Install LibreOffice from Mac Store

The most popular way to install is through the LibreOffice Website. It is free of charge, and it can be installed in just a few steps. OS-College has a Web page about it.

However, a version of LibreOffice also can be acquired through the Mac Store, called LibreOffice Vanilla. It costs $29.99, which gives the user several minor benefits.

  • Updates through the OS X operating system
  • It removes features that don’t work

This Web page has the following sections:

  • Benefits of the Vanilla version
  • Installing

Benefits of using Vanilla

Vanilla is the full version of LibreOffice, but it has a few features that may make it easier to use than the downloaded version.

Updates

For those who use the LibreOffice version downloaded from the Website, they need to download and install the latest version from the Website, if they want the latest version. With LibreOffice Vanilla, updates can be performed through the App Store. The Mac OS X system will notify users when a new version is ready, and they can update it through the store.

Features

Unlike the downloaded versions, LibreOffice Vanilla does not have the choice to access Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive. This is because currently there are bugs in the downloaded versions of LibreOffice code. They do not connect with either one of these corporation’s data sharing services well.

Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive are not available in the Type list of File Services because they do not work well in any version of LibreOffice.

Therefore, Collabora, the company responsible for creating LibreOffice Vanilla, has not included them in the list of remote services that can be connected to. The list of data hosting services available through LibreOffice can be accessed the following ways:

  1. Click File.
  2. Click Open Remote or Save Remote.
  3. Click the Manage services button at the top, left corner of the Remote Files dialog.
  4. Click Add services. This launches the File Services dialog.

The Vanilla version also does not include as many macro languages in the Macro Organization sub-menu of Tools.

  1. Click the Tools menu.
  2. Hover over the Macros sub-menu.
  3. Hover over the Organize Macros sub-menu

Currently the two choices are Basic and Python. These are the two languages that work consistently for macros. In other versions of LibreOffice, the following languages will be in the list:

  • Basic
  • BeanShell
  • Python
  • JavaScript

Languages that do not work well or are not well documented have not been included in the Vanilla version. There is better documentation for using Python in LibreOffice.

Installing

Vanilla is easily installed like any other application in the Mac App Store.

LibreOffice Vanilla can be installed through the Mac App Store. This image shows it with a download button rather than the $29.99 button because application was previously purchased on a different Mac.
  1. Launch the App Store. It is either in the Applications folder, or the icon may be in the Dock.
  2. Type “Libreoffice” in the search box that is in the left column of the app store.
  3. Press the Return or Enter key on your keyboard. LibreOffice Vanilla will appear in the results.
  4. Click the LibreOffice title to open the page for LibreOffice Vanilla.
  5. Click the button for $29.99
  6. Follow the steps to install the application.
  7. It will be in the Applications folder. Double click it to open it.