Writer: Format Paragraph window ignores preferred measurement unit

I’m trying to edit a document in LibnreOffice Writer for the first time since switching to Linux from Windows. I want to set the paragraph indent, but the measurements in the Format Paragraph window are set to “ch”, even though I went to Tools > Options > LibreOffice Writer > View and set measurements to be in inches. I’d much rather work in inches for widths, thank you very much. Is there any way to do so?

I am surprised to be having this problem, because the setting in Tools > Options > LibreOffice Writer > View and the Format Paragraph window worked quite well together in the Windows version.

Seriously, though, how does using character-width as a unit of measure work when fonts are proportional? I tried setting a few values, just for the hell of it. and it appears that there is a great inconsistency in what a ‘ch’ is. A 1.0-ch indent is appears to be 1/8 of an inch, but a 4.0-ch indent is noticeably more than 1/2 an inch. A 12.0-ch indent comes to 1.75" or so.

On top of that, the width of 1.0 ch bears no relation to the font size, so if I set a four-character indent I get the same indention, regardless of whether the point size of the font is 6 or 26. This makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

Go to Tools > Options > LibreOffice Writer > General and untick Enable char unit. Character units are intended for Asian languages, you will see grid layout option next to it as well

Help

Enable char unit

When this setting is enabled, the measurement units of indents and spacing on Format - Paragraph - Indents & Spacing tab will be character (ch) and line.

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See also tdf#101895 comment 19.

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Guys, thanks a million! That is very helpful.

I never would have made that connection on my own.