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LibreOffice won't launch on Ubuntu 20.04

~$ libreoffice --writer
/usr/lib/libreoffice/program/soffice.bin: symbol lookup error: /usr/lib/libreoffice/program/libmergedlo.so: undefined symbol: hb_graphite2_face_get_gr_face

I tried uninstalling according to the instructions here and then reinstalling: How to uninstall LibreOffice?

I have upgraded all of my packages.

How do I proceed with debugging? Do I somehow have the wrong version of libmergedlo.so?

EDIT:

Requested in comments:

~$ ldd /usr/lib/libreoffice/program/libmergedlo.so | grep local
    libboost_locale.so.1.71.0 => /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libboost_locale.so.1.71.0 (0x00007fe5591f3000)
    libharfbuzz.so.0 => /usr/local/lib/libharfbuzz.so.0 (0x00007fe558df5000)

Also tried:

  • Removing ~/.config/libreoffice/4/user/config/javasettings_Linux_X86_64.xml
  • Uninstalling, manually removing /usr/lib/libreoffice, reinstalling
  • sudo apt-get install --reinstall libreoffice libreoffice-core
Void Star
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  • Can you try uninstalling LibreOffice again, manually delete `/usr/lib/libreoffice`, and reinstall? – Brian Turek Aug 28 '20 at 15:30
  • Please [edit](https://askubuntu.com/posts/1270807/edit) your question and add output of `ldd /usr/lib/libreoffice/program/libmergedlo.so | grep local` to it. – N0rbert Aug 28 '20 at 15:43
  • Try whether it loads after removing the file config/libreoffice/4/user/config/javasettings_Linux_X86_64.xml – vanadium Aug 28 '20 at 18:40
  • @vanadium no change after (temporarily) removing the file – Void Star Aug 28 '20 at 23:12
  • @BrianTurek no change after uninstalling, removing /usr/lib/libreoffice, and reinstalling – Void Star Aug 28 '20 at 23:18
  • N0rbert is on to something. It looks like libharfbuzz.so.0 was manually installed as it is in /usr/local/lib as opposed to /usr/lib. Did you previously play around with libharfbuzz? Is there a /usr/lib/libharfbuzz.so.0? – Brian Turek Aug 29 '20 at 05:30
  • @BrianTurek, this is probably as a result of me building kitty shell from source on my main laptop instead of a build VM / dedicated crapware box like a dummy, removing the offending harfbuzz as N0rbert suggests fixed my issue – Void Star Aug 29 '20 at 18:20
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    @N0rbert, I learned something today - checking for shared object heck with ldd - thanks for the assistance – Void Star Aug 29 '20 at 18:25

3 Answers3

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To reinstall use:

sudo apt-get install --reinstall libreoffice libreoffice-core

You have to remove problematic library with:

sudo rm /usr/local/lib/libharfbuzz.so.0
N0rbert
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  • problem persists, any more ideas? – Void Star Aug 28 '20 at 23:13
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    You have to remove the problematic library with `sudo rm /usr/local/lib/libharfbuzz.so.0` – N0rbert Aug 29 '20 at 06:38
  • you're exactly right with that, now to figure out how that lib ended up there, thanks! – Void Star Aug 29 '20 at 18:17
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    For posterity - I got myself into this situation by building and installing harfbuzz from source as a dependency of another project I was trying to build. The right way to solve this, in my case, was to go to the source tree and run `sudo make uninstall`, which cleaned up everything and not just the stray libharfbuzz.so.0 – Void Star Aug 29 '20 at 18:26
  • @VoidStar that also worked for me! Thanks and I think you should post your comment as a full answer – Paul Oct 27 '20 at 15:21
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Try this to remove libreoffice:

sudo apt-get remove --purge libreoffice*
sudo apt-get clean
sudo apt-get autoremove

Download TDF packages from:

https://ftp.nluug.nl/office/libreoffice/libreoffice/stable/7.0.0/deb/x86_64/LibreOffice_7.0.0_Linux_x86-64_deb.tar.gz

https://ftp.nluug.nl/office/libreoffice/libreoffice/stable/7.0.0/deb/x86_64/LibreOffice_7.0.0_Linux_x86-64_deb_helppack_en-GB.tar.gz

https://ftp.nluug.nl/office/libreoffice/libreoffice/stable/7.0.0/deb/x86_64/LibreOffice_7.0.0_Linux_x86-64_deb_langpack_en-GB.tar.gz

Assuming, they are downloaded in /home/user/Downloads

Run to install:

cd ~/Downloads
for x in *.tar.gz; do tar xfv $x; done
sudo dpkg -i LibreOffice_*/DEBS/*.deb
kyodake
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0

I was actually able to bring back LibreOffice by simply removing the 'harfbuzz' (wth is that thing?!), at this point I have seen no negative results of NOT re-installing the LO-core. And it didn't FUBAR the way I have my menu arranged by enforcing the defaults in the 'install' process.

The cmd I used to nuke harfy was the one mentioned in this thread,

'sudo rm /usr/local/lib/libharfbuzz.so.0'

Bruce
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