How to Install LibreOffice on Debian Linux

Installing LibreOffice on Debian gives you a complete office suite for document creation and editing. Specifically, the suite includes Writer (word processor), Calc (spreadsheet), Impress (presentations), Draw (vector graphics), Base (database), and Math (formula editor). Furthermore, you can create, edit, and share documents in formats including DOCX, XLSX, PPTX, ODT, PDF, and more, which means it’s fully compatible with Microsoft Office and other office software.

LibreOffice can be installed on Debian using three primary methods: the system package manager (APT) for stable, integrated releases; Flatpak for the newest versions with sandboxing; or manual DEB packages for specific version control and offline installation. In practice, common use cases include writing documents with Microsoft Office compatibility, managing spreadsheets with pivot tables and charting, creating presentations with custom templates, and editing PDFs. Throughout this guide, you’ll learn to verify installed versions, manage updates, handle removal, and troubleshoot common issues like missing fonts or slow launch times.

Choose Your LibreOffice Installation Method

LibreOffice offers three installation paths on Debian, each with different version availability, update mechanisms, and integration levels. Therefore, you should choose the method that best matches your need for stability, newest features, or version control.

Method	Channel	Version	Updates	Best For
APT Package Manager	Debian Repos	Stable (Debian-tested)	Automatic via apt upgrade	Most users who prefer system-integrated packages with distro-tested stability
Flatpak	Flathub	Latest stable	Automatic via flatpak update	Desktop users who want newest releases with sandboxing and frequent updates
Manual DEB Package	LibreOffice Downloads	User-selected	Manual redownload and reinstall	Users who need specific versions, offline installation, or version control

For most users, the APT method is recommended because it provides automatic security updates and requires minimal maintenance. However, you should only use Flatpak if you specifically need the newest features, or alternatively, manual DEB packages if you require a specific version unavailable in repositories.

Method 1: Install LibreOffice via APT Default Repository

Update Debian Linux Before LibreOffice Installation

Before installing any new software, it’s a best practice to update the existing packages on your Debian system. In particular, this ensures compatibility and smooth operation.

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade

Install LibreOffice via APT

Once you’ve updated the system, you can then install the LibreOffice suite using the APT package manager.

sudo apt install libreoffice

Verify LibreOffice Installation

After installation completes, you should verify LibreOffice is installed correctly by checking the version:

libreoffice --version

Expected output:

LibreOffice 7.0.4 (Debian 11), 7.4.7 (Debian 12), or 25.2.3 (Debian 13)

The version shown depends on your Debian release. Debian 13 (Trixie) provides LibreOffice 25.x, Debian 12 (Bookworm) provides 7.4.x, and Debian 11 (Bullseye) provides 7.0.x.

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Method 2: Install LibreOffice via Flatpak and Flathub

For users seeking the latest versions of LibreOffice, the default repositories might not suffice. While one could attempt APT pinning for unstable packages, this approach has risks. Consequently, given LibreOffice’s extensive package dependencies, using a third-party package manager like Flatpak becomes a more reliable choice. Additionally, Flatpak provides sandboxing that isolates LibreOffice from your system, which adds an extra layer of security.

Check Flatpak Installation

Before proceeding, first verify that Flatpak is installed on your system:

flatpak --version

Expected output:

Flatpak 1.x.x

If Flatpak is not installed, visit how to install Flatpak on Debian to install it first before continuing with the steps below.

Enable Flathub for LibreOffice

To access the vast collection of applications on Flathub, you first need to add the Flathub repository. This step is necessary because Flathub hosts thousands of applications, including the latest LibreOffice releases.

sudo flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

Install LibreOffice via Flatpak Command

With Flathub enabled, you can now install LibreOffice using Flatpak. Notably, this installation method will download the latest stable release directly from Flathub.

flatpak install flathub org.libreoffice.LibreOffice -y

Verify Flatpak Installation

Confirm LibreOffice was installed successfully:

flatpak list | grep -i libre

Expected output:

LibreOffice    org.libreoffice.LibreOffice    25.x.x    stable    flathub    system

Flathub updates frequently. The version shown will be the current stable release at the time of installation.

Method 3: Install LibreOffice via Manual DEB Package

The manual DEB package method gives you direct control over which LibreOffice version to install, making it ideal for users who need specific versions unavailable in repositories or require offline installation. Moreover, LibreOffice provides pre-built DEB packages in a tarball that contains all necessary components. This approach is particularly useful when you need to install LibreOffice on systems without internet access or when testing specific versions for compatibility.

