RWAP wrote:You would need to find a Linux wordprocessor which is supplied with sources and try compiling it on the RPi - you generally have to do this for most applications on any Linux distribution and then cross your fingers...
ARE YOU KIDDING ME..!! We're not in the 90's anymore.
Linux based OS'es come in the form of a
distribution. Of which there are
MANY. Each distribution consists of a set of
packages, which are pre-compiled bits of software (libraries, applications, data sets used by those, etc). The bugfixing, patching, compiling & testing is done by
package maintainers, which are mostly developer-type advanced users, or even (in many cases these days!) paid professionals. Distributions differ in the set of packages included by default, which / how many (pre-compiled, binary) packages are available as add-on, default configuration, installation methods, etc.
(unless someone has pre-compiled it and tested it already)
For end-users, that is the
common case.
For the RPi, the 'officially supported' distro is called Raspbian. You download a ~1GB .zip, unzip it, write the resulting ~3GB to an SD card, and boot the RPi with it. From there on, you have a text-based menu where you make some inital settings (keyboard layout, whether to boot into commandline or GUI by default, etc), reboot, and you're good to go.
In my case the only complication was my cheap-ass TV. Over HDMI it reports as preferring full HD (1920 x 1080), and supporting a whole slew of other resolutions.
Except the screen's native one (1366 x 768).
So that took a bit of Googling, and edit a config file to force optimal screen resolution. Another bit of editing some config files, and internet connection using my Wi-Fi dongle was in the air.
Raspbian derives from Debian - ARM architecture, which is a reasonably well supported Debian port. A large part of all packages available for Debian have been re-compiled for use in Raspbian. Meaning: almost any software you'd consider running, is available as a ready-made binary package, and "compile from source" is only needed if you're doing something unusual, or try to make some
very un-common piece of software run on the RPi.
On my PC, I use a GUI program called Synaptic, type a keyword in a search box, and get a list of available packages. Read the descriptions, check some screenshots or do some Googling, make some clicks "install these", 1-2 minute wait, done. Selected programs and any other bits they need to run ("dependencies") are sorted out, downloaded & installed in that one action, when finished they're ready to run. Outside the GUI there's a program called "apt-get" that does a similar job. On
rare occasions you hit a snag - that's where Google and/or some commandline-fu may come in.
Using Raspbian, the procedure is pretty much the same. With other distributions, you may have different tools for the job, and a smaller selection of pre-built software.
monsterjazzlicks wrote:So, are you saying that you use LibreOffice with your RPi please? And does this come included or is it an additional purchase?
Didn't install that yet, but it is
available as pre-built package. Screenshots
here. Oh RWAP beat me to it.
LibreOffice is
Free/
Libre
Open
Source
Software ("FLOSS"). Among other things that means free as in no need to pay.
Probably more suitable on the RPi are lighter-weight, specialized applications like Abiword (word processor, also handles .rtf and not-too-complex .doc files), Gnumeric (a simple spreadsheet program), etc.
and if there was any point in installing MS OFFICE
So make that LibreOffice... But well, yes: that
if you have your RPi running (and not your PC/laptop/whatever),
and it's internet-connected,
and you happen to come across a .doc file, you
could download & open it directly on your RPi. Same thing for .doc files you may have on an USB stick etc. Probably a rare event though...
An office suite like LibreOffice will probably excercise a Model A to it's limits - pretty sure it
will run (swapfiles & such), question is how sluggish.
Btw. if buying I'd go for the RPi
2 (as opposed to older models like the B+), to keep those Windows 10 / Android / Sailfish OS options open. Small difference in price,
very big difference in RAM & raw CPU power.