Libreoffice 7.0.4 startup is VERY slow

Support Software & Applications
1

Hi everyone, my installation of libreoffice from the official repository is REALLY slow(two minutes at best). It’s not just when opening docs but starting the software as well. I tried to reinstall, but it did nothing.

Here my specs:

Operating System: Manjaro Linux
KDE Plasma Version: 5.20.4
KDE Frameworks Version: 5.77.0
Qt Version: 5.15.2
Kernel Version: 5.10.2-2-MANJARO
OS Type: 64-bit
Processors: 16 × AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 8-Core Processor
Memory: 31.3 GiB of RAM
Graphics Processor: GeForce GTX 1080 Ti/PCIe/SSE2

2

Okay, more detail is needed. I’m using an i3-4130 processor with 8GB RAM so you should be a fair bit quicker…

I actually chose to have WPS for my main office suite… not that I do much, but it’s enough for me - writer documents look great, save to .docx and give no headaches and it works perfectly with my old spreadsheet too. I haven’t tested it myself, but I hear freeoffice is also pretty tasty.

WPS takes less than 2 seconds to appear and works well… wps-office 11.1.0.9719-1 [installed] doing a quick search brings up freeoffice as a top answer also which is comparable (with minor differences - it really depends on your use case perhaps).

That’s not a solution, but a possible workaround if you’re in need. I’m not sure who uses Libre - some might even use the snap or appimages, but I wanted a break from those menus.

Ok, let’s play:

trizen office

Summary

6 extra/libreoffice-fresh-af 7.0.4-1
Afrikaans language pack for LibreOffice Fresh
5 extra/libreoffice-fresh 7.0.4-1
LibreOffice branch which contains new features and program enhancements
4 extra/libcdr 0.1.6-2
CorelDraw file format importer library for LibreOffice
3 extra/hplip 1:3.20.11-2 [installed]
Drivers for HP DeskJet, OfficeJet, Photosmart, Business Inkjet and some LaserJet
2 extra/goffice 0.10.48-1
A GLib/GTK+ set of document-centric objects and charting library
1 extra/freeoffice 2018.980-1
A complete, reliable, lightning-fast and Microsoft Office-compatible office suite with a word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation graphics software.

=>> Select packages to install

I love that entry ‘fresh-af’ means fresher than fresh, fresh as f@ck? Let’s go with number 5.

5
:: Pacman command: /usr/bin/sudo /usr/bin/pacman -S extra/libreoffice-fresh
[sudo] password for ben:
resolving dependencies…
looking for conflicting packages…

Packages (30) clucene-2.3.3.4-11 libabw-0.1.3-2 libatomic_ops-7.6.10-2 libcdr-0.1.6-2 libcmis-0.5.2-6 libe-book-0.1.3-7 libepubgen-0.1.1-2 libetonyek-0.1.9-2 libexttextcat-3.4.5-2 libfreehand-0.1.2-3 libixion-0.16.1-5 liblangtag-0.6.3-2 libmspub-0.1.4-8 libmwaw-0.3.17-1 libnumbertext-1.0.6-1 libodfgen-0.1.7-2 liborcus-0.16.1-5 libpagemaker-0.0.4-2 libqxp-0.0.2-4 librevenge-0.0.4-3 libstaroffice-0.0.7-1 libvisio-0.1.7-3 libwpd-0.10.3-2 libwpg-0.3.3-2 libwps-0.4.12-1 libzmf-0.0.2-8 lpsolve-5.5.2.5-4 rasqal-1:0.9.33-4 redland-1:1.0.17-8 libreoffice-fresh-7.0.4-1

Total Download Size: 154.93 MiB
Total Installed Size: 668.13 MiB

:: Proceed with installation? [Y/n]

Fairly hefty, but easy enough to clean up if I don’t like it, right?

Ok, installed - then launch writer from the menu and I must say it does look like a bit of a pig with freezing progress bars - I had to open conky to watch RAM, it looked like I’d run out it was so slow. Never worked like this before (I think I last had it about 3 months ago).

Theme looks okay, but looks like I’m running an intel atom here. Closing it and relaunching, it still took a good 14 seconds to paint paper on the screen in writer from my 860 EVO (which launches GIMP from cold in under 2 seconds).

Screen2021-01-13_19:45:00)
Screen2021-01-13_19:45:00)1920×1080 106 KB

Winner here - WPS (because it’s already installed).