Download LibreOffice DEB Package

Visit the LibreOffice download page, select “Linux x64 (deb)” as your operating system, and note the current version number. Then, download the tarball using wget:

cd /tmp
wget https://download.documentfoundation.org/libreoffice/stable/25.8.3/deb/x86_64/LibreOffice_25.8.3_Linux_x86-64_deb.tar.gz

Replace 25.8.3 with the current version from the download page. This version number appears in both the URL path (/stable/25.8.3/) and tarball name (LibreOffice_25.8.3_). Note that the extracted directory includes the full version with an additional digit (e.g., 25.8.3.2).

Extract and Install DEB Packages

Next, extract the tarball and navigate to the DEBS directory:

tar -xzf LibreOffice_25.8.3_Linux_x86-64_deb.tar.gz
cd LibreOffice_25.8.3.2_Linux_x86-64_deb/DEBS

The extracted directory name includes the full version (25.8.3.2) with an additional digit beyond the download version (25.8.3). This is expected behavior.

After navigating to the DEBS directory, install all DEB packages at once:

sudo apt install ./*.deb

This installs LibreOffice to /opt/libreoffice25.8/ with all applications (Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw, Base, Math) and language support.

Install Desktop Integration Package

To add LibreOffice to your application menu and enable proper file associations, you should also install the desktop integration package:

cd /tmp/LibreOffice_25.8.3.2_Linux_x86-64_deb/DEBS/desktop-integration
sudo dpkg -i *.deb

Verify Manual Installation

Verify the installation by checking the version using the full path:

/opt/libreoffice25.8/program/soffice --version

Expected output:

LibreOffice 25.8.3.2 40(Build:2)

The version shown matches the DEB package you downloaded. The installation path uses the major.minor version only (e.g., /opt/libreoffice25.8/).

After installing the desktop integration package, LibreOffice appears in your application menu. You can also create a symbolic link to /usr/local/bin/libreoffice if you prefer launching from the terminal using just libreoffice.

Launching LibreOffice Suite

After successfully installing LibreOffice on your Debian system, you can open and use the suite in multiple ways. Specifically, you can choose to use the terminal or prefer a graphical approach.

Launch LibreOffice from the Terminal

Access your terminal application as you typically would on your Debian system, then open LibreOffice by inputting the following command:

libreoffice

Alternatively, if you installed LibreOffice using Flatpak, the command differs slightly:

flatpak run org.libreoffice.LibreOffice

Similarly, for manual DEB package installations, use the full path:

/opt/libreoffice25.8/program/soffice

Launch LibreOffice from the Application Icon

Navigate to your application menu or dashboard and search “LibreOffice.” Once you locate the LibreOffice icon, click on it. Subsequently, this action will launch the LibreOffice suite, and from there, you can select the specific application (like Writer, Calc, or Impress) you wish to use.

Manage LibreOffice

Update LibreOffice

Update via APT

Updating LibreOffice if you’ve installed it using the APT package manager is straightforward. In fact, regularly updating ensures you have the latest features and security patches.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install --only-upgrade libreoffice

Verify the update:

libreoffice --version

Update via Flatpak

On the other hand, the update process is slightly different but equally simple for those who’ve opted for the Flatpak installation.

flatpak update org.libreoffice.LibreOffice

Verify the update:

flatpak info org.libreoffice.LibreOffice | grep Version

Update Manual DEB Installation

Manual DEB installations require redownloading and reinstalling the tarball with the new version. First, you should check your current installed version:

/opt/libreoffice*/program/soffice --version

After checking your version, visit the LibreOffice download page, download the latest tarball, extract it, and then run:

cd /tmp/LibreOffice_[NEW-VERSION]_Linux_x86-64_deb/DEBS
sudo apt install ./*.deb

The new version will overwrite the old installation in /opt/.

Remove LibreOffice

There might come a time when you need to uninstall LibreOffice, either to free up space or to resolve specific issues. Importantly, depending on your installation method, the removal process varies.

