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Copyright
This document is Copyright © 2018 by the LibreOffice Documentation Team. Contributors are listed
below. You may distribute it and/or modify it under the terms of either the GNU General Public
License (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html), version 3 or later, or the Creative Commons
Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), version 4.0 or later.
All trademarks within this guide belong to their legitimate owners.
Contributors
This book is adapted and updated from Getting Started with OpenOffice.org 3.3.
To this edition
Andrew Jensen Amanda Labby Cathy Crumbley
Dan Lewis Dave Barton Jean Hollis Weber
Jorge Rodriguez Olivier Hallot Paul Figueiredo
To previous editions
Agnes Belzunce Alan Madden Alex Thurgood
Alexander Noël Dunne Andrew Jensen Andrew Pitonyak
Barbara M. Tobias Carol Roberts Chris Bonde
Claire Wood Dan Lewis Daniel Carrera
Dave Koelmeyer David Michel Gary Schnabl
Hazel Russman Iain Roberts Ian Laurenson
Janet M. Swisher Jean Hollis Weber Jared Kobos
Jeremy Cartwright JiHui Choi Jim Taylor
Joe Sellman John A Smith John Kane
Kevin O’Brien Laurent Duperval Leo Moons
Linda Worthington Magnus Adielsson Martin Fox
Martin Saffron Michael Kotsarinis Michel Pinquier
Michele Zarri Miklos Vajna Nicole Cairns
Olivier Hallot Peter Hillier-Brook Peter Kupfer
Peter Schofield Rachel Kartch Regina Henschel
Richard Barnes Richard Detwiler Richard Holt
Robert Scott Ron Faile Jr. Simon Quigley
Spencer E. Harpe Stefan A. Keel Steve Schwettman
Thomas Astleitner TJ Frazier Valerii Goncharuk

Feedback
Please direct any comments or suggestions about this document to the Documentation Team’s
mailing list: [email protected]

Note
Everything you send to a mailing list, including your email address and any other
personal information that is written in the message, is publicly archived and cannot be
deleted.

Publication date and software version

Published September 17, 2018. Based on LibreOffice 6.0.

Documentation for LibreOffice is available at https://documentation.libreoffice.org/en/english-documentation/

Contents
Copyright..................................................................................................................................... 2
Preface.................................................................................................................................9
Who is this book for?................................................................................................................. 10
What’s in this book?................................................................................................................... 10
Where to get more help............................................................................................................. 10
What you see may be different..................................................................................................12
Using LibreOffice on macOS......................................................................................................12
What are all these things called?...............................................................................................13
Frequently asked questions.......................................................................................................14
What’s new in LibreOffice 6.0?..................................................................................................15
Chapter 1 Introducing LibreOffice...................................................................................16
What is LibreOffice?................................................................................................................... 17
Advantages of LibreOffice.......................................................................................................... 18
Minimum requirements.............................................................................................................. 18
How to get the software............................................................................................................. 19
How to install the software......................................................................................................... 19
Extensions and add-ons............................................................................................................ 19
Starting LibreOffice.................................................................................................................... 19
Parts of the main window........................................................................................................... 22
Starting new documents............................................................................................................ 27
Opening existing documents......................................................................................................28
Saving documents..................................................................................................................... 29
Password protection.................................................................................................................. 30
Opening and saving files on remote servers..............................................................................31
Renaming and deleting files.......................................................................................................32
Using the Navigator................................................................................................................... 32
Undoing and redoing changes...................................................................................................33
Reloading a document............................................................................................................... 33
Closing a document................................................................................................................... 33
Closing LibreOffice..................................................................................................................... 34
Chapter 2 Setting up LibreOffice......................................................................................35
Using LibreOffice on macOS......................................................................................................36
Choosing options for all of LibreOffice.......................................................................................36
Choosing options for loading and saving documents.................................................................50
Choosing language settings.......................................................................................................55
Choosing Internet options.......................................................................................................... 60
Controlling LibreOffice’s AutoCorrect functions..........................................................................60
Troubleshooting LibreOffice in Safe Mode.................................................................................61
Chapter 3 Using Styles and Templates............................................................................63
Direct formatting........................................................................................................................ 64
What are styles?........................................................................................................................ 64
Applying styles........................................................................................................................... 65

Contents | 3
 Creating and modifying styles....................................................................................................67
Creating new (custom) styles.....................................................................................................69
Copying styles from a template or document.............................................................................71
Deleting styles........................................................................................................................... 72
What is a template?................................................................................................................... 72
Using a template to create a document.....................................................................................73
Creating a template................................................................................................................... 73
Editing a template...................................................................................................................... 75
Adding templates obtained from other sources..........................................................................76
Setting a default template.......................................................................................................... 77
Organizing templates................................................................................................................. 78
Examples of style use................................................................................................................ 80
Chapter 4 Getting Started with Writer..............................................................................82
What is Writer?.......................................................................................................................... 83
The Writer interface................................................................................................................... 83
Changing document views.........................................................................................................88
Moving quickly through a document...........................................................................................89
Working with documents............................................................................................................ 90
Using built-in language tools......................................................................................................90
Working with text....................................................................................................................... 91
Formatting text......................................................................................................................... 100
Formatting pages..................................................................................................................... 107
Adding comments to a document.............................................................................................112
Creating a table of contents.....................................................................................................113
Creating indexes and bibliographies........................................................................................113
Working with graphics.............................................................................................................. 113
Printing..................................................................................................................................... 114
Using mail merge..................................................................................................................... 114
Tracking changes to a document.............................................................................................114
Using fields.............................................................................................................................. 115
Linking and cross-referencing within a document.....................................................................115
Using master documents......................................................................................................... 117
Classifying document contents.................................................................................................117
Creating fill-in forms................................................................................................................. 117
Chapter 5 Getting Started with Calc...............................................................................118
What is Calc?........................................................................................................................... 119
Compatibility with other spreadsheet applications....................................................................119
Spreadsheets, sheets, and cells..............................................................................................119
Calc main window.................................................................................................................... 120
Opening a CSV file.................................................................................................................. 124
Saving spreadsheets............................................................................................................... 126
Navigating within spreadsheets...............................................................................................127
Selecting items in a spreadsheet.............................................................................................131
Working with columns and rows...............................................................................................133

4| Contents
 Working with sheets................................................................................................................. 134
Viewing Calc............................................................................................................................ 136
Using the keyboard.................................................................................................................. 138
Speeding up data entry............................................................................................................ 142
Sharing content between sheets..............................................................................................145
Validating cell contents............................................................................................................ 145
Editing data.............................................................................................................................. 146
Formatting data........................................................................................................................ 147
AutoFormatting of cells............................................................................................................ 150
Using themes........................................................................................................................... 151
Using conditional formatting.....................................................................................................153
Hiding and showing data.......................................................................................................... 153
Cell protection.......................................................................................................................... 154
Sorting records........................................................................................................................ 155
Cell comments......................................................................................................................... 156
Using formulas and functions...................................................................................................156
Analyzing data......................................................................................................................... 157
Pivot tables and pivot charts....................................................................................................157
Printing.................................................................................................................................... 158
Chapter 6 Getting Started with Impress........................................................................163
What is Impress?..................................................................................................................... 164
Starting Impress....................................................................................................................... 164
Main Impress window.............................................................................................................. 165
Workspace views..................................................................................................................... 168
Formatting a presentation........................................................................................................172
Adding and formatting text.......................................................................................................177
Adding pictures, tables, charts, and media..............................................................................182
Working with slide masters and styles.....................................................................................184
Adding comments to a presentation.........................................................................................191
Creating a photo album............................................................................................................ 191
Setting up a slide show............................................................................................................ 193
Using Impress Remote control.................................................................................................195
Chapter 7 Getting Started with Draw.............................................................................198
What is Draw?......................................................................................................................... 199
Draw main window................................................................................................................... 199
Working with layers.................................................................................................................. 202
Choosing and defining colors...................................................................................................203
Drawing basic shapes.............................................................................................................. 205
Glue points and connectors......................................................................................................211
Drawing geometric shapes......................................................................................................212
Selecting objects...................................................................................................................... 213
Moving and adjusting object size.............................................................................................214
Rotating and slanting an object................................................................................................216
Editing objects......................................................................................................................... 217

Contents | 5
 Formatting area fill................................................................................................................... 220
Using styles............................................................................................................................. 220
Positioning objects................................................................................................................... 221
Applying special effects........................................................................................................... 222
Combining multiple objects......................................................................................................225
Arranging, aligning, and distributing objects.............................................................................226
Inserting and editing pictures...................................................................................................226
Working with 3D objects.......................................................................................................... 227
Exporting graphics................................................................................................................... 227
Inserting comments in a drawing.............................................................................................227
Chapter 8 Getting Started with Base.............................................................................229
Introduction.............................................................................................................................. 230
Planning a database................................................................................................................ 231
Creating a new database......................................................................................................... 232
Creating database tables......................................................................................................... 233
Creating a database form........................................................................................................ 241
Entering data in a form............................................................................................................. 253
Creating queries...................................................................................................................... 256
Creating reports....................................................................................................................... 264
Accessing other data sources..................................................................................................267
Using data sources in LibreOffice............................................................................................268
Chapter 9 Getting Started with Math..............................................................................273
Introduction.............................................................................................................................. 274
Getting started......................................................................................................................... 274
Creating formulas.................................................................................................................... 276
Editing formulas....................................................................................................................... 279
Formula layout......................................................................................................................... 280
Changing formula appearance.................................................................................................286
Formulas in Writer.................................................................................................................... 291
Formulas in Calc, Draw, and Impress......................................................................................296
Chapter 10 Printing, Exporting, E-mailing and Signing Documents..........................298
Quick printing........................................................................................................................... 299
Controlling printing................................................................................................................... 299
Exporting to PDF..................................................................................................................... 307
Exporting to EPUB format........................................................................................................314
Exporting to other formats........................................................................................................315
E-mailing documents............................................................................................................... 315
Digital signing of documents....................................................................................................317
Removing personal data.......................................................................................................... 319
Chapter 11 Graphics, Gallery, Fontwork........................................................................321
Introduction.............................................................................................................................. 322
Adding images to a document..................................................................................................322
Modifying, handling, and positioning graphics..........................................................................326
Managing the LibreOffice Gallery.............................................................................................327

6| Contents
 Creating an image map............................................................................................................ 329
Using LibreOffice’s drawing tools.............................................................................................330
Using Fontwork........................................................................................................................ 333
Chapter 12 Creating HTML Files.....................................................................................338
Introduction.............................................................................................................................. 339
Relative and absolute hyperlinks.............................................................................................339
Creating hyperlinks.................................................................................................................. 340
Saving and exporting documents as HTML files......................................................................343
Creating, editing, and saving HTML files using Writer/Web......................................................349
Checking a web page in a browser..........................................................................................350
Chapter 13 Getting Started with Macros.......................................................................351
Introduction.............................................................................................................................. 352
Your first macros...................................................................................................................... 352
Creating a macro..................................................................................................................... 358
Macro recorder failures............................................................................................................ 362
Macro organization.................................................................................................................. 363
How to run a macro.................................................................................................................. 366
Extensions............................................................................................................................... 368
Writing macros without the recorder.........................................................................................369
Finding more information......................................................................................................... 369
Chapter 14 Customizing LibreOffice..............................................................................371
Introduction.............................................................................................................................. 372
Customizing menu content......................................................................................................372
Customizing context menu contents........................................................................................374
Customizing toolbars............................................................................................................... 375
Assigning shortcut keys........................................................................................................... 377
Assigning macros to events.....................................................................................................379
Adding functionality with extensions........................................................................................379
Appendix A Keyboard Shortcuts....................................................................................382
Introduction.............................................................................................................................. 383
General keyboard shortcuts.....................................................................................................384
Navigating and selecting with the keyboard.............................................................................385
Controlling dialogs................................................................................................................... 385
Controlling macros................................................................................................................... 386
Managing documents............................................................................................................... 386
Editing...................................................................................................................................... 386
Selecting rows and columns in a database table opened by Ctrl+Shift+F4..............................387
Shortcut keys for drawing objects............................................................................................387
Defining keyboard shortcuts....................................................................................................388
Further reading........................................................................................................................ 388
Appendix B Open Source, Open Standards, OpenDocument....................................389
Introduction.............................................................................................................................. 390
A short history of LibreOffice....................................................................................................390

Contents | 7
 The LibreOffice community......................................................................................................390
How is LibreOffice licensed?....................................................................................................391
What is “open source”?............................................................................................................ 391
What are “open standards”?....................................................................................................391
What is OpenDocument?.........................................................................................................391
File formats LibreOffice can open............................................................................................392
File formats LibreOffice can save to.........................................................................................394
Exporting to other formats........................................................................................................395

8| Contents
 Getting Started Guide

Preface
Who is this book for?
Anyone who wants to get up to speed quickly with LibreOffice will find this Getting Started Guide
valuable. You may be new to office software, or you may be familiar with another office suite.