Clean up: ❯ trizen -Rns libreoffice-fresh :: Pacman command: /usr/bin/sudo /usr/bin/pacman -Rns libreoffice-fresh

Sorry, no solution from me - I’m done here. I wonder if this is an issue with Java runtime - but I must admit I don’t care enough to work hard at this.

3

I’m sorry but I’m not interested in that software.

4

Neither was I until LibreOffice started to mess up - both the stable (still) and fresh options look like they need a CRAY to run properly.

5

You didn’t tell us which storage device are you using.
For comparison with my system which is older and less powerful (Ivy Bridge, Intel Core i5-3210M, SSD 860 EVO 500GB, 16 GiB DDR3)

I tried to check the exact launch time from terminal:

time libreoffice --writer  --nologo
Warning: failed to read path from javaldx

real	0m1,964s
user	0m1,368s
sys	0m0,142s

It just takes less than 2 seconds to startup.
Anyway I’m using Libreoffice 6.4.7-7.

Share the output of inxi -Fazy

6 
 time libreoffice --writer --nologo
Icon theme "ubuntu-mono-dark" not found.
Icon theme "Mint-X" not found.
Icon theme "elementary" not found.
^C

real    2m47.540s
user    0m0.089s
sys     0m0.029s

I’m using a SSD Samsung 970 EVO Plus

1 Like
7

Install the libreoffice STILL
For now we still in 6.x.x series

8

Already tried, it takes the same amount of time
EDIT:
actually, it takes more (5 vs 3mins).

    time libreoffice --writer
    Icon theme "ubuntu-mono-dark" not found.
    Icon theme "Mint-X" not found.
    Icon theme "elementary" not found.
    Icon theme "ubuntu-mono-dark" not found.
    Icon theme "Mint-X" not found.
    Icon theme "elementary" not found.

    real    5m23.898s
    user    0m2.120s
    sys     0m0.360s
9

wait what why ?
do your / partition is in a ssd ?

10

Yeah. I don’t know what happened, but I removed the STILL version with all the relative (not used elsewhere) libraries and that made the trick.

time libreoffice --writer --nologo
Icon theme "ubuntu-mono-dark" not found.
Icon theme "Mint-X" not found.
Icon theme "elementary" not found.
^C
real    0m2.788s
user    0m1.469s
sys     0m0.192s

EDIT:
Or that’s what I’d have hoped for, it broke again

2 Likes
11

w a i t w h a t
Good then :rofl:

12

Well, it broke again so… I’m even more confused now ahahah

13

Ok try reinstall libreoffice?

14

Just tried that, it’s still broken

15

But i have some question
You used the still version or the frech version
Try just to delete libreoffice and this depencyces
and try sudo pacman -S libreoffice-still

16

This is a story no one would expect, full of terrible bugs and mythical creatures. A story of heroes and tyrants, of gods and devils.

First I tried by changing the java version to 14. That didn’t work.
Then I uninstalled fresh and installed still, but same as before.
I -Rs still and then installed fresh. A miracle, it worked! I ran a few tests, and then it just GTFO’d me.

I tried the same steps but it didn’t work.
I also tried to remove libreoffice without the dependencies, but it didn’t work either.

EDIT:
New record, 5m40s!

time libreoffice --writer
Icon theme "ubuntu-mono-dark" not found.
Icon theme "Mint-X" not found.
Icon theme "elementary" not found.
Icon theme "ubuntu-mono-dark" not found.
Icon theme "Mint-X" not found.
Icon theme "elementary" not found.

real    5m40.083s
user    0m3.137s
sys     0m0.674s
1 Like
17

Why is your LibreOffice looking for these icon themes?
Are you sure you are using the repo package and not a Flatpak/Snap?

Here’s mine with the repo package of libreoffice-fresh:

[strit@odin ~]$ time libreoffice --writer --nologo
javaldx: Could not find a Java Runtime Environment!
Warning: failed to read path from javaldx

real    0m4,870s
user    0m2,457s
sys     0m0,353s
1 Like
18

Do a backup of ~/.config/libreoffice and then delete ~/.config/libreoffice
You can always revert if you lost some personal setting.

19

Yeah, I install through pacman. I’m not sure either on why.

@D.dave I tried just that but nothing changed. I also reinstalled.

The command I used: sudo pacman -Rs libreoffice-fresh && sudo pacman -S libreoffice-fresh

20

Once you get the issue figured out, LibreOffice can be made to look more modern by going to Tools > Options > Advanced and Enable Experimental features.

Then from Menu > User Interface > Groupedbar
Looks line this:

1920×1079 461 KB