerPoint but calc will have the

biggest differences with Excel and also

remember these office formats are meant

to be edited if what you want the person

to do is just read or sign send a PDF

now you're sure that it's always always

compatible and that's what it's made for

still LibreOffice is probably one of the

most feature complete and compatible

options to replace Microsoft Office but

there are other options only office is

open source and generally more

compatible with Microsoft formats but it

doesn't have as many features as Library

office

you can also use WPS office or free

office which both boast perfect

Microsoft Office compatibility at least

on paper but they are not open source I

have a video comparing and listing all

these alternatives to Microsoft Office I

left a link to it in the description or

in the card up top I think it's right

there for YouTube viewers so hopefully

this video will help you ensure that

LibreOffice documents you create or edit

are as compatible with Microsoft Office

as possible and also it will help ensure

that you don't send broken stuff to your

co-workers too often and today's sponsor

will ensure that you have a Linux

compatible desktop or laptop tuxedo is a

German company that ships worldwide a

wide range of devices that are

pre-installed with Linux and the reason

you might want that is because it

ensures that your device is compatible

with Linux compare that to buying any

old Windows laptop or desktop and

praying crossing your fingers and and

hoping and researching to ensure that

everything runs well with tuxedo you

don't don't have to worry about that you

just slap your distro and it runs

because the components were picked to be

compatible with Linux and they have

devices for every price point and for

every need with plenty of customization

options for the SSD the ram the CPU the

GPU you can get your own custom keyboard

laser etched on the keys so if you want

a specific layout you can get that you

can get your own logo laser etched as

well on the lid of your laptop it's just

great so if you need a new device you

want to support Linux development you

want to make sure that what you buy runs

Linux well click the link in the

description below and get yourself a

tuxedo laptop or desktop so thanks

everyone for watching the video I hope

you enjoyed it if you did you know what

to do just click like click subscribe

click the Bell leave a comment and if

you didn't like the video well you can

also click dislike and tell me why down

there in the comments and if you want to

help support the channel there's a super

thanks button down there on YouTube

there's a PayPal Link in the description

of the video and there are links to my

patreon memberships and YouTube

memberships both get access to a weekly

podcast on Monday where I talk about

Linux Tech open source my personal life

the channel my interest and you also get

to vote on the next topics that I'll

cover on the channel so both links are

in the description and in the meantime

thanks everyone for watching and I guess

you'll see me in the next one bye

[Music]

foreign

[Music]

[Music]