What’s in this book?

This book introduces the main components of LibreOffice:
• Writer (word processing)
• Calc (spreadsheets)
• Impress (presentations)
• Draw (vector graphics)
• Base (database)
• Math (equation editor)
It also covers some of the features common to all components, including setup and customization,
styles and templates, macro recording, and printing. For more detail, see the user guides for the
individual components.

Where to get more help

This book, the other LibreOffice user guides, the built-in Help system, and user support systems
assume that you are familiar with your computer and basic functions such as starting a program,
opening and saving files.

Help system
LibreOffice comes with an extensive Help system. This is the first line of support for using
LibreOffice. Windows and Linux users can choose to download and install the offline Help for use
when not connected to the Internet; the offline Help is installed with the program on macOS.
To display the Help system, press F1 or select LibreOffice Help > LibreOffice Help from the
Help menu. If you do not have the offline help installed on your computer and you are connected to
the Internet, your default browser will open the online Help pages on the LibreOffice website.
The Help menu includes links to other LibreOffice information and support facilities.

Figure 1: The Help Menu

10 | Where to get more help

 Note
The following options shown here prefixed by a ‡ sign are only accessible if your
computer is connected to the Internet.

• What's This? For quick tips when a toolbar is visible, place the mouse pointer over any of
the icons to see a small box (“tooltip”) with a brief explanation of the icon’s function. For a
more detailed explanation, select Help > What's This? and hold the pointer over the icon.
In addition, you can choose whether to activate Extended Tips using Tools > Options >
LibreOffice > General.
• User Guides ‡ Opens your default browser at the Documentation page of the LibreOffice
website https://documentation.libreoffice.org/en/english-documentation/. There you will find
copies of User Guides and other useful information.
• Get Help Online ‡ Opens your default browser at the Ask LibreOffice forum of questions
and answers from the LibreOffice community https://ask.libreoffice.org/en/questions/.
• Send Feedback ‡ Opens your default browser at the Feedback page of the LibreOffice
website https://www.libreoffice.org/get-help/feedback/. From there you can report bugs,
suggest new features and communicate with others in the LibreOffice community.
• Restart in Safe Mode Opens a dialog window where you will have the option to restart
LibreOffice and reset the software to it's default settings.
• Donate to LibreOffice ‡ Opens your default browser at the Donation page of the
LibreOffice website https://donate.libreoffice.org/. There you can choose to make a
donation to support LibreOffice.
• License Information outlining the licenses under which LibreOffice is made available.
• Check for Updates ‡ Opens a dialog window and checks the LibreOffice website for
updates to your version of the software.
• About LibreOffice Opens a dialog window and displays information about the version of
LibreOffice and the operating system you are using. This information will often be
requested if you ask the community for help or assistance with the software.

Other free online support

The LibreOffice community not only develops software, but provides free, volunteer-based support.
In addition to the Help menu links above, there are other online community support options
available, see the table below.
Free LibreOffice support
Answers to frequently asked questions
FAQs
https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Faq
Free community support is provided by a network of experienced users
Mailing lists
https://www.libreoffice.org/get-help/mailing-lists/
The LibreOffice website in various languages
https://www.libreoffice.org/community/nlc/
Mailing lists for native languages
Native language support
https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Local_Mailing_Lists
Information about social networking
https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Website/Web_Sites_services
Information about available accessibility options https://www.libreoffice.org/get-
Accessibility options
help/accessibility/
Another forum that provides support for LibreOffice, among other open source
OpenOffice Forum office suites http://forum.openoffice.org/en/forum/

Other free online support | 11

Paid support and training
You can also pay for support through service contracts from a vendor or consulting firm
specializing in LibreOffice. For information about certified professional support, see The Document
Foundation’s website: https://www.documentfoundation.org/gethelp/support/

What you see may be different

Illustrations
LibreOffice runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS operating systems, each of which has several
versions and can be customized by users (fonts, colors, themes, window managers). The
illustrations in this guide were taken from a variety of computers and operating systems. Therefore,
some illustrations will not look exactly like what you see on your computer display.
Also, some of the dialogs may be different because of the settings selected in LibreOffice. You can
either use dialogs from your computer’s operating system or from LibreOffice. The differences
affect mainly Open, Save, and Print dialogs. To change which dialogs are used, go to Tools >
Options > LibreOffice > General and select or deselect the option Use LibreOffice dialogs.

Icons
The LibreOffice community has created icons for several icon sets: Breeze, Galaxy, High Contrast,
Oxygen, Sifr, and Tango. Each user can select a preferred set. The icons in this guide have been
taken from a variety of LibreOffice installations that use different sets of icons. The icons for some
of the many tools available in LibreOffice may then differ from the ones used in this guide.
To change the icon set used, go to Tools > Options > LibreOffice > View. In the User Interface
section, choose from the drop-down lists under Icon size and style.

Note
Some Linux distributions include LibreOffice as part of the installation and may not
include all the icon sets mentioned above. You should be able to download other icon
sets from the software repository for your Linux distribution if you wish to use them.

Using LibreOffice on macOS

Some keystrokes and menu items are different on macOS from those used in Windows and Linux.
The table below gives some common substitutions for the instructions in this book. For a more
detailed list, see the application Help.

Windows or Linux macOS equivalent Effect

Tools > Options
LibreOffice > Preferences Access setup options
menu selection
Right-click Control+click and/or right-click
Open a context menu
depending on computer setup
Ctrl (Control) ⌘ (Command) Used with other keys
F5 Shift+⌘+F5 Open the Navigator
F11 ⌘+T Open the sidebar Styles and Formatting deck

12 | Using LibreOffice on macOS

What are all these things called?
The terms used in LibreOffice for most parts of the user interface (the parts of the program you see
and use, in contrast to the behind-the-scenes code that actually makes it work) are the same as for
most other programs.
A dialog is a special type of window. Its purpose is to inform you of something, or request input
from you, or both. It provides controls to use to specify how to carry out an action. The technical
names for common controls are shown in Figure 2. In most cases the technical terms are not used
in this book, but it is useful to know them because the Help and other sources of information often
use them.

Figure 2: Dialog showing common controls

1) Tabbed page (not strictly speaking a control).

2) Radio buttons (only one can be selected at a time).
3) Checkbox (more than one can be selected at a time).
4) Spin box (click the up and down arrows to change the number shown in the text box next to
it, or type in the text box).
5) Thumbnail or preview.
6) Drop-down list from which to select an item.
7) Push buttons.
In most cases, you can interact only with the dialog (not the document itself) as long as the dialog
remains open. When you close the dialog after use (usually, clicking OK or another button saves
your changes and closes the dialog), then you can again work with your document.
Some dialogs can be left open as you work, so you can switching back and forth between the
dialog and the document. An example of this type is the Find & Replace dialog.

What are all these things called? | 13

Frequently asked questions
How is LibreOffice licensed?
LibreOffice is distributed under the Open Source Initiative (OSI) approved Mozilla Public
License (MPL). See https://www.libreoffice.org/about-us/licenses/
It is based on code from Apache OpenOffice made available under the Apache License 2.0
but also includes software that differs from version to version under a variety of other Open
Source licenses. New code is available under LGPL 3.0 and MPL 2.0.
May I distribute LibreOffice to anyone? May I sell it? May I use it in my business?
Yes.
How many computers may I install it on?
As many as you like.
Is LibreOffice available in my language?
LibreOffice has been translated (localized) into over 40 languages, so your language
probably is supported. Additionally, there are over 70 spelling, hyphenation, and thesaurus
dictionaries available for languages, and dialects that do not have a localized program
interface. The dictionaries are available from the LibreOffice website at: www.libreoffice.org.
How can you make it for free?
LibreOffice is developed and maintained by volunteers and has the backing of several
organizations.
I am writing a software application. May I use programming code from LibreOffice in my
program?
You may, within the parameters set in the MPL and/or LGPL. Read the licenses:
http://www.mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
Why do I need Java to run LibreOffice? Is it written in Java?
LibreOffice is not written in Java; it is written in the C++ language. Java is one of several
languages that can be used to extend the software. The Java JDK/JRE is only required for
some features. The most notable one is the HSQLDB relational database engine.
Java is available at no cost. More information and download links to the appropriate edition
for your operating system can be found at: https://java.com/en/download/manual.jsp

Note
If you want to use LibreOffice features that require Java it is important that the correct
32 bit or 64 bit edition matches the installed version of LibreOffice. See the Advanced
Options in Chapter 2 of this guide. If you do not want to use Java, you can still use
nearly all of the LibreOffice features.

How can I contribute to LibreOffice?

You can help with the development and user support of LibreOffice in many ways, and you
do not need to be a programmer. To start, check out this webpage:
https://www.libreoffice.org/community/get-involved/
May I distribute the PDF of this book, or print and sell copies?
Yes, as long as you meet the requirements of one of the licenses in the copyright statement
at the beginning of this book. You do not have to request special permission. We request that
you share with the project some of the profits you make from sales of books, in consideration
of all the work we have put into producing them.
Donate to LibreOffice: https://www.libreoffice.org/donate/

14 | Frequently asked questions

What’s new in LibreOffice 6.0?
The LibreOffice 6.0 Release Notes are here:
https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/ReleaseNotes/6.0

What’s new in LibreOffice 6.0? | 15

 Getting Started Guide

Chapter 1
Introducing LibreOffice
What is LibreOffice?
LibreOffice is a freely available, fully-featured office productivity suite. Its native file format is Open
Document Format (ODF), an open standard format that is being adopted by governments
worldwide as a required file format for publishing and accepting documents. LibreOffice can also
open and save documents in many other formats, including those used by several versions of
Microsoft Office.
LibreOffice includes the following components.

Writer (word processor)

Writer is a feature-rich tool for creating letters, books, reports, newsletters, brochures, and other
documents. You can insert graphics and objects from other components into Writer documents.
Writer can export files to HTML, XHTML, XML, Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF), and
several versions of Microsoft Word files. It also connects to your email client.

