2-8-2020:
While attempting to explore Libreoffice Base on the pi4B 4GB running:
pi@raspberrypi:~ $ uname -a
Linux raspberrypi 4.19.97-v7l+ #1294 SMP Thu Jan 30 13:21:14 GMT 2020 armv7l GNU/Linux
I of course began with a sudo apt update
and sudo apt upgrade
, and a reboot. I then launched LibreOffice Base, selected the option to create a new database, and as soon as I try to begin building tables, or anything, I get the message:
LibreOffice requires a Java runtime environment (JRE) to perform this task. Please install a JRE (and libreoffice-java-common) and restart LibreOffice.
The dialog did not specify that the JRE must be only the oracle distribution, or any particular version number. After doing searches for an hour, and per the recommendation in several posts, I then installed the latest version of openJDK (v11) with the following:
pi@raspberrypi:~ $ sudo apt install default-jdk
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:
alsa-base gir1.2-gda-5.0 glom-doc gstreamer0.10-alsa
gstreamer0.10-plugins-base libboost-python1.67.0 libepc-1.0-3 libepc-common
libevdocument3-4 libevview3-3 libgda-5.0-4 libgda-5.0-common
libgda-5.0-postgres libgdamm-5.0-13 libgettextpo0 libglom-1.30-0
libgoocanvas-2.0-9 libgoocanvas-2.0-common libgoocanvasmm-2.0-6
libgspell-1-1 libgspell-1-common libgstreamer-plugins-base0.10-0
libgstreamer0.10-0 libgtksourceviewmm-3.0-0v5 libgxps2 libkpathsea6 libllvm8
libva-wayland2 libxfce4util-bin libxfce4util-common libxfce4util7
libxfconf-0-2 libxml++2.6-2v5 pimixer point-rpi xfconf
Use 'sudo apt autoremove' to remove them.
The following additional packages will be installed:
default-jdk-headless default-jre default-jre-headless
The following NEW packages will be installed:
default-jdk default-jdk-headless default-jre default-jre-headless
0 upgraded, 4 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 14.3 kB of archives.
After this operation, 39.9 kB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] Y
Get:2 http://raspbian.raspberrypi.org/raspbian buster/main armhf default-jre armhf 2:1.11-71+b1 [1,044 B]
Get:3 http://raspbian.raspberrypi.org/raspbian buster/main armhf default-jdk-headless armhf 2:1.11-71+b1 [1,108 B]
Get:1 http://mirrors.syringanetworks.net/raspbian/raspbian buster/main armhf default-jre-headless armhf 2:1.11-71+b1 [11.1 kB]
Get:4 http://raspbian.raspberrypi.org/raspbian buster/main armhf default-jdk armhf 2:1.11-71+b1 [1,060 B]
Fetched 14.3 kB in 1s (11.8 kB/s)
Selecting previously unselected package default-jre-headless.
(Reading database ... 186330 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../default-jre-headless_2%3a1.11-71+b1_armhf.deb ...
Unpacking default-jre-headless (2:1.11-71+b1) ...
Selecting previously unselected package default-jre.
Preparing to unpack .../default-jre_2%3a1.11-71+b1_armhf.deb ...
Unpacking default-jre (2:1.11-71+b1) ...
Selecting previously unselected package default-jdk-headless.
Preparing to unpack .../default-jdk-headless_2%3a1.11-71+b1_armhf.deb ...
Unpacking default-jdk-headless (2:1.11-71+b1) ...
Selecting previously unselected package default-jdk.
Preparing to unpack .../default-jdk_2%3a1.11-71+b1_armhf.deb ...
Unpacking default-jdk (2:1.11-71+b1) ...
Setting up default-jre-headless (2:1.11-71+b1) ...
Setting up default-jre (2:1.11-71+b1) ...
Setting up default-jdk-headless (2:1.11-71+b1) ...
Setting up default-jdk (2:1.11-71+b1) ...
pi@raspberrypi:~ $
After a restart of everything, LibreOffice Base gave the same error message. It was my understanding that the OpenJDK would also install a JRE. Out of curiosity, I then tried:
pi@raspberrypi:~ $ sudo apt install default-JRE
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
E: Unable to locate package default-JRE
pi@raspberrypi:~ $
pi@raspberrypi:~ $ java -version
openjdk version "11.0.6" 2020-01-14
OpenJDK Runtime Environment (build 11.0.6+10-post-Raspbian-1deb10u1)
OpenJDK Server VM (build 11.0.6+10-post-Raspbian-1deb10u1, mixed mode)
pi@raspberrypi:~ $
Although it found no such package, these two commands did show that there was indeed a JRE installed, presumably by the OpenJDK install.
Next, per the error dialog box that LibreOffice so kindly presented to me again, I then made sure the libreoffice-java-common was on the system:
pi@raspberrypi:~ $ sudo apt install libreoffice-java-common
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
libreoffice-java-common is already the newest version (1:6.1.5-3+rpi1+deb10u5).
libreoffice-java-common set to manually installed.
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
pi@raspberrypi:~ $
Alas, I was hasty to conclude that all requirements were then met since apparently there is now the latest recommended OpenJDK JRE on my pi 4B, and the required libreoffice-java-common. After restarting my Pi4B, from a cold boot, and launching LibreOffice Base again, opening the file I am trying to create, and clicking on the Tables in the upper left, I am greeted with the very same error dialog, as if I had done nothing at all to satisfy its requirements.
I then began to wonder if LibreOffice demands only the oracle version of the JRE but found again that those versions are older, more involved to install, and not recommended compared to the OpenJDK in the Raspbian Buster repositories.
Perhaps this is a version problem? Or a path configuration issue?
I have so much to learn. Please educate me on what I need to do, and what I did wrong.