Downloaded the latest version of LO for macbook air m2 but cannot install it

[gfinley]

Versions used at the moment: MacBook Air M2 (Sonoma 14.2.1), LibreOffice (7.5.5.2/AARCH64).
Downloaded the latest version of LO (7.6.5.2 aka 24.2.1) for my macbook air (silicon) but cannot install it. I tried various ways* but nothing seems to work.

• I tried dragging the Download icon into the App icon but had to stop the process for some reason. Then I tried again but it was stuck on stopping the process.
  ** Then tried quitting LO, restarting mac, clicking Open on the download (a small ‘exploding’ icon appears but nothing else), Open with DiskimageMounter.app (default).

[robleyd]

Perhaps the macOS installation instructions may be helpful?

[iplaw67]

Where did you download the DMG bundle from?

When you have downloaded the DMG file, e. g. to your Downloads folder, double-click on it.
Preferably, do not download the bundle to your Desktop, as this is a protected folder by default and you probably won’t be able to install from there.

Now drag and drop the LibreOffice.app to your Applications folder. You will probably need admin rights on the machine to do this.

Once the app bundle has been copied to the Applications folder, try starting LibreOffice with a right mouse button click, pressing the Shift key down whilst selecting Open in the context menu, in order to force Gatekeeper to ask you whether you want to start LibreOffice. You may have to do this twice in some cases, as it doesn’t always work first time around.

If LibreOffice still fails to start, it is usually down to missing read/write permissions to the folders required by LO to be readable and writable.

[gfinley]

Thanks robleyd, yes but that was the problem, when I double clicked on the .dmg file, nothing happened. I tried it again this morning and the installation window did open (yay) but after dragging the download icon to the Apps icon, the new installation still didn’t appear in the Finder/Apps folder. I restarted mac, still not there, and when I open a LO document it opens in the old version.

[gfinley]

Thanks iplaw67. I downloaded it from the official LO page, with the correct version for my mac.
Re the double click suggestion, please see my reply to robleyd above.
I downloaded the bundle to the Downloads folder, not the desktop.
Re ‘Once the app bundle has been copied to the Applications folder,’ - that’s the thing, it hasn’t copied to the Apps folder. I can see the new LibreOffice_24.2.1_MacOS_aarch64.dmg in the Downloads folder, but not in the Apps folder, even after restarting Mac.
I haven’t had issues with ‘missing read/write permissions to the folders required by LO to be readable and writable’ in the past. But there are two new things: the macbookair is fairly new (July 23), and the LO downloads have changed (from 7.6.4, my last working version, to 24.2.1).

NB. I have just noticed that when I check the default version to open texts & spreadsheets* and if I change ‘Open with’ (Finder, right click a .odt document, Get info) and change the default to 24.2.1 (which appears in the list), and click ‘Change All’, it changes to Libreoffice2.app (default), which is the 7.6.4 version.

*See my notes which I copied from the forum:
Permanently change the app used to open all files of a particular type:
1. On your Mac, click the Finder icon in the Dock to open a Finder window.
2. Select a file, then choose File > Get Info. …
3. In the Info window, click the arrow next to “Open with.”
4. Click the pop-up menu, choose an app, Change All.

Most sincere apologies for the length of this post.

[iplaw67]

Just a thought : as you drag and dropped the app into your Applications folder, did you notice that the LibreOffice icon had a “plus” symbol on it until you let go of the mouse button, or did the LibreOffice icon behave as usual when installing an app from the DMG?

I’ve noticed in the past that macOS sometimes creates an alias to the app package in the DMG, instead of copying the app package. Obviously, if the OS only creates an alias and you subsequently unmount the DMG, there’s no longer any app to launch.

I only wonder this because your older version is given as LibreOffice2 in your Applications folder, which would imply that you already have an application named “LibreOffice” in the Applications folder, even if it is just an alias.

[gfinley]

Thank you so much for taking the time. I didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary except the fact that it didn’t appear to install.
The libreoffice2.app you mention is 2nd version of LO I installed (I tend to keep all versions just in case) which is 7.6.4, added in February, the one I’m presently using by default. The previously installed version is called libreoffice.app, added in January. I’ll try and upload a screenshot of the relevant part in Applications.

And also a screenshot of the relevant part in Downloads (plenty of them as you can see).

All the best.

[iplaw67]

Could you try renaming both LibreOffice and Libre Office 2 to something different, e. g LO764 for Libre Office 2 and whatever the version was for the app currently called Libre Office, and then try and reinstall 24.x?

[gfinley]

Thank you for your reply. What should I rename? the Apps, or the Downloads? Apology for my ignorance…

[iplaw67]

Sorry, yes, I meant the app names in your Applications folder.

[gfinley]

You’re a star!, Did as you suggested (renamed apps, re-installed download) and changed the default, it all seems to be ok now. I just hope that now I’ve installed the latest version, my issue will be solved (Libre Office Writer previous window takes focus). With my very best wishes and many thanks for your help and patience.