Calc (spreadsheet)
Calc has all of the advanced analysis, charting, and decision making features expected from a
high-end spreadsheet. It includes over 300 functions for financial, statistical, and mathematical
operations, among others. The Scenario Manager provides “what if” analysis. Calc generates 2D
and 3D charts, which can be integrated into other LibreOffice documents. You can also open and
work with Microsoft Excel workbooks and save them in Excel format. Calc can also export
spreadsheets in several formats, including for example Comma Separated Value (CSV), Adobe
PDF and HTML formats.

Impress (presentations)
Impress provides all the common multimedia presentation tools, such as special effects, animation,
and drawing tools. It is integrated with the advanced graphics capabilities of LibreOffice Draw and
Math components. Slideshows can be further enhanced using Fontwork special effects text, as
well as sound and video clips. Impress is compatible with Microsoft PowerPoint file format and can
also save your work in numerous graphics formats.

Draw (vector graphics)

Draw is a vector drawing tool that can produce everything from simple diagrams or flowcharts to
3D artwork. Its Smart Connectors feature allows you to define your own connection points. You can
use Draw to create drawings for use in any of the LibreOffice components, and you can create
your own clip art and then add it to the Gallery. Draw can import graphics from many common
formats and save them in over 20 formats, including PNG, HTML and PDF.

Base (database)
Base provides tools for day-to-day database work within a simple interface. It can create and edit
forms, reports, queries, tables, views, and relations, so that managing a relational database is
much the same as in other popular database applications. Base provides many new features, such
as the ability to analyze and edit relationships from a diagram view. Base incorporates two
relational database engines, HSQLDB and PostgreSQL. It can also use dBASE, Microsoft Access,
MySQL, or Oracle, or any ODBC compliant or JDBC compliant database. Base also provides
support for a subset of ANSI-92 SQL.

Math (formula editor)

Math is the LibreOffice formula or equation editor. You can use it to create complex equations that
include symbols or characters not available in standard font sets. While it is most commonly used

Math (formula editor) | 17

to create formulas in other documents, such as Writer and Impress files, Math can also work as a
standalone tool. You can save formulas in the standard Mathematical Markup Language (MathML)
format for inclusion in web pages and other documents not created by LibreOffice.

Advantages of LibreOffice
Here are some of the advantages of LibreOffice over other office suites:
• No licensing fees. LibreOffice is free for anyone to use and distribute at no cost. Many
features that are available as extra cost add-ins in other office suites (like PDF export) are
free with LibreOffice. There are no hidden charges now or in the future.
• Open source. You can distribute, copy, and modify the software as much as you wish, in
accordance with the LibreOffice Open Source licenses.
• Cross-platform. LibreOffice runs on several hardware architectures and under multiple
operating systems, such as Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X and Linux.
• Extensive language support. The LibreOffice user interface, including spelling,
hyphenation, and thesaurus dictionaries, is available in over 100 languages and dialects.
LibreOffice also provides support for both Complex Text Layout (CTL) and Right to Left
(RTL) layout languages (such as Urdu, Hebrew, and Arabic).
• Consistent user interface. All the components have a similar “look and feel,” making them
easy to use and master.
• Integration. The components of LibreOffice are well integrated with one another.
– All the components share a common spelling checker and other tools, which are used
consistently across the suite. For example, the drawing tools available in Writer are also
found in Calc, with similar but enhanced versions in Impress and Draw.
– You do not need to know which application was used to create a particular file. For
example, you can open a Draw file from Writer.
• Granularity. Usually, if you change an option, it affects all components. However,
LibreOffice options can be set at a component level or even at document level.
• File compatibility. In addition to its native OpenDocument formats, LibreOffice includes
support for opening and saving files in many common formats including Microsoft Office,
HTML, XML, WordPerfect, Lotus 1-2-3, and PDF.
• No vendor lock-in. LibreOffice uses OpenDocument, an XML (eXtensible Markup
Language) file format developed as an industry standard by OASIS (Organization for the
Advancement of Structured Information Standards). These files can easily be unzipped and
read by any text editor, and their framework is open and published.
• You have a voice. Enhancements, software fixes, and release dates are community-
driven. You can join the community and affect the course of the product you use.
You can read more about LibreOffice and The Document Foundation on their websites at
http://www.libreoffice.org/ and http://www.documentfoundation.org/.

Minimum requirements
LibreOffice 6.0 requires one of the following operating systems:
• Microsoft Windows: Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, Windows 8/8.1, Windows Server
2012, or Windows 10.
• GNU/Linux Kernel version 2.6.18, glibc2 v2.5 or higher, and gtk v2.10.4 or higher
• Mac OS X 10.8 (Mountain Lion) or higher

18 | Minimum requirements
Administrator rights are needed for the installation process.
Some LibreOffice features (wizards and the HSQLDB database engine) require that the Java
Runtime Environment (JRE) is installed on your computer. Although LibreOffice will work without
Java support, some features will not be available.
Java is available at no cost. More information and download links to the appropriate edition for your
operating system can be found at: https://java.com/en/download/manual.jsp

Note
If you want to use LibreOffice features that require Java it is important that the correct
32 bit or 64 bit edition matches the installed version of LibreOffice. See the Advanced
Options in Chapter 2 of this guide.

For a more detailed listing of requirements, see the LibreOffice website,

http://www.libreoffice.org/get-help/system-requirements/.

How to get the software

Versions of LibreOffice for Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X can be downloaded free from
http://www.libreoffice.org/download. You can also download the software by using a Peer-to-Peer
client, such as BitTorrent, at the same address.
Linux users will also find LibreOffice included in many of the latest Linux distributions; Ubuntu is
just one example.
macOS users can also get two versions of LibreOffice from the App Store: LibreOffice Vanilla
(small fee) and LibreOffice-from-Collabora (an enterprise-ready version; small fee).

How to install the software

Information on installing and setting up LibreOffice on the various supported operating systems is
given here: http://www.libreoffice.org/get-help/install-howto/.

Extensions and add-ons

Extensions and add-ons are available to enhance LibreOffice. Several extensions are installed with
the program and you can get others from the official extensions repository,
http://extensions.libreoffice.org/. See Chapter 14, Customizing LibreOffice for more information on
installing extensions and add-ons.

Starting LibreOffice
In general, you start LibreOffice the same way you start any other program on your computer.
On computers with Windows or Linux operating systems, a menu entry for LibreOffice and each
LibreOffice component appears in the system menu of your computer. On computers operating
macOS, only a menu entry for LibreOffice is added to the Applications menu.
Clicking on the LibreOffice menu entry, desktop icon, or tile opens the LibreOffice Start Center
(Figure 3) from where you can select the individual components of LibreOffice. You can also select
to open an existing file or use a template.

Starting LibreOffice | 19
Opening an existing document before starting LibreOffice
You can start LibreOffice by double-clicking the filename of an ODF document on the desktop, or in
a file manager such as Windows Explorer or the Mac’s Finder. The appropriate component of
LibreOffice will start and the document will be loaded.
You can also open files stored in remote servers running Content Management Interoperability
Services (CMIS). CMIS, like OpenDocument Format, is an OASIS standard. When using CMIS
servers, the service will ask you for the necessary credentials for file access.

Figure 3: LibreOffice Start Center

If you do not have Microsoft Office installed on your computer, or if Microsoft Office is installed but
you have associated Microsoft Office file types with LibreOffice, then when you double-click on the
following files, they open in LibreOffice:
• A Word file (*.doc or *.docx) opens in Writer.
• An Excel file (*.xls or *.xlsx) opens in Calc.
• A PowerPoint file (*.ppt or *.pptx) opens in Impress.
If you did not associate the file types and Microsoft Office is installed on your computer, then when
you double-click on a Microsoft Office file, it opens using the appropriate Microsoft Office
component.
For more information on opening files, see “Opening existing documents” on page 28.

Quickstarter
When LibreOffice is installed on computers running Windows or Linux, a Quickstarter feature may
also be installed. When Quickstarter is activated, the necessary library files are loaded when the
computer system is started, resulting in a shorter startup time for LibreOffice components.
Computers with macOS do not have a Quickstarter.

20 | Starting LibreOffice
Activating Quickstarter
On a computer using Linux or Windows operating systems, the default installation of LibreOffice
does not set the Quickstarter to load automatically. To activate it:
1) Open LibreOffice.
2) Go to Tools > Options > LibreOffice > General on the Menu bar and select Load
LibreOffice during system start-up (if using Windows) or select Enable systray Quickstarter
(if using Linux).
3) Close and restart LibreOffice to have Quickstarter appear.

Using Quickstarter on Linux or Windows

After Quickstarter has been activated, an icon is installed into the system tray at the bottom of
the display. Quickstarter is then available at all times, whether LibreOffice is open or not.
To start a LibreOffice component directly by using Quickstarter:
1) Right-click the Quickstarter icon in the system tray to open a pop-up menu (Figure 4).
2) Select the LibreOffice component you want to open to create a new document, or select
From Template to open the Template Manager, or select Open Document to open an
existing document.

Figure 4: Quickstarter menu in Windows

Disabling Quickstarter
To temporarily close Quickstarter on a computer using a Windows operating system, right-click on
the Quickstarter icon in the system tray and select Exit Quickstarter in the pop-up menu.
However, when the computer is restarted, Quickstarter will be loaded again.
To prevent the Quickstarter from loading during system startup, do one of the following:
• Right-click on the Quickstarter icon and deselect Load LibreOffice during system start-
up on the pop-up menu (on Windows) or select Disable systray Quickstarter (on Linux).
• Go to Tools > Options > LibreOffice > General on the Menu bar and deselect Load
LibreOffice during system start-up (on Windows) or deselect Enable systray
Quickstarter on Linux.

Reactivating Quickstarter
If Quickstarter has been disabled, you can reactivate it by using the instructions given in “Activating
Quickstarter” above.

Quickstarter | 21
Parts of the main window
The main window is similar for each component of LibreOffice, although some details vary. See the
relevant chapters in this guide about Writer, Calc, Draw, and Impress for descriptions of those
details.
Common features include the Menu bar, standard toolbar, and formatting toolbar at the top of the
window and the status bar at the bottom.

Menu bar
The Menu bar is located across the top of the LibreOffice window, just below the title bar. When
you select one of the menus listed below, a sub-menu drops down to show commands. Below is
the case for Writer:
• File – contains commands that apply to the entire document such as Open, Save, and
Export as PDF.
• Edit – contains commands for editing the document such as Undo, Find & Replace, Cut,
Copy, and Paste.
• View – contains commands for controlling the display of the document such as Zoom and
Web Layout.
• Insert – contains commands for inserting elements into your document such as Header,
Footer, and Image.
• Format – contains commands for formatting the layout of your document.
• Styles – contains commands for quickly applying common styles; for editing, loading, and
creating new styles; and for accessing the Styles and Formatting section of the Sidebar.
• Table – contains commands to insert and edit a table in a text document.
• Tools – contains functions such as Spelling and Grammar, AutoCorrect, Customize, and
Options.
• Window – contains commands for the display window.
• Help – contains links to the LibreOffice Help file, What’s This?, and information about the
program.

Toolbars
LibreOffice has two types of toolbars: docked (fixed in place) and floating. Docked toolbars can be
moved to different locations or made to float, and floating toolbars can be docked.
In a default LibreOffice installation, the top docked toolbar, just under the Menu bar, is called the
Standard toolbar. It is consistent across the LibreOffice applications.
The second toolbar at the top, in a default LibreOffice installation, is the Formatting bar. It is
context-sensitive; that is, it shows the tools relevant to the current position of the cursor or the
object selected. For example, when the cursor is on a graphic, the Formatting bar provides tools
for formatting graphics; when the cursor is in text, the tools are for formatting text.
In some cases it is convenient to reduce the number of toolbars displayed and get more space for
the document. LibreOffice provides a single-toolbar alternative to the default double-toolbar setup.
It contains the most-used commands. To activate it, enable View > Toolbars > Standard (Single
Mode) and disable View > Toolbars > Standard and View > Toolbars > Formatting.

