LibreOffice-Base installation under Ubuntu 19.10

Hello!

I had LO-Base (version consistent with latest supported under Ubuntu 19.04 - 6.3.3.2) running previously. After upgrading to Ubuntu 19.10 from 19.04, I noticed that LibreOffice-Base would no longer start (presumably no longer installed?). I ran the following set of commands:

sudo apt --fix-broken install
sudo apt autoremove
sudo apt install libreoffice-base

I encountered the following error message:

...
Unpacking libreoffice-nlpsolver (0.9+LibO6.3.3-0ubuntu0.19.10.1) ...
Errors were encountered while processing:
 /tmp/apt-dpkg-install-VDsP4j/11-libreoffice-base_1%3a6.3.3-0ubuntu0.19.10.1_amd64.deb
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

How can I install LO-Base in my current environment, please?

Kind regards.

Related message:

libreoffice: Depends: libreoffice-base but it is not installed
             Depends: libreoffice-core (= 1:6.3.3-0ubuntu0.19.10.1) but 1:6.3.3-0ubuntu0.19.10.1 is installed
libreoffice-report-builder-bin: Depends: libreoffice-base but it is not installed
                                Depends: libreoffice-core (= 1:6.3.3-0ubuntu0.19.10.1) but 1:6.3.3-0ubuntu0.19.10.1 is installed

Also:

$ sudo apt --fix-broken install
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
Correcting dependencies... Done
The following additional packages will be installed:
  libreoffice-base
Suggested packages:
  unixodbc
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  libreoffice-base
0 upgraded, 1 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
30 not fully installed or removed.
Need to get 0 B/1,711 kB of archives.
After this operation, 9,002 kB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] Y
(Reading database ... 332616 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../libreoffice-base_1%3a6.3.3-0ubuntu0.19.10.1_amd64.deb ..
.
Adding 'diversion of /usr/lib/libreoffice/share/basic/dialog.xlc to /usr/lib/lib
reoffice/share/basic/dialog.xlc.noaccess by libreoffice-base'
dpkg-divert: error: rename involves overwriting '/usr/lib/libreoffice/share/basi
c/dialog.xlc.noaccess' with
  different file '/usr/lib/libreoffice/share/basic/dialog.xlc', not allowed
dpkg: error processing archive /var/cache/apt/archives/libreoffice-base_1%3a6.3.
3-0ubuntu0.19.10.1_amd64.deb (--unpack):
 new libreoffice-base package pre-installation script subprocess returned error 
exit status 2
No diversion 'diversion of /usr/lib/libreoffice/share/basic/dialog.xlc to /usr/l
ib/libreoffice/share/basic/dialog.xlc.noaccess by libreoffice-base', none remove
d.
No diversion 'diversion of /usr/lib/libreoffice/share/basic/script.xlc to /usr/l
ib/libreoffice/share/basic/script.xlc.noaccess by libreoffice-base', none remove
d.
Errors were encountered while processing:
 /var/cache/apt/archives/libreoffice-base_1%3a6.3.3-0ubuntu0.19.10.1_amd64.deb
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
$

Hello,

though in fact your problem isn’t a LibreOffice problem, I’d suggest the following procedure:

  • Open a terminal
  • Execute sudo su - (opens a root shell)
  • Execute dpkg --list | awk '{if ($2 ~ "libreoffice") {print $2}}' | xargs dpkg --purge --force-all python3-uno (package python3-uno added manually to the list of libreoffice packages to be removed)
  • Execute apt --yes autoremove
  • Execute apt --yes install libreoffice

This procedure completely removes any package related to LibreOffice and reinstalls the software from the distributions resources (From my “remote” perspecticve this seem to be the only way to get it fixed since your installation seems to be messed up).

Procedure tested on: Ubuntu 19.10 (but of course could not reconstruct you specific error situation)

Hope that helps.

If the answer helped you to solve your problem, please click the check mark (:heavy_check_mark:) next to the answer.

Your procedure fixed my issue with LO not starting. Thanks.

I spoke too soon. It only starts if I am root.

@JoeSixPack - Please see my answer in your post Libre Office wont start after upgrade to Ubuntu 19.10. The answer given here is rather about “fix a messed up LibreOffice installation” than about “LibreOffice doesn’t start as default user”.