Starting from the command line
You may want to start Apache OpenOffice from the command line (using the keyboard instead of the mouse). Why? Well, by using the command line, you have more control over what happens when Apache OpenOffice is started. For example, using the command line, you can tell Writer to load a document and print it immediately, or to start without showing the splash screen.
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Most users will never need to do this. |
There is more than one way to start Apache OpenOffice from the command line, depending on whether a customized version or the standard download from the Apache OpenOffice website has been installed.
If you installed using the download on the Apache OpenOffice website, you can start Writer by typing at the command line:
- soffice -writer
or
- swriter
Writer will start and create a new document. Likewise, you can start other Apache OpenOffice components from the command line:
| Type of document | Component | Command-line option |
|---|---|---|
| Text | Writer | -writer |
| Spreadsheet | Calc | -calc |
| Drawing | Draw | -draw |
| Presentation | Impress | -impress |
| Formula | Math | -math |
| Web page | Writer | -web |
To see a list of options you can use when starting Writer at the command line, type:
- soffice -?
Below is a list of some of the more popular options.
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| -help | Get a complete list of options. |
| -nologo | Do not show the startup screen. |
| -show <odp-file> | Start presentation immediately. |
| -view <documents ...> | Open documents in viewer (read-only) mode. |
| -minimized | Start OOo minimized. |
| -norestore | Suppress restart/restore after fatal errors. |
| -invisible | No startup screen, no default document and no UI. This is useful for third-party applications that use functionality provided by OOo. |
If you have a customized version of Apache OpenOffice (such as the one provided by Linux Mandrake or Gentoo), you can start Writer by typing at the command line:
- oowriter
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Although the command syntax differs, the effect is identical: it starts Apache OpenOffice with an empty Writer document. |
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