Displaying or hiding toolbars

To display or hide toolbars, go to View > Toolbars on the Menu bar, then click on the name of a
toolbar from the drop-down list. An active toolbar shows a check-mark beside its name. Toolbars
created from tool palettes are not listed in the View menu.

22 | Parts of the main window

To close a toolbar go to View > Toolbars on the Menu bar and deselect the toolbar, or right-click in
an empty space between the icons on a toolbar and select Close toolbar from the context menu.

Sub-menus and tool palettes

Toolbar icons with a small triangle to the right will display sub-menus, tool palettes, and alternative
methods of selecting items, depending on the icon.
Tool palettes can be made into a floating toolbar. Figure 5 shows an example of a tool palette from
the Drawing toolbar made into a floating toolbar. See “Moving toolbars” and “Floating toolbars”
below for more information on moving and floating these toolbars created from tool palettes.

Figure 5: Example of tearing off a tool palette

Moving toolbars
Docked toolbars can be undocked and moved to a new docked position or left as a floating toolbar.
1) Move the mouse cursor over the toolbar handle, which is the small vertical bar to the left of
a docked toolbar and highlighted in Figure 6.
2) Hold down the left mouse button and drag the toolbar to the new location. The toolbar can
be docked in a new position at the top, sides or bottom of the main window, or left as a
floating toolbar.
3) Release the mouse button.
To move a floating toolbar, click on its title bar and drag it to a new floating location or dock the
toolbar at the top or bottom of the main window.

Figure 6: Toolbar handles

Floating toolbars
LibreOffice includes several additional toolbars, whose default setting appear as floating toolbars in
response to the current position of the cursor or selection. You can dock these toolbars to the top
or bottom of the main window, or reposition them on your computer display (see “Moving toolbars”
above).
Some of these additional toolbars are context sensitive and will automatically appear depending on
the position of the cursor. For example, when the cursor is in a table, a Table toolbar appears, and
when the cursor is in a numbered or bullet list, the Bullets and Numbering toolbar appears.

Toolbars | 23
Customizing toolbars
You can customize toolbars in several ways, including choosing which icons are visible and locking
the position of a docked toolbar. You can also add icons and create new toolbars, as described in
Chapter 14 Customizing LibreOffice. To access the customization options for a toolbar, right-click in
an empty space between the icons on a toolbar to open a context menu as follows:
• To show or hide icons defined for the selected toolbar, click Visible Buttons. Visible icons
on a toolbar are indicated by an outline around the icon (Figure 7) or by a check mark
beside the icon, depending on your operating system. Select or deselect icons to hide or
show them on the toolbar.

Figure 7: Selection of visible toolbar icons

• Click Customize Toolbar to open the Customize dialog; See Chapter 14 Customizing
LibreOffice for more information.
• Click Dock Toolbar to dock the selected floating toolbar. By default, a toolbar will dock at
the top of the workspace. You can reposition the toolbar to a different docked position. See
“Moving toolbars” on page 23.
• Click Dock All Toolbars to dock all floating toolbars. By default, toolbars will dock at the
top of the workspace. You can reposition the toolbars to different docked positions. See
“Moving toolbars” on page 23.
• Click Lock Toolbar Position to lock a docked toolbar into its docked position.
• Click Close Toolbar to close the selected toolbar.

Context menus
Context menus provide quick access to many menu functions. They are opened by right-clicking
on a paragraph, graphic, or other object. When a context menu opens, the functions or options
available will depend on the object that has been selected. A context menu can be the easiest way
to reach a function, especially if you are not sure where the function is located in the menus or

24 | Parts of the main window

toolbars. By default, context menus will display an applicable keyboard shortcut if one has been
set. If you wish, you can toggle this visibility off or on in Tools > Options > View > Menu.

Figure 8: Keyboard shortcuts in context menus

Status bar
The status bar is located at the bottom of the workspace. It provides information about the
document and convenient ways to change some features quickly. It is similar in Writer, Calc,
Impress, and Draw, but each LibreOffice component includes some component-specific items. An
example of the Writer status bar is shown in Figure 9.

Figure 9: Example status bar from Writer

Page, sheet, or slide number and page count
Shows the current page, sheet, or slide number and the total number of pages, sheets, or
slides in the document. Click on this field to open the Go to Page dialog. Other uses of this
field depend on the LibreOffice component.
Words and characters
Shows the total number of words and characters in the document or in the selection.
Page style or slide design
Shows the current page style or slide design. To edit the current page style or slide design,
double-click on this field. To choose a different page style or slide design, right-click on this
field and select from the list that pops up.
Language
Shows the current language of the text at the current cursor position.
Insert mode
Shows the type of insert mode the program is in. This field is blank if the program is in Insert
mode. Each time the Ins key is pressed, or this field is clicked, the mode toggles between
Insert and Overwrite.

Status bar | 25
Selection mode
Click to choose different selection modes. The icon does not change, but when you hover the
mouse pointer over this field, a tooltip indicates which mode is active.
Unsaved changes
The icon shown here is different when changes to the document have not been saved.
Digital signature
If the document has been digitally signed, an icon shows here. You can click the icon to sign
the document, or to view the existing certificate.
Object information
Displays information relevant to the position of the cursor or the selected element of the
document.
View layout
Select between Single-page view, Multiple-page view, and Book view to change how your
document is displayed.
Zoom slider
Drag the Zoom slider, or click on the + and – signs to change the view magnification of your
document.
Zoom percentage
Indicates the magnification level of the document. Right-click on the percentage figure to
open a list of magnification values from which to choose. Cicking on this percentage figure
opens the Zoom & View Layout dialog.

Sidebar
To activate the Sidebar, select View > Sidebar from the Menu bar. The Sidebar (Figure 10) is
located on the right side of the edit views of Writer, Calc, Impress, and Draw. It contains one or
more panels, based on the current document context. Panels are organized into decks. A tab bar
on the right side of the sidebar allows you to switch between different decks.
All components contain the Properties, Styles and Formatting, Pages , Gallery, and Navigator
decks. Some components have additional decks, such as Master Pages, Custom Animation, and
Slide Transition for Impress; Manage Changes for Writer; and Functions for Calc.
A panel is like a combination of a toolbar and a dialog. For example, you can freely mix working in
the main edit window to enter text and use the Properties panel in the sidebar to change text
attributes.
Tool bars and Sidebar panels share many functions. For example, the buttons for making text bold
or italic exist in both the Formatting toolbar and the Properties panel.
For more detail, see the Sidebar explanation in the relevant LibreOffice component’s user guide.
To hide the Sidebar, click on the gray Hide button on the left. Click on the same button to show the
Sidebar again.
To undock the Sidebar and make it floating, and to dock a floating Sidebar, use the Sidebar
settings drop-down list at the top of the tab bar (see Figure 11). From the same list you can
choose which items to show in the Sidebar.

26 | Parts of the main window

 Figure 10: Properties panel of Sidebar in Writer

Figure 11: Floating (undocking) or docking the Sidebar

Starting new documents

You can start a new, blank document in LibreOffice in several ways.
When LibreOffice is running but no document is open, the Start Center (Figure 3 on page 20) is
shown. Click one of the icons to open a new document of that type, or click the Templates icon to
start a new document using a template.
You can also start a new document in one of the following ways:
• Use File > New on the Menu bar and select the type of document from the context menu.
• Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+N to create a new document. The type of document created
depends on which LibreOffice component is open and active. For example, if Calc is open
and active, a new spreadsheet is created.

Starting new documents | 27

 • Use File > Wizards on the Menu bar and select the type of document from the context
menu.
• If a document is already open in LibreOffice, click the New icon on the Standard toolbar
and a new document of the same type is created in a new window. For example, if Calc is
open and active, a new spreadsheet is created. The New icon changes depending on
which component of LibreOffice is open.
• If a document is already open in LibreOffice, click on the small triangle to the right of the
New icon on the Standard toolbar and select the type of document from the context menu
that opens.
• On Windows or Linux, use the Quickstarter feature included with LibreOffice. See “Using
Quickstarter on Linux or Windows” on page 21 for more information.

Note
If all documents are closed without closing the last LibreOffice window, then the Start
Center will be displayed.

Opening existing documents

You can also open an existing document in one of the following ways:
• When no document is open, click Open File or Remote files in the Start Center to reach
the Open dialog.
• Go to File > Open or File > Open Remote… on the Menu bar to reach the Open dialog.
• Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+O to reach the Open dialog.
• If a document is already open, click the Open icon on the Standard toolbar and select from
a list of available documents from the Open dialog, or click Open Template… to select a
template.
• Click the small triangle to the right of the Open icon and select from a list of recently
opened documents.
• When no document is open, double-click on a thumbnail of recently opened documents
displayed in the Start Center. You can scroll up or down in the Start Center to locate a
recently opened document.
When using the Open dialog, navigate to the folder you want and select the file you want, and then
click Open. If a document is already open in LibreOffice, the second document opens in a new
window.
In the Open dialog, you can reduce the list of files by selecting the type of file you are looking for.
For example, if you choose Text documents as the file type, you will only see documents Writer
can open (including .odt, .doc, .txt); if you choose Spreadsheets, you will see .ods, .xls,
and other files that Calc opens.
You can also open an existing document that is in a format that LibreOffice recognizes by double-
clicking on the file icon on the desktop or in a file manager such as Windows Explorer. LibreOffice
has to be associated with file types that are not ODF files for the appropriate LibreOffice
component to open.

Note
When opening files stored in a remote server, you may be asked to enter your user
name and password to log in the server.

28 | Opening existing documents

Saving documents
You can save documents as follows:
• Save command – use if you are keeping the document, its current filename and location.
• Save Remote - use if your document is already stored in a remote server or will be stored
in a remote server.
• Save As – use if you want to create a new document, or change the filename and/or file
format, or save the file in a different location on your computer.
• Save a copy - use if you want to save a copy of your current document and keep it open
for more editing.
• Save All - use to save all the files open in your current session.

Save command
To save a document if you are keeping the document’s current filename and location, do one of the
following:
• Use the menu option File > Save
• Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+S.
• Click the Save icon on the Standard toolbar.
• Use the menu option File > Save All
• Use the menu option File > Save Remote
• Use the menu option File > Save a Copy (Similar to the Save As command)
Using the Save command will immediately overwrite the last saved version of the file.

Save As command

Figure 12: Example of LibreOffice Save As dialog

If you want to create a new document file, change the filename and/or file format, or save the file in
a different location on your computer:
• Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+S.
• Use the menu option File > Save As.

Save As command | 29
When the Save As dialog (Figure 12) or Save dialog opens, enter the file name, change the file
type (if applicable), navigate to a new location (if applicable), and click Save.

Password protection
To restrict who can open and read a document, or open and edit the document, use password
protection.
1) Using the Save As command command above, select the Save with password option in
the Save As dialog or Save dialog.
2) Click Save and the Set Password dialog opens (Figure 13).
3) In File Encryption Password, enter a password to open the document and then enter the
same password as confirmation.
4) To restrict who can edit the document, click Options.
5) In File Sharing Password, select Open file read-only, enter a password to allow editing,
and then enter the same password as confirmation.
6) Click OK and the dialog closes. If the passwords match, the document is saved password-
protected. If the passwords do not match, you receive an error message.

