error while reinstalling all previously deployed packages of context user

[mogplus8]

I just got this error when I tried to start Writer. I tried removing and reinstalling the whole Libreoffice suite, but still get the same error message. A dialog box pops up with “LibreOffice 6.0 - Fatal Error” in the title bar, then “The application cannot be started”, then “error while reinstalling all previously deployed packages of context user” and an OK button. Clicking OK just removes the dialog box, the application doesn’t start and nothing else appears.
There are two other posts on this forum relating to the same error, both more than two years old, both with no responses, so I’m completely stuck. How to I get Libreoffice working again?
I’m using Linux Mint 19.3.
Thanks,
Ian

Thanks for the reply.
If I execute the command “libreoffice” in a terminal, the same dialog box is displayed. When I click OK the dialog box disappears and the terminal prompt is redisplayed. No messages are displayed, error or otherwise.

Aug 11. I also tried removing Libreoffice and reinstalling the latest version (6.3.0) by downloading the install file from the Libreoffice site. However it had the same problem.

Thanks for getting back to me on this issue, much appreciated.

1. To install LibreOffice 6.3 I downloaded the install file from LibreOffice website “LibreOffice_6.3.0_Linux_x86-64_deb.tar.gz”. I extracted the archive and followed the instructions in the readme. From a terminal, cd to the LibreOffice_ directory and use “sudo dpkg -i *.deb”. I executed LibreOffice by typing in a terminal “libreoffice6.3”, which produced the error dialog.

2. /usr/bin/libreoffice6.3 doesn’t exist. /usr/local/bin/libreoffice6.3 does exist though, and produces the error dialog. However the same error messages are now repeated in the terminal window.

ian@Mintian ~ $ libreoffice6.3
Gtk-Message: 22:50:55.676: GtkDialog mapped without a transient parent. This is discouraged.
LibreOffice 6.3 - Fatal Error: The application cannot be started.
Error while reinstalling all previously deployed packages of context user

3. Executing /opt/libreoffice6.3/program/soffice also produces the error dialog.

4. I used Mint’s standard package manager to remove everything related to LibreOffice. (I didn’t remove the “uno” or “ure” packages though. Should I have?)

5. Here is the result of the dpkg list (apologies, blockquote doesn’t seem to keep the formatting for this).

ian@Mintian ~ $ dpkg --list libreoffice* | grep ^ii
ii libreoffice6.3 6.3.0.4-4 amd64 Brand module for LibreOffice 6.3 .0.4
ii libreoffice6.3-base 6.3.0.4-4 amd64 Base brand module for LibreOffice 6.3 .0.4
ii libreoffice6.3-calc 6.3.0.4-4 amd64 Calc brand module for LibreOffice 6.3 .0.4
ii libreoffice6.3-debian-menus 6.3.0-4 all LibreOffice 6.3 desktop integration
ii libreoffice6.3-dict-en 6.3.0.4-4 amd64 En dictionary for LibreOffice 6.3 .0.4
ii libreoffice6.3-dict-es 6.3.0.4-4 amd64 Es dictionary for LibreOffice 6.3 .0.4
ii libreoffice6.3-dict-fr 6.3.0.4-4 amd64 Fr dictionary for LibreOffice 6.3 .0.4
ii libreoffice6.3-draw 6.3.0.4-4 amd64 Draw brand module for LibreOffice 6.3 .0.4
ii libreoffice6.3-en-us 6.3.0.4-4 amd64 Brand language module for LibreOffice 6.3 .0.4
ii libreoffice6.3-impress 6.3.0.4-4 amd64 Impress brand module for LibreOffice 6.3 .0.4
ii libreoffice6.3-math 6.3.0.4-4 amd64 Math brand module for LibreOffice 6.3 .0.4
ii libreoffice6.3-ure 6.3.0.4-4 amd64 UNO Runtime Environment .0.4
ii libreoffice6.3-writer 6.3.0.4-4 amd64 Writer brand module for LibreOffice 6.3 .0.4

Aug 12.

ian@Mintian ~ $ /opt/libreoffice6.3/program/soffice
Gtk-Message: 17:00:16.214: GtkDialog mapped without a transient parent. This is discouraged.
LibreOffice 6.3 - Fatal Error: The application cannot be started.
Error while reinstalling all previously deployed packages of context user
ian@Mintian ~ $ /opt/libreoffice6.3/program/soffice --safe-mode
Gtk-Message: 17:06:30.348: GtkDialog mapped without a transient parent. This is discouraged.
LibreOffice 6.3 - Fatal Error: The application cannot be started.
Failed to updatefile:///home/ian/.config/libreoffice/4/user/extensions/bundled/lastsynchronized
ian@Mintian ~ $ ls -l $(which libreoffice6.3)
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 35 Aug 7 05:41 /usr/local/bin/libreoffice6.3 → /opt/libreoffice6.3/program/soffice
ian@Mintian ~ $ ^C
ian@Mintian ~ $ /usr/local/bin/libreoffice6.3
Gtk-Message: 17:12:47.620: GtkDialog mapped without a transient parent. This is discouraged.
LibreOffice 6.3 - Fatal Error: The application cannot be started.
Error while reinstalling all previously deployed packages of context user
ian@Mintian ~ $

Ignore the ^C in the middle of the above, I automatically hit it to try to copy the output instead of right clicking and selecting copy. Whoops.

Thanks.

[anon73440385]

Please open a terminal and execute libreoffice on the command line. Please post all error messages by editing your original question. Please, do not use Add Answer to add additional information.

[anon73440385]

Please tell us

• how did you installa on Mint using the files from LibreOffice website
• how did you call on command line
• are you aware, that you need to call /usr/bin/libreoffice6.3 (or better: /opt/libreoffice6.3/program/soffice to be absolutely sure to call the correct version), if you don’t use the version provided by Mint (which in fact is by ubuntu).
• did you remove any remainders of Mint’s version of LibreOffice ?
• the output of dpkg --list libreoffice* | grep ^ii ?

[anon73440385]

Have you tried to execute /opt/libreoffice6.3/program/soffice --safe-mode? If this is working you may suffer a corrupted user profile.

[mogplus8]

Well I think I accidentally solved this one. Starting in safe-mode didn’t work because there was an issue with some files in ~/.config/libreoffice. I renamed the folder and tried starting in safe-mode again and it started ok. So I closed it and tried running it again from the start menu, and it started perfectly. So it looks like there was at least on file in .config that was corrupted and LibreOffice couldn’t get around it. When I started Librreoffice again it created a new .config/libreoffice, and that one seems to be okay.

Once again thanks for all the help. I’m now a happy LO user again!

Ian

[anon73440385]

Renaming ~/.config/libreoffice is referred as “Resetting the user profile” and this was my last comment, since executing /opt/libreoffice6.3/program/soffice --safe-mode causes LibreOffice to start with a temporary new user profile and my statement was If this is working you may suffer a corrupted user profile.