Remove APT Installation

If you’ve installed LibreOffice through the APT package manager on Debian, you can easily uninstall it using the following commands:

sudo apt remove libreoffice
sudo apt autoremove

Alternatively, to remove configuration files as well, use purge instead:

sudo apt purge libreoffice
sudo apt autoremove

Verify removal:

sudo apt update
apt-cache policy libreoffice

Expected output:

libreoffice:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 7.x.x or 25.x.x (depending on Debian version)

Finally, confirm the command is no longer available:

libreoffice --version

Expected output:

bash: libreoffice: command not found

Remove Flatpak Installation

Meanwhile, for users who’ve installed the Flatpak version of LibreOffice, the uninstallation command is:

flatpak uninstall org.libreoffice.LibreOffice -y

Verify removal:

flatpak list | grep -i libre

This command should return no output.

Remove Manual DEB Installation

Manual DEB installations install to /opt/ and do not include an automated uninstaller. Therefore, you must remove the installation directory manually:

Warning: The following command permanently deletes the LibreOffice installation including any custom templates or extensions you may have added. If you have customized templates or extensions, back them up from /opt/libreoffice25.8/ before proceeding.

sudo rm -rf /opt/libreoffice25.8

Next, remove the desktop integration package:

sudo apt remove libreoffice25.8-debian-menus

Additionally, clean up the downloaded tarball and extracted files:

rm -rf /tmp/LibreOffice_25.8.3_Linux_x86-64_deb.tar.gz /tmp/LibreOffice_25.8.3.2_Linux_x86-64_deb/

Verify the installation directory is removed:

ls /opt/ | grep libre

This command should return no output, confirming complete removal.

Troubleshooting Common LibreOffice Issues

Manual DEB: Command Not Found Error

If you installed the manual DEB package and receive libreoffice: command not found, this is expected behavior. Specifically, the manual installation places LibreOffice in /opt/, which is not in your system PATH by default.

Error message:

bash: libreoffice: command not found

Diagnostic: Check if LibreOffice is installed in /opt/:

ls /opt/ | grep libre

Expected output:

libreoffice25.8

Fix: Use the full path to launch LibreOffice, or create a symbolic link to /usr/local/bin:

sudo ln -s /opt/libreoffice25.8/program/soffice /usr/local/bin/libreoffice

Verification:

libreoffice --version

Flatpak: Font Rendering Issues

Flatpak installations may not access system fonts properly, consequently causing missing or incorrect font rendering in documents.

Diagnostic: Check if fonts are missing by opening a document and looking for font substitution warnings or unexpected font rendering.

Fix: Grant LibreOffice Flatpak access to system fonts:

flatpak override --user org.libreoffice.LibreOffice --filesystem=/usr/share/fonts:ro

Similarly, for locally installed fonts:

flatpak override --user org.libreoffice.LibreOffice --filesystem=~/.local/share/fonts:ro

Verification: Restart LibreOffice and check if the missing fonts now appear in the font selector.

Slow First Launch After Installation

LibreOffice may take 20-30 seconds to launch the first time after installation, regardless of installation method. This is completely normal behavior.

Diagnostic: This is expected behavior during the initial launch. Specifically, LibreOffice performs first-run tasks including:

• Creating user profile directories
• Indexing help documentation
• Initializing Java runtime (if Base is included)
• Building font cache

Fix: No action needed. Subsequent launches will be significantly faster (typically 2-3 seconds). However, if slow launches persist after the first run, check system resources:

free -h
df -h

Ensure you have at least 1GB of free RAM and sufficient disk space for LibreOffice to operate smoothly.

LibreOffice Not Appearing in Application Menu

This issue typically occurs with manual DEB installations if the desktop integration package was not installed. Fortunately, the fix is straightforward.

Diagnostic: Check if the desktop integration package is installed:

dpkg -l | grep libreoffice | grep menu

Fix: Install the desktop integration package from the extracted tarball:

cd /tmp/LibreOffice_25.8.3.2_Linux_x86-64_deb/DEBS/desktop-integration
sudo dpkg -i *.deb

Verification: Log out and log back in, then check your application menu for LibreOffice entries. Alternatively, you can update the desktop database manually:

sudo update-desktop-database

Conclusion

You now have LibreOffice configured on Debian with Writer, Calc, Impress, and Draw ready for document work. As we covered, the APT method provides stable packages with automatic updates, Flatpak offers sandboxed newer releases, and manual DEB packages give precise version control. To extend functionality further, install Microsoft fonts on Debian for better compatibility, set up Timeshift backups to protect your work, or alternatively configure unattended upgrades to automate security updates.