Figure 13: Set Password dialog

Caution
LibreOffice uses a very strong encryption mechanism that makes it almost impossible
to recover the contents of a document if you lose or forget the password.

Changing the password

When a document is password-protected, you can change the password while the document is
open. Go to File > Properties > General on the Menu bar and click the Change Password
button. This opens the Set Password dialog where you can enter a new password.

30 | Password protection
Saving documents automatically
LibreOffice can save files automatically as part of the AutoRecovery feature. Automatic saving,
like manual saving, overwrites the last saved state of the file.
To set up automatic file saving:
1) Go to Tools > Options > Load/Save > General on the Menu bar.
2) Select Save AutoRecovery information every and set the time interval.
3) Click OK.

Opening and saving files on remote servers

LibreOffice can open and save files stored on remote servers. Keeping files on remote servers
allows you to work with the documents using different computers. For example, you can work on a
document in the office during the day and edit it at home for last-minute changes. Storing files on a
remote server also backs up documents from computer loss or hard disk failure. Some servers are
also able to check-in and check-out files, thus controlling their usage and access.
LibreOffice supports many document servers that use well known network protocols such as FTP,
WebDav, Windows share, and SSH. It also supports popular services like Google Drive and
Microsoft OneNote, as well as commercial and open source servers that implement the OASIS
CMIS standard.
To enable a remote server connection, use one of these methods:
• Click on the Remote Files button in the Start Center
• Select File > Open Remote
• Select File > Save Remote
On the Remote Files dialog (Figure 15), click on the Add Service button in the upper right to open
the File Services dialog (Figure 14).
Depending on the type of file service you choose in the Type listbox, different parameters are
necessary to fully qualify the connection to the remote server.

Figure 14: Remote server configuration

Once the connection is defined, click OK to connect. The dialog will dim until the connection is
established with the server. A dialog asking for the user name and the password may pop up to let
you log in the server. Proceed entering your credentials.

Opening and saving files on remote servers | 31

The Remote Files dialog (Figure 15) which then appears has many parts. The upper list box
contains the list of remote servers you have previously defined. The line below the list box shows
the path to access the folder. On the left is the folder structure of the user space in the server. The
main pane displays the files in the remote folder. Click the Open or Save button to proceed.

Figure 15: Remote Files dialog when connected to a server

Renaming and deleting files

You can rename or delete files within the LibreOffice dialogs, just as you can in a file manager.
Select a file and then right click to open a context menu. Select either Delete or Rename, as
appropriate. However, you cannot copy or paste files within the dialogs.

Using the Navigator

The LibreOffice Navigator lists objects contained within a document, collected into categories. For
example, in Writer it shows Headings, Tables, Text frames, Comments, Graphics, Bookmarks, and
other items, as shown in Figure 16. In Calc it shows Sheets, Range Names, Database Ranges,
Graphics, Drawing Objects, and other items. In Impress and Draw it shows Slides, Pictures, and
other items.
To open the Navigator, click the Navigator icon on the Standard toolbar, or press the F5 key, or go
to View > Navigator on the Menu bar,, or click on the Page Number/Count area of the Status Bar,
or click the Navigator icon in the Sidebar.
Click the marker (+ or triangle) by any of the categories to display the list of objects in that
category.
The Navigator provides several convenient ways to move around a document and find items in it:
• When a category is showing the list of objects in it, double-click on an object to jump
directly to that object’s location in the document.
• Objects are much easier to find if you have given them recognizable names when creating
them, instead of keeping the default names such as Sheet1, Table1, or Table2. The default
names may not correspond to the actual position of the object in the document.
• Navigator also provides the facility to move, promote, demote items within a document.
• Each Navigator in the individual LibreOffice components has a different range of functions.
These functions are further explained in the user guide for each LibreOffice component.

32 | Using the Navigator

 Figure 16: Navigator in Writer

Undoing and redoing changes

To undo the most recent unsaved change in a document, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Z, or click
the Undo icon on the Standard toolbar, or go to Edit > Undo on the Menu bar. Click the small
triangle to the right of the Undo icon to get a list of all the changes that can be undone. You can
select multiple changes and undo them at the same time.
After changes have been undone, you can redo changes. To redo a change use the keyboard
shortcut Ctrl+Y, or click the Redo icon, or go to Edit > Redo on the Menu bar. As with Undo, click
on the triangle to the right of the arrow to get a list of the changes that can be reapplied.
To repeat the last command applied to your document, use the shortcut Ctrl+Shift+Y. This can
save several repetitive menu navigation clicks or keyboard shortcuts, especially when the
command is taken from a secondary menu.

Reloading a document
You may want to discard all the changes made in an editing session after the last document save.
But undoing each change or remembering where the changes took place can be a difficult task. If
you are sure you do not want to keep the changes from the last save operation, you can reload
your document. A copy of the document that is currently stored in the file system is loaded. The
document returns to the state where it was last saved.
To reload a document, go to File > Reload on the menu bar. If you have made changes to a file
since the last save, a confirmation dialog will warn you that Reloading will discard your last
changes. On reloading your document, the File dialog will not open, because the file is already
selected.

Closing a document
If only one document is open and you want to close that document, go to File > Close on the
Menu bar or click on the X on the right or left end of the Menu bar. On Windows and Linux, the
document closes and the LibreOffice Start Center opens. On macOS, the document closes and
only the Menu bar remains at the top of the screen.

Closing a document | 33
If more than one document is open and you want to close one of them, go to File > Close on the
Menu bar or click on the X on the title bar of that document’s window. The X may be located on
either the right or left end of the title bar.
If the document has not been saved since the last change, a message box is displayed. Choose
whether to save or discard your changes.

Caution
Not saving your document could result in the loss of recently made changes, or worse
still, the entire file.

Closing LibreOffice
To close LibreOffice completely, go to File > Exit on the Menu bar in Windows and Linux operating
systems. In a Mac operating system, go to LibreOffice > Quit LibreOffice on the Menu bar.
When you close the last document using the X on the title bar of the window, then LibreOffice will
close completely. A Mac operating system does not have this function; instead, you need to use to
LibreOffice > Quit LibreOffice.
You can also use a keyboard shortcut as follows:
• In Windows and Linux – Ctrl+Q
• In macOS – Command ⌘+Q
If any documents have not been saved since the last change, a message box is displayed. Choose
whether to save or discard your changes.

34 | Closing LibreOffice
 Getting Started Guide

Chapter 2
Setting up LibreOffice
Choosing Options to Suit the Way You Work
Using LibreOffice on macOS
Some keystrokes and menu items are different on macOS from those used in Windows and Linux.
The table below gives some common substitutions for the instructions in this book. For a more
detailed list, see the application Help.

Windows or Linux macOS equivalent Effect

Tools > Options LibreOffice >
Access setup options
menu selection Preferences
Right-click Control+click and/or right-
click depending on Open a context menu
computer setup
Ctrl (Control) ⌘ (Command) Used with other keys
F5 Shift+⌘+F5 Open the Navigator
F11 ⌘+T Open the sidebar Styles and Formatting deck

Choosing options for all of LibreOffice

This section covers some of the settings that apply to all the components of LibreOffice. For
information on settings not discussed here, see the Help.
Click Tools > Options. The list in the left-hand box of the Options – LibreOffice dialog varies
depending on which component of LibreOffice is open. The illustrations in this chapter show the list
as it appears when a Writer document is open.
Click the marker (+ or triangle) by LibreOffice on the left-hand side. A list of pages drops down.
Selecting an item in the list causes the right-hand side of the dialog to display the relevant page.

Figure 17: LibreOffice options

36 | Choosing options for all of LibreOffice

 Note
The Reset button, located in the lower right of the full Options dialog, has the same
effect on all pages of the dialog. It resets the options to the values that were in place
when you opened the dialog.

If you are using a version of LibreOffice other than US English, some field labels may be different
from those shown in the illustrations.

User Data options

Because LibreOffice can use the name or initials stored in the LibreOffice – User Data page for
several things – including document properties (‘created by’ and ‘last edited by’ information), the
name of the author of comments and changes, and the sender address in mailing lists – you will
want to ensure that the correct information appears here.
Fill in the form (not shown here), or amend or delete any existing information. If you do not want
user data to be part of the document’s properties, clear the box at the bottom.

General options
The options on the LibreOffice – General page (Figure 18) are described below.
Help – Extended tips
When Extended tips is active, a brief description of the function of a particular icon or menu
command or a field on a dialog appears when you hold the mouse pointer over that item.

Figure 18: Setting general options for LibreOffice

Print Dialogs – Use LibreOffice dialogs
Same as above, but for the Print dialogs. Available only in some operating systems and
desktop managers. (Not shown in illustration.)
Document status – Printing sets “document modified” status
If this option is selected, then the next time you close the document after printing, the print
date is recorded in the document properties as a change and you will be prompted to save
the document again, even if you did not make any other changes.

General options | 37
Year (two digits)
Specifies how two-digit years are interpreted. For example, if the two-digit year is set to
1930, and you enter a date of 1/1/30 or later into your document, the date is interpreted as
1/1/1930 or later. An “earlier” date is interpreted as being in the following century; that is,
1/1/20 is interpreted as 1/1/2020.
Help Improve LibreOffice – Collect usage data and send it to The Document Foundation
Send usage data to help The Document Foundation improve usability of the software. Data
about usage patterns helps with identifying the most frequently used sequences of
commands while performing common tasks; the developers can then design a user interface
that is easier to use and more productive. The usage data is sent anonymously and carries
no document contents, only the commands used.

View options
The options on the LibreOffice – View page affect the way the document window looks and
behaves. Some of these options are described below Figure 19. Set them to suit your personal
preferences.

Figure 19: Choosing View options for LibreOffice applications

User Interface – Scaling
If the text in the help files or on the menus of the LibreOffice user interface is too small or too
large, you can change it by specifying a scaling factor. Sometimes a change here can have
unexpected results, depending on the screen fonts available on your system. However, it
does not affect the actual font size of the text in your documents.
User Interface – Icon size
This box specifies the display size of toolbar icons (Automatic, Small, or Large). The
Automatic icon size option uses the setting for your operating system.
User Interface - Icon style
This box specifies the icon style (theme). Here the Automatic option uses an icon set
compatible with your operating system and choice of desktop: for example, KDE or Gnome
on Linux.

38 | Choosing options for all of LibreOffice

User interface – Screen font anti-aliasing
(Not available in Windows.) Select this option to smooth the screen appearance of text. Enter
the smallest font size to apply anti-aliasing.
Mouse positioning
Specifies if and how the mouse pointer will be positioned in newly opened dialogs.
Middle mouse button
Defines the function of the middle mouse button.
– Automatic scrolling – dragging while pressing the middle mouse button shifts the
view.
– Paste clipboard – pressing the middle mouse button inserts the contents of the
“Selection clipboard” at the cursor position.
The “Selection clipboard” is independent of the normal clipboard that you use by Edit >
Copy/Cut/Paste or their respective keyboard shortcuts. Clipboard and “Selection clipboard”
can contain different contents at the same time.

Function Clipboard Selection clipboard

Copy content Edit > Copy Ctrl+C Select text, table, or object.
Paste content Edit > Paste Ctrl+V pastes at the Clicking the middle mouse button pastes
cursor position. at the mouse pointer position.

Pasting into another No effect on the clipboard The last marked selection is the content of
document contents. the selection clipboard.

Graphics output – Use hardware acceleration

Directly accesses hardware features of the graphical display adapter to improve the screen
display. Not supported on all operating systems and LibreOffice distributions.
Graphics output – Use anti-aliasing
Enables and disables anti-aliasing, which makes the display of most graphical objects look
smoother and with fewer artifacts. Not supported on all operating systems and LibreOffice
distributions.

