How to use the command 'libreoffice' (with examples)

The ’libreoffice’ command is the command-line interface (CLI) for the office suite LibreOffice. It provides a set of functionalities for working with office documents, such as opening, reading, printing, and converting files. In this article, we will explore different use cases of the ’libreoffice’ command.

Use case 1: Open files in read-only mode

Code:

libreoffice --view path/to/file1 path/to/file2

Motivation: Opening files in read-only mode can be useful when you just want to view the content of the files without making any changes. This can be helpful when you want to quickly review documents or share them with others.

Explanation:

• --view: This option tells LibreOffice to open the files in read-only mode, preventing any modifications.
• path/to/file1 path/to/file2: These are the paths to the files you want to open.

Example output: When executing the command libreoffice --view document.docx, LibreOffice will open the “document.docx” file in read-only mode, allowing you to view its content but not make any changes.

Use case 2: Display the content of specific files

Code:

libreoffice --cat path/to/file1 path/to/file2

Motivation: Sometimes, you may need to quickly check the content of specific files without opening an office suite. The --cat option allows you to display the content directly in the terminal.

Explanation:

• --cat: This option tells LibreOffice to display the content of the files in the terminal.
• path/to/file1 path/to/file2: These are the paths to the files you want to display.

Example output: Executing libreoffice --cat document.txt will display the content of the “document.txt” file in the terminal.

Use case 3: Print files to a specific printer

Code:

libreoffice --pt printer_name path/to/file1 path/to/file2

Motivation: Printing files directly from the command line can be a convenient way to automate printing tasks or print files in bulk without manually opening each file.

Explanation:

• --pt: This option is used to specify the printer to which the files should be printed.
• printer_name: This argument specifies the name of the printer.
• path/to/file1 path/to/file2: These are the paths to the files you want to print.

Example output: Executing the command libreoffice --pt "My Printer" document.pdf will print the “document.pdf” file to the printer named “My Printer”.

Use case 4: Convert all .doc files in the current directory to PDF

Code:

libreoffice --convert-to pdf *.doc

Motivation: Converting multiple .doc files to PDF format can be time-consuming if done manually. Using the ’libreoffice’ command, you can easily convert all the files in a directory with just one command.

Explanation:

• --convert-to pdf: This option specifies the format you want to convert the files to. In this case, we specify PDF as the output format.
• *.doc: This argument specifies the input files to be converted. The wildcard “*” is used to match any file with the .doc extension.

Example output: Executing libreoffice --convert-to pdf *.doc will convert all .doc files in the current directory to PDF format. Each .doc file will be converted separately, generating a corresponding .pdf file in the same directory.

Conclusion:

The ’libreoffice’ command provides a versatile CLI interface for working with office documents. With its various options, you can open, read, print, and convert files conveniently from the command line. By understanding and utilizing these different use cases, you can improve your productivity when working with office documents.