LibreOffice and LanguageTool/WritingTool

[Mal_Bey]

Sorry if this is niche, and written in a geek dialect, but I had to chase this down, and thought I would document it. Perhaps it will give the next person a breadcrumb to follow.

I use the default LibreOffice snap on Ubuntu to do my writing. For grammar checking, I have been using LanguageTool. A couple of weeks ago I started getting a JRE error on LibreOffice start. I have lived through this before, and it breaks the LanguageTool functionality. I wasn't in a writing mode, so I just let it slide, hoping that the JRE mismatch that the error signals would resolve itself though snap updates. The errors persisted until I was getting into a writing mode, so I settled in to resolve it. I started by chasing updating the JRE, which is difficult in a snap of course. I reached the point where I was just hoping updating stuff would grant success. It turns out it was not a JRE issue at all, but that LibreOffice blacklisted the LanguageTool extension, replacing it with a fork called WritingTool. To fix the issue, uninstall the LanguageTool Extension. Then download the WritingTool extension from the LibreOffice website, and install it through LibreOffice's Extension Manager.

It seems to be a plug and play replacement, but I have only lived with it a short while.

I hope this helps other writers along the way.

 

[shelleycat1]

Is writingtool AI? What sort of suggestions does it make?

 

[UsuallyPresent]

Is writingtool AI? What sort of suggestions does it make?

The link in Mal's post has a lot of detail on WritingTool. In short, it's a grammar parser/etc like Grammarly or the like but only run on the local machine. Can apparently tie into other AI or remote tools, among other things, but that's not it out of the box.

 

[NotWise]

Is writingtool AI? What sort of suggestions does it make?

WritingTool can link to an AI server if you provide one, but it doesn't include AI of its own. In other respects, it seems to work just like LanguageTool. It's suggestions are based on a long list or rules, and you can customize the list by disabling rules you don't want to use. There might even be some rules that it doesn't use by default that you can enable if you want them.

 

[SyleusSnow]

... It turns out it was not a JRE issue at all, but that LibreOffice blacklisted the LanguageTool extension, replacing it with a fork called WritingTool. To fix the issue, uninstall the LanguageTool Extension. Then download the WritingTool extension from the LibreOffice website, and install it through LibreOffice's Extension Manager.

Wow... thanks for this. I struggled with LanguageTool for years. It kept having more and more problems. Stopped using it when I got a lifetime subscription to ProWritingAid, so had not heard this news.

Now if only ProWritingAid would make a LibreOffice plugin...

 

[Mal_Bey]

WritingTool/LanguageTool is a good tool. Even in it's default, nonAI configuration, it catches a ton of grammar and formatting errors. I haven't tried Grammarly or other higher end options, but the free WritingTool seems to be similar to GIMP vs Photoshop. It gives you 90% of the functionality of the paid option, and the 10% you don't get is rarely used except by power users. I'll give it the high compliment that it works and I freely choose to use it.

The worst thing about LanguageTool historically was getting it set up. The problem was LanguageTool referred to three different configurations of software, all different in setup and default usecases. Trying to google anything would give you a mix of all the configurations, leading to some deep rabbitholes and frustrations. For most people here, I would say the easiest way to get started once you are using LibreOffice is to follow the link in my my original post to download the WritingTool Extension from LibreOffice, and install via the LibreOffice Extension manager.

 

[shelleycat1]

I'll follow up with Mal_Bey's breadcrumbs:
Debian 12. Not using snap. Can be installed and works. Follow Mal_Bey's links on his post, including the requirements link for the correct java package, not installed by default. Useless because the details diagnosis turns up in grey on black or black on grey and doesn't change with any default theme.
Devuan 5. Not using snap. Again follow @Mal_Bey links including the need for the correct java package which is not installed by default (apt-get install libreoffice-java-common). Works fine.

 

[NotWise]

I'll follow up with Mal_Bey's breadcrumbs:
Debian 12. Not using snap. Can be installed and works. Follow Mal_Bey's links on his post, including the requirements link for the correct java package, not installed by default. Useless because the details diagnosis turns up in grey on black or black on grey and doesn't change with any default theme.
Devuan 5. Not using snap. Again follow @Mal_Bey links including the need for the correct java package which is not installed by default (apt-get install libreoffice-java-common). Works fine.

Earlier versions of LibreOffice installed through Ubuntu would catch and report missing or non-functional java installations. LibreOffice in the current Ubuntu LTS version didn't give specific diagnostics or guidance, so I replied on history and installed the necessary java packages. It surprises me a little that Ubuntu doesn't install those by default.