Tip
Press Shift+Ctrl+R to restore or refresh the view of the current document after
changing the anti-aliasing settings, to see the effect.

Graphics output – Use OpenGL for all rendering (on restart)

Enables and disables the use of the 3D graphics language OpenGL. Not supported on all
operating systems and LibreOffice distributions.
Graphics output – Force OpenGL even if blacklisted (on restart)
Forces the use of OpenGL even if the graphics device is blacklisted. A device is blacklisted
when it is buggy or may render graphics with poor quality. Not supported on all operating
systems and LibreOffice distributions.
Menu – icons in menus
Causes icons as well as words to be visible in menus.
Font Lists – Show preview of fonts
Causes the font list to look like Figure 20, Left, with the font names shown as an example of
the font; with the option deselected, the font list shows only the font names, not their
formatting (Figure 20, Right). The fonts you will see listed are those that are installed on your
system.

View options | 39
 Fonts which are tuned for use with a specific script, such as Arabic, Hebrew, Malayalam, and
so on, now show an additional preview of some sample text in the target script.

Figure 20: Font list (Left) with preview; (Right) without preview

Print options
On the LibreOffice – Print page, set the print options to suit your default printer and your most
common printing method. Most of these options should be self-explanatory.
The option PDF as Standard Print Job Format is not available on Windows. Select this option to
change the internal print job format from a Postscript document description to a PDF description.
This format has a number of advantages over Postscript. For more information, see
http://www.linuxfoundation.org/collaborate/workgroups/openprinting/
pdf_as_standard_print_job_format
Deselecting this option reverts to the Postscript document workflow system.
In the Printer warnings section near the bottom of the page, you can choose whether to be warned
if the paper size or orientation specified in your document does not match the paper size or
orientation available for your printer. Having these warnings turned on can be quite helpful,
particularly if you work with documents produced by people in other countries where the standard
paper size is different from yours.

Tip
If your printouts are incorrectly placed on the page or chopped off at the top, bottom,
or sides, or the printer is refusing to print, the most likely cause is page size
incompatibility.

40 | Choosing options for all of LibreOffice

 Figure 21: Choosing general printing options to apply to all LibreOffice components

Paths options
On the LibreOffice – Paths page, you can change the location of files associated with, or used by,
LibreOffice to suit your working situation. In a Windows system, for example, you might want to
store documents by default somewhere other than My Documents.
To make changes, select an item in the list shown in Figure 22 and click Edit. On the Select Path
dialog (not shown; may also be titled Edit Paths), add or delete folders as required, and then click
OK to return to the Options dialog. Note that some items can have at least two paths listed: one to
a shared folder (which might be on a network) and one to a user-specific folder (normally on the
user’s personal computer).

Tip
You can use the entries on the LibreOffice – Paths page to compile a list of files, such
as those containing AutoText, that you need to back up or copy to another computer.

Figure 22: Viewing the paths of files used by LibreOffice

Paths options | 41
Fonts options
You can define replacements for any fonts that might appear in your documents. If you receive
from someone else a document containing fonts that you do not have on your system, LibreOffice
will substitute fonts for those it does not find. You might prefer to specify a different font from the
one that the program chooses.

Note
These choices do not affect the default font for your documents. To do that, you need
to change the default template for documents, as described in Chapter 3.

On the LibreOffice – Fonts page:

1) Select the Apply replacement table option.
2) Select or type the name of the font to be replaced in the Font box. (If you do not have this
font on your system, it will not appear in the drop-down list in this box, so you need to type
it in.)
3) In the Replace with box, select a suitable font from the drop-down list of fonts installed on
your computer.
4) The check mark to the right of the Replace with box turns green. Click on this check mark.
A row of information now appears in the larger box below the input boxes. Select Always to
replace the font, even if the original font is installed on your system. Select Screen only to
replace the screen font only and never replace the font for printing. The results of
combining these selections are given in Table 18.
5) In the bottom section of the page, you can change the typeface and size of the font used to
display source code such as HTML and Basic (in macros).

Figure 23: Defining a font to be substituted for another font

42 | Choosing options for all of LibreOffice

Table 1. Font substitution replacement actions
Always Screen only Replacement action
checkbox checkbox
checked blank Font replacement on screen and when printing, whether the font is
installed or not.
checked checked Font replacement only on screen, whether the font is installed or not.
blank checked Font replacement only on screen, but only if font is not available.
blank blank Font replacement on screen and when printing, but only if font is not
available.

Security options
Use the LibreOffice – Security page to choose security options for saving documents and for
opening documents that contain macros.
Security options and warnings
If you record changes, save multiple versions, or include hidden information or notes in your
documents, and you do not want some of the recipients to see that information, you can set
warnings to remind you to remove it, or you can have LibreOffice remove some of it
automatically. Note that (unless removed) much of this information is retained in a file
whether the file is in LibreOffice’s default OpenDocument format, or has been saved to other
formats, including PDF.
Click the Options button to open a separate dialog with specific choices (Figure 26). See
“Security options and warnings” on page 45.

Figure 24: Choosing security options for opening and saving documents

Passwords for web connections

You can enter a master password to enable easy access to websites that require a user
name and password. If you select the Persistently save passwords for web connections
option, the Set Master Password dialog opens (Figure 25). LibreOffice will securely store all
passwords that you use to access files from web servers. You can retrieve the passwords
from the list after you enter the master password.

Security options | 43
 Figure 25: Set Master Password dialog for web connections

Macro security
Click the Macro Security button to open the Macro Security dialog (not shown here), where
you can adjust the security level for executing macros and specify trusted sources.
Certificate Path
Users can digitally sign documents using LibreOffice. A digital signature requires a personal
signing certificate. Most operating systems can generate a self-signed certificate. However, a
personal certificate issued by an outside agency (after verifying an individual’s identity) has a
higher degree of trust associated with it than does a self-signed certificate. LibreOffice does
not provide a secure method of storing these certificates, but it can access certificates that
have been saved using other programs. Click the Certificate button and select which
certificate store to use.

Note
The Certificate Path option appears only on Linux and Mac systems. On Windows,
LibreOffice uses the default Windows location for storing and retrieving certificates.

TSAs –Time Stamping Authorities

Allows you to optionally select a Time Stamping Authority (TSA) URL for PDF documents
created by LibreOffice. Adding a trusted timestamp to an electronic signature on a PDF
provides a digital seal of data integrity and a trusted date and time of when the file was
signed. Recipients of PDF documents with a trusted timestamp can verify when the
document was digitally or electronically signed, as well as verify that the document was not
altered after the date the timestamp vouches for.

Security options and warnings

The following options are on the Security options and warnings dialog (Figure 26).

44 | Choosing options for all of LibreOffice

 Figure 26: Security options and warnings dialog

Remove personal information on saving

Select this option to always remove user data from the file properties when saving the file. To
manually remove personal information from specific documents, deselect this option.
Ctrl-click required to follow hyperlinks
The default behavior in LibreOffice is to Ctrl+click on a hyperlink to open the linked
document. Many people find creation and editing of documents easier when accidental clicks
on links do not activate the links. To set LibreOffice to activate hyperlinks using an ordinary
click, deselect this option.
The other options on this dialog should be self-explanatory.

Personalization
You can customize the overall appearance of LibreOffice with themes designed for Mozilla Firefox.
On the LibreOffice – Personalization page, select Own Theme and then click Select Theme.
Another dialog opens. Type a search term, click Search, and wait while theme thumbnails load.
Select one and click OK to apply the theme. After a brief pause the appearance of LibreOffice will
refresh and reflect the selected theme. An example is shown in Figure 29. For full details about
themes, visit the Mozilla website: https://www.https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/themes/

Figure 27: Personalization dialogs

Personalization | 45
 Figure 28: Theme selection from Mozilla Firefox

Figure 29: Sample personalized theme

Application colors
Writing, editing, and (especially) page layout are often easier when you can see the page margins
(text boundaries), the boundaries of tables and sections (in Writer documents), page breaks in
Calc, grid lines in Draw or Writer, and other features. In addition, you might prefer to use colors that
are different from LibreOffice’s defaults for such items as comment indicators or field shadings.
On the LibreOffice – Application colors page (Figure 30), you can specify which items are visible
and the colors used to display various items.
• To show or hide items such as text boundaries, select or deselect the options next to the
names of the items.
• To change the default colors for items, click the down-arrow in the Color Setting column by
the name of the item and select a color from the list box. Note that you can change the list
of available colors selecting other available palettes.
• To save your color changes as a color scheme, click Save, type a name in the Scheme
box, and then click OK.

46 | Choosing options for all of LibreOffice

 Figure 30: Showing or hiding text, object, and table boundaries

Accessibility options
Accessibility options include whether to allow animated graphics or text, how long help tips remain
visible, some options for high contrast display, and a way to change the font for the LibreOffice
user interface.
Accessibility support relies on the Java Runtime Environment for communication with assistive
technology tools. The Support assistive technology tools option is not shown on all LibreOffice
installations. See Assistive Tools in LibreOffice in the Help for other requirements and information.
Select or deselect the options as required.

Figure 31: Choosing accessibility options

Advanced options
Java options
If you install or update a Java Runtime Environment (JRE) after you install LibreOffice, or if
you have more than one JRE installed on your computer, you can use the LibreOffice –
Advanced options page to choose the JRE for LibreOffice to use.

Advanced options | 47
 Note
LibreOffice needs Java to run several wizards (such as File > Wizards > Letter) and
to run databases with the internal HSQLDB engine.

Figure 32: Choosing a Java runtime environment

If you are a system administrator, programmer, or other person who customizes JRE
installations, you can use the Parameters and Class Path pages (reached from the Java
page) to specify this information.
If you do not see anything listed in the middle of the page, wait a few minutes while
LibreOffice searches for JREs on the hard disk.
If LibreOffice finds one or more JREs, it will display them there. You can then select the Use
a Java runtime environment option and (if necessary) choose one of the JREs listed.
Optional (unstable) options
Enable experimental features
Selecting this option enables features that are not yet complete or contain known bugs. The
list of these features is different version by version.
Enable macro recording (limited)
This option enables macro recording, with some limitations. Opening a window, switching
between windows, and recording in a different window to that in which the recording began,
are not supported. Only actions relating to document contents are recordable, so changes in
Options or customizing menus are not supported. For more about macro recording, see
Chapter 13, Getting Started with Macros.
Expert Configuration
Most users will have no need to use this. Click the Expert Configuration button to open a
new window in which you can fine-tune the LibreOffice installation. The page offers detailed
configuration options for many aspects of LibreOffice’s appearance and performance.
Double-click on a listed preference to enter a value to configure the preference.

48 | Choosing options for all of LibreOffice

 Caution
The Expert Configuration dialog lets you access, edit, and save configuration
preferences that can turn the user profile of LibreOffice unstable, inconsistent, or even
unusable.

Basic IDE options

The Basic IDE Options are available after Enable experimental features has been selected on
the Advanced page of the Options dialog and the options have been saved. These options are for
macro programmers and are not discussed here.

Figure 33: Basic IDE Options dialog

Online update options

On the LibreOffice – Online Update page (Figure 34), you can choose whether and how often to
have the program check the LibreOffice website for program updates. If the Check for updates
automatically option is selected, an icon appears at the right-hand end of the menu bar when an
update is available. Click this icon to open a dialog where you can choose to download the update.
If the Download updates automatically option is selected, the download starts when you click the
icon. To change the download destination, click the Change button and select the required folder in
the file browser window.
If the Send OS version & simple hardware info option is selected, the information of the
computer architecture and operating system will be sent to the server for statistics collection.

Figure 34: Online update options

Online update options | 49

OpenCL options
OpenCL (Open Computing Language) is a software architecture used to write programs that run in
different processors of the computer, such as the CPU and GPU (graphics processing unit) of the
video card. With OpenCL enabled, LibreOffice can benefit from the very fast numerical calculations
performed in the GPU, which is especially useful in very large spreadsheets with extensive
calculations. The computer video card driver must have support for OpenCL to use this feature.
OpenCL Options –Allow use of Software Interpreter (even when OpenCL is not available)
Mark this box to emulate OpenCL if your computer video card driver does not support
OpenCL.
Allow use of OpenCL
Let LibreOffice use the video card GPU to perform numerical calculation with great speed
gain. The two boxes below list the OpenCL drivers whitelist and blacklist. Click the Edit,
Add... and Delete buttons to modify the lists entries.

Figure 35: OpenCL options

Choosing options for loading and saving documents

You can set the options for loading and saving documents to suit the way you work.
If the Options dialog is not already open, click Tools > Options. Click the expansion symbol (+ or
triangle) to the left of Load/Save.

General
Most of the choices on the Load/Save – General page are familiar to users of other office suites.
Some items of interest are described below.
Load user-specific settings with the document
A LibreOffice document contains certain settings that are read from the user’s system. When
you save a document, these settings are saved with it.
Select this option so that when a document loads, it ignores the stored settings in favor of the
settings on your computer.
Even if you do not select this option, some settings are taken from your LibreOffice
installation:
• Settings available in File > Print > Options
• Name of Fax
• Spacing options for paragraphs before text tables
• Information about automatic updating for links, field functions and charts
• Information about working with Asian character formats.

50 | Choosing options for loading and saving documents

Exploring the Variety of Random
Documents with Different Content
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Domestic
Life of Thomas Jefferson Compiled From
Family Letters and Reminiscences
 This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United
States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away
or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License
included with this ebook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you
are not located in the United States, you will have to check the
laws of the country where you are located before using this
eBook.

Title: The Domestic Life of Thomas Jefferson Compiled From

Family Letters and Reminiscences

Author: Sarah N. Randolph

Release date: July 27, 2013 [eBook #43331]

Most recently updated: October 23, 2024

Language: English

Credits: Produced by David Edwards, Julia Neufeld and the

Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
(This
file was produced from images generously made
available
by The Internet Archive)

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE DOMESTIC

LIFE OF THOMAS JEFFERSON COMPILED FROM FAMILY LETTERS
AND REMINISCENCES ***
 THOMAS JEFFERSON.
From Portrait by Gilbert Stuart.
MONTICELLO:—THE WESTERN FRONT.

THE DOMESTIC LIFE

OF
THOMAS JEFFERSON.

COMPILED FROM
FAMILY LETTERS AND REMINISCENCES,

BY HIS GREAT-GRANDDAUGHTER,
SARAH N. RANDOLPH.
 NEW YORK:
HARPER & BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS,
FRANKLIN SQUARE.
1871.

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1871, by

Harper & Brothers,
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.
 PREFACE.
I do not in this volume write of Jefferson either as of the great man
or as of the statesman. My object is only to give a faithful picture of
him as he was in private life—to show that he was, as I have been
taught to think of him by those who knew and loved him best, a
beautiful domestic character. With this view I have collected the
reminiscences of him which have been written by his daughter and
grandchildren. From his correspondence, published and unpublished,
I have culled his family letters, and here reproduce them as being
the most faithful witnesses of the warmth of his affections, the
elevation of his character, and the scrupulous fidelity with which he
discharged the duties of every relation in life.
I am well aware that the tale of Jefferson's life, both public and
private, has been well told by the most faithful of biographers in
"Randall's Life of Jefferson," and that much of what is contained in
these pages will be found in that admirable work, which, from the
author's zealous devotion to truth, and his indefatigable industry in
collecting his materials, must ever stand chief among the most
valuable contributions to American history. I propose, however, to
give a sketch of Jefferson's private life in a briefer form than it can
be found in either the thirteen volumes of the two editions of his
published correspondence, or in the three stout octavo volumes of
his Life by Randall. To give a bird's-eye view of his whole career, and
to preserve unbroken the thread of this narrative, I quote freely from
his Memoir, and from such of his letters as cast any light upon the
subject, filling up the blanks with my own pen.
Jefferson's executor having a few months ago recovered from the
United States Government his family letters and private papers,
which had been exempted from the sale of his public manuscripts, I
am enabled to give in these pages many interesting letters never
before published.
No man's private character has been more foully assailed than
Jefferson's, and none so wantonly exposed to the public gaze, nor
more fully vindicated. I shall be more than rewarded for my labors
should I succeed in imparting to my readers a tithe of that esteem
and veneration which I have been taught to feel for him by the
person with whom he was most intimate during life—the grandson
who, as a boy, played upon his knee, and, as a man, was, as he
himself spoke of him, "the staff" of his old age.
The portrait of Jefferson is from a painting by Gilbert Stuart, in the
possession of his family, and by them considered as the best likeness
of him. The portrait of his daughter, Martha Jefferson Randolph, is
from a painting by Sully. The view of Monticello represents the home
of Jefferson as it existed during his lifetime, and not as it now is—a
ruin.
THE AUTHOR.
June, 1871.
 CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
Jefferson's Birthplace.—Sketch of his early Life.—Character of his Parents.
—His Grandfather, Isham Randolph.—Peter Jefferson's Friendship for
William Randolph.—Randolph dies, and leaves his young Son to the
Guardianship of Jefferson.—His faithful Discharge of the Trust.—
Thomas Jefferson's earliest Recollections.—His Father's Hospitality.— Page
First Acquaintance with Indians.—Life of the early Settlers of Virginia: 17
its Ease and Leisure.—Expense of Thomas Jefferson's early Education.
—Death of his Father.—Perils of his Situation.—Letter to his Guardian.
—Goes to William and Mary College.—Extract from his Memoir.—
Sketch of Fauquier.—Of Wythe
CHAPTER II.
Intense Application as a Student.—Habits of Study kept up during his
Vacations.—First Preparations made for Building at Monticello.—Letters
to his College Friend, John Page.—Anecdote of Benjamin Harrison.—
Jefferson's Devotion to his eldest Sister.—He witnesses the Debate on
the Stamp Act.—First Meeting with Patrick Henry.—His Opinion of him.
—His superior Education.—Always a Student.—Wide Range of
Information.—Anecdote.—Death of his eldest Sister.—His Grief.—Buries 31
himself in his Books.—Finishes his Course of Law Studies.—Begins to
practise.—Collection of Vocabularies of Indian Languages.—House at
Shadwell burnt.—Loss of his Library.—Marriage.—Anecdote of his
Courtship.—Wife's Beauty.—Bright Prospects.—Friendship for Dabney
Carr.—His Talents.—His Death.—Jefferson buries him at Monticello.—
His Epitaph
CHAPTER III.
Happy Life at Monticello.—Jefferson's fine Horsemanship.—Birth of his 48
oldest Child.—Goes to Congress.—Death of his Mother.—Kindness to
British Prisoners.—Their Gratitude.—His Devotion to Music.—Letter to
General de Riedesel.—Is made Governor of Virginia.—Tarleton pursues
Lafayette.—Reaches Charlottesville.—The British at Monticello.—
Cornwallis's Destruction of Property at Elk Hill.—Jefferson retires at the
End of his Second Term as Governor.—Mrs. Jefferson's delicate Health.
 —Jefferson meets with an Accident.—Writes his Notes on Virginia.—
The Marquis de Chastellux visits Monticello.—His Description of it.—
Letter of Congratulation from Jefferson to Washington.—Mrs.
Jefferson's Illness and Death.—Her Daughter's Description of the
Scene.—Jefferson's Grief
CHAPTER IV.
Visit to Chesterfield County.—Is appointed Plenipotentiary to Europe.—
Letter to the Marquis de Chastellux.—Goes North with his Daughter.—
Leaves her in Philadelphia, and goes to Congress.—Letters to his
Daughter.—Sails for Europe.—His Daughter's Description of the 67
Voyage.—His Establishment and Life in Paris.—Succeeds Franklin as
Minister there.—Anecdotes of Franklin.—Extracts from Mrs. Adams's
Letters.—Note from Jefferson to Mrs. Smith
CHAPTER V.
Jefferson's first Impressions of Europe.—Letter to Mrs. Trist.—To Baron De
Geismer.—He visits England.—Letter to his Daughter.—To his Sister.—
Extract from his Journal kept when in England.—Letter to John Page.—
Presents a Bust of Lafayette to chief Functionaries of Paris.—Breaks 79
his Wrist.—Letter to Mrs. Trist.—Mr. and Mrs. Cosway.—
Correspondence with Mrs. Cosway.—Letter to Colonel Carrington.—To
Mr. Madison.—To Mrs. Bingham.—Her Reply
CHAPTER VI.
Death of Count de Vergennes.—Jefferson is ordered to Aix by his Surgeon.
—Death of his youngest Child.—Anxiety to have his Daughter Mary
with him.—Her Reluctance to leave Virginia.—Her Letters to and from
her Father.—Jefferson's Letters to Mrs. and Mr. Eppes.—To Lafayette.—
101
To the Countess de Tesse.—To Lafayette.—Correspondence with his
Daughter Martha
CHAPTER VII.
Increased Anxiety about his youngest Daughter.—Her Aunt's Letter.—She
arrives in England.—Mrs. Adams receives her.—Letter to Mrs. Eppes.—
To Madame de Corny.—To J. Bannister.—To his Sister.—Letter to Mr.
Jay.—To Madame de Brehan.—To Madame de Corny.—Weariness of
124
Public Life.—Goes to Amsterdam.—Letter to Mr. Jay.—To Mr. Izard.—To
Mrs. Marks.—To Mr. Marks.—To Randolph Jefferson.—To Mrs. Eppes
CHAPTER VIII.
Jefferson asks for leave of Absence.—Character of the Prince of Wales.—
Letters to Madame de Brehan.—Fondness for Natural History.—
Anecdote told by Webster.—Jefferson's Opinion of Chemistry.—Letter
to Professor Willard.—Martha Jefferson.—She wishes to enter a
Convent.—Her Father takes her Home.—He is impatient to return to 139
Virginia.—Letter to Washington.—To Mrs. Eppes.—Receives leave of
Absence.—Farewell to France.—Jefferson as an Ambassador.—He
leaves Paris.—His Daughter's Account of the Voyage, and Arrival at
Home.—His Reception by his Slaves

CHAPTER IX.
Letters on the French Revolution 154
CHAPTER X.
Washington nominates Jefferson as Secretary of State.—Jefferson's Regret.
—Devotion of Southern Statesmen to Country Life.—Letter to
Washington.—Jefferson accepts the Appointment.—Marriage of his
Daughter.—He leaves for New York.—Last Interview with Franklin.—
169
Letters to Son-in-law.—Letters of Adieu to Friends in Paris.—Family
Letters.
CHAPTER XI.
Jefferson goes with the President to Rhode Island.—Visits Monticello.—
Letter to Mrs. Eppes.—Goes to Philadelphia.—Family Letters.—Letter to
Washington.—Goes to Monticello.—Letters to his Daughter.—His Ana.— 189
Letters to his Daughter.—To General Washington.—To Lafayette.—To
his Daughter

CHAPTER XII.
Anonymous Attacks on Jefferson.—Washington's Letter to him.—His Reply. 213
—Letter to Edmund Randolph.—Returns to Philadelphia.—Washington
urges him to remain in his Cabinet.—Letters to his Daughter.—To his
Son-in-law.—To his Brother-in-law.—Sends his Resignation to the
President.—Fever in Philadelphia.—Weariness of Public Life.—Letters to
his Daughters.—To Mrs. Church.—To his Daughter.—Visits Monticello.—
Returns to Philadelphia.—Letter to Madison.—To Mrs. Church.—To his
Daughters.—Interview with Genet.—Letter to Washington.—His Reply.
—Jefferson returns to Monticello.—State of his Affairs, and Extent of
his Possessions.—Letter to Washington.—To Mr. Adams.—Washington
attempts to get Jefferson back in his Cabinet.—Letter to Edmund
 Randolph, declining.—Pleasures of his Life at Monticello.—Letter to
Madison.—To Giles.—To Rutledge.—To young Lafayette
CHAPTER XIII.
Description of Monticello and Jefferson by the Duc de la Rochefoucauld-
Liancourt.—Nominated Vice-President.—Letter to Madison.—To Adams.
—Preference for the Office of Vice-President.—Sets out for
Philadelphia.—Reception there.—Returns to Monticello.—Letters to his
235
Daughter.—Goes to Philadelphia.—Letter to Rutledge.—Family Letters.
—To Miss Church.—To Mrs. Church
CHAPTER XIV.
Jefferson goes to Philadelphia.—Letters to his Daughters.—Returns to
Monticello.—Letters to his Daughter.—Goes back to Philadelphia.—
Family Letters.—Letters to Mrs. and Miss Church.—Bonaparte.—Letters
to his Daughters.—Is nominated as President.—Seat of Government 254
moved to Washington.—Spends the Summer at Monticello.—Letters to
his Daughter.—Jefferson denounced by the New England Pulpit.—
Letter to Uriah Gregory.—Goes to Washington
CHAPTER XV.
Results of Presidential Election.—Letter to his Daughter.—Balloting for
President.—Letter to his Daughter.—Is inaugurated.—Returns to
Monticelllo.—Letters to his Daughter.—Goes back to Washington.—
Inaugurates the Custom of sending a written Message to Congress.— 271
Abolishes Levees.—Letter to Story.—To Dickinson.—Letter from Mrs.
Cosway.—Family Letters.—Makes a short Visit to Monticello.—
Jefferson's Sixtieth Year
CHAPTER XVI.
Returns to Washington.—Letters to his Daughters.—Meets with a Stranger
in his daily Ride.—Letters to his Daughter.—To his young Grandson.—
To his Daughter, Mrs. Randolph.—Last Letters to his Daughter, Mrs.
Eppes.—Her Illness.—Letter to Mr. Eppes.—Goes to Monticello.—Death 288
of Mrs. Eppes.—Account of it by a Niece.—Her Reminiscences of Mary
Jefferson Eppes.—Letter to Page.—To Tyler.—From Mrs. Adams.—Mr.
Jefferson's Reply.—Midnight Judges.—Letters to his Son-in-law
CHAPTER XVII.
Renominated as President.—Letter to Mazzei.—Slanders against Jefferson. 310
—Sad Visit to Monticello.—Second Inauguration.—Receives the Bust of
the Emperor of Russia.—Letters to and from the Emperor.—To Diodati.
 —To Dickinson.—To his Son-in-law.—Devotion to his Grandchildren.—
Letter to Monroe.—To his Grandchildren.—His Temper when roused.—
Letter to Charles Thompson.—To Dr. Logan.—Anxious to avoid a Public
Reception on his Return home.—Letter to Dupont de Nemours.—
Inauguration of Madison.—Harmony in Jefferson's Cabinet.—Letter to
Humboldt.—Farewell Address from the Legislature of Virginia.—His
Reply.—Reply to an Address of Welcome from the Citizens of
Albemarle.—Letter to Madison.—Anecdote of Jefferson.—Dr. Stuart
says he is quarelling with the Almighty
CHAPTER XVIII.
His final Return home.—Wreck of his Fortunes.—Letter to Mr. Eppes.—To
his Grand-daughter, Mrs. Bankhead.—To Kosciusko.—Description of the
Interior of the House at Monticello.—Of the View from Monticello.—
Jefferson's Grandson's Description of his Manners and Appearance.—
Anecdotes.—His Habits.—Letter to Governor Langdon.—To Governor
329
Tyler.—Life at Monticello.—Jefferson's Studies and Occupations.—
Sketch of Jefferson by a Grand-daughter.—Reminiscences of him by
another Grand-daughter
CHAPTER XIX.
Letter to his Grand-daughter, Mrs. Bankhead.—To Dr. Rush.—To Duane.—
Anxiety to reopen Correspondence with John Adams.—Letter to
Benjamin Rush.—Old Letter from Mrs. Adams.—Letter from Benjamin
Rush.—Letter from John Adams.—The Reconciliation.—Character of
Washington.—Devotion to him.—Letter to Say.—State of Health.—
Labors of Correspondence.—Cheerfulness of his Disposition.—Baron
Grimour.—Catherine of Russia.—Ledyard.—Letter to Mrs. Trist.—To
349
John Adams.—Gives Charge of his Affairs to his Grandson.—Letter to
his Grandson, Francis Eppes.—Description of Monticello by Lieutenant
Hall.—Letter to Mrs. Adams.—Her Death.—Beautiful Letter to Mr.
Adams.—Letter to Dr. Utley.—Correspondence with Mrs. Cosway.—
Tidings from Old French Friends
CHAPTER XX.
Letters to John Adams.—Number of Letters written and received.—To John
Adams.—Breaks his Arm.—Letter to Judge Johnson.—To Lafayette.—
The University of Virginia.—Anxiety to have Southern Young Men
educated at the South.—Letters on the Subject.—Lafayette's Visit to
378
America.—His Meeting with Jefferson.—Daniel Webster's Visit to
Monticello, and Description of Mr. Jefferson
 CHAPTER XXI.
Pecuniary Embarrassments.—Letter from a Grand-daughter.—Dr.
Dunglison's Memoranda.—Sells his Library.—Depressed Condition of
the Money Market.—Disastrous Consequences to Jefferson.—His
Grandson's Devotion and Efforts to relieve him.—Mental Sufferings of
Mr. Jefferson.—Plan of Lottery to sell his Property.—Hesitation of
Virginia Legislature to grant his Request.—Sad Letter to Madison.—
Correspondence with Cabell.—Extract from a Letter to his Grandson,
to Cabell.—Beautiful Letter to his Grandson.—Distress at the Death of
397
his Grand-daughter.—Dr. Dunglison's Memoranda.—Meeting in
Richmond.—In Nelson County.—New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore
come to his Relief.—His Gratitude.—Unconscious that at his Death
Sales of his Property would fail to pay his Debts.—Deficit made up by
his Grandson.—His Daughter left penniless.—Generosity of Louisiana
and South Carolina

CHAPTER XXII.
Letter to Namesake.—To John Adams.—Declining Health.—Dr. Dunglison's
Memoranda.—Tenderness to his Family.—Accounts of his Death by Dr.
Dunglison and Colonel Randolph.—Farewell to his Daughter.— 419
Directions for a Tombstone.—It is erected by his Grandson.—Shameful
Desecration of Tombstones at Monticello
 ILLUSTRATIONS.
PAGE
Thomas Jefferson (From Portrait by Stuart) }
In Front.
Monticello (The Western View) }
Jefferson's Seal Title-Page.
Jefferson's Coat of Arms On Cover.
Jefferson's Marriage License-Bond (Fac-simile) 42
Part of Draft of Declaration of Independence (Fac-simile) 52
Martha Jefferson Randolph (From Portrait by Sully) 65
Jefferson's Horse-Chair (Still preserved at Monticello) 289
Monticello (Plan of the First Floor) 334
The University of Virginia (In 1850) 386
Jefferson's Grave (Near Monticello) 432

THE
DOMESTIC LIFE OF JEFFERSON.
 CHAPTER I.
Jefferson's Birthplace.—Sketch of his early Life.—Character of his Parents.—
His Grandfather, Isham Randolph.—Peter Jefferson's Friendship for
William Randolph.—Randolph dies, and leaves his young Son to the
Guardianship of Jefferson.—His faithful Discharge of the Trust.—Thomas
Jefferson's earliest Recollections.—His Father's Hospitality.—First
Acquaintance with Indians.—Life of the early Settlers of Virginia: its Ease
and Leisure.—Expense of Thomas Jefferson's early Education.—Death of
his Father.—Perils of his Situation.—Letter to his Guardian.—Goes to
William and Mary College.—Extract from his Memoir.—Sketch of Fauquier.
—Of Wythe.

On a long, gently sloping hill five miles east of Charlottesville,

Virginia, the traveller, passing along the county road of Albemarle,
has pointed out to him the spot where Thomas Jefferson was born,
April 13th, 1743. A few aged locust-trees are still left to mark the
place, and two or three sycamores stretch out their long majestic
arms over the greensward beneath, once the scene of young
Jefferson's boyish games, but now a silent pasture, where cattle and
sheep browse, undisturbed by the proximity of any dwelling. The
trees are all that are left of an avenue planted by him on his twenty-
first birthday, and, as such, are objects of peculiar interest to those
who love to dwell upon the associations of the past.
The situation is one well suited for a family mansion—offering from
its site a landscape view rarely surpassed. To the south are seen the
picturesque valley and banks of the Rivanna, with an extensive,
peaceful-looking horizon view, lying like a sleeping beauty, in the
east; while long rolling hills, occasionally rising into mountain ranges
until at last they are all lost in the gracefully-sweeping profile of the
Blue Ridge, stretch westward, and the thickly-wooded Southwest
Mountains, with the highly-cultivated fields and valleys intervening,
close the scene on the north, and present landscapes whose
exquisite enchantment must ever charm the beholder.
A brief sketch of Jefferson's family and early life is given in the
following quotation from his Memoir, written by himself:

January 6, 1821.—At the age of 77, I begin to make some

memoranda, and state some recollections of dates and facts
concerning myself, for my own more ready reference, and for
the information of my family.
The tradition in my father's family was, that their ancestor came
to this country from Wales, and from near the mountain of
Snowden, the highest in Great Britain. I noted once a case from
Wales in the law reports, where a person of our name was
either plaintiff or defendant; and one of the same name was
Secretary to the Virginia Company. These are the only instances
in which I have met with the name in that country. I have found
it in our early records; but the first particular information I have
of any ancestor was of my grandfather, who lived at the place in
Chesterfield called Osborne's, and owned the lands afterwards
the glebe of the parish. He had three sons: Thomas, who died
young; Field, who settled on the waters of the Roanoke, and left
numerous descendants; and Peter, my father, who settled on the
lands I still own, called Shadwell, adjoining my present
residence. He was born February 29th, 1708, and intermarried
1739 with Jane Randolph, of the age of 19, daughter of Isham
Randolph, one of the seven sons of that name and family
settled at Dungeness, in Goochland. They trace their pedigree
far back in England and Scotland, to which let every one ascribe
the faith and merit he chooses.
My father's education had been quite neglected; but being of a
strong mind, sound judgment, and eager after information, he
read much, and improved himself; insomuch that he was
chosen, with Joshua Fry, Professor of Mathematics in William
and Mary College, to run the boundary-line between Virginia
and North Carolina, which had been begun by Colonel Byrd, and
was afterwards employed with the same Mr. Fry to make the
first map of Virginia which had ever been made, that of Captain
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