I know, I know! I am sorry for the sacrilege I have just committed, but I have decided I want to move over to Linux on my Uni laptop, as I realized I don’t really need too many applications, so why the hell not move over? Here’s the issue. My uni courses I am doing require MS Office 365 for the classes. Ouch. So I am aware of VMs, WINE, etc, and my question is more just to ask which one is the most reliable and usable. I know VMs should theoretically work with virtually (hehe) no problem, but I feel it would have too much overhead on a laptop, and I also know WINE is far from perfect, so what would you all suggest I do?
Libre Office is actually going to solve 90% of your issues. All document creation can actually be handled by libre office without any issues. As long as you remember to save all your documents in the right file extension (which can actually be set in the libre office preferences) you are golden.
The MS office 365 web version is going to solve another 9%. The one thing libre office can’t do very well right now is open and view heavily formatted windows documents. This would include documents that have frame borders, tables, and fancy charts. Stuff like that. While these documents SHOULD open up in the MS office 365 online client, for what ever reason they dont.
This is where I believe having MS office inside of wine is your best bet. You can use it for those last 1% of situations where libre office and office 365 falls short.
If you’re just typing up essays or reports that a required to have the .docx file type, the online version of Word will be fine.
https://office.com > Log in > Under Apps Select Word > New Blank Document > Word Online opens
If you’re doing a class that requires Excel functions, macros, VLookups, etc., get a VM with 4 - 8 GB of RAM and install Microsoft Office to use Excel locally.
This is a grade, not some pissing contest between the evil M$$$$$ and FOSS. You’ll come up with cool hacks and tricks, probably at the recommendations and encouragement of the GNU/Linux community… And you’ll fail. Your group will be pissed off at you for using some broken software and you’ll be exiled from the group, doing projects and homework by yourself that everyone else is doing with groups of 4 to 6.
How do I know this? Because I was enrolled in an MIS degree program before switching to Computer Engineering at UT Dallas, and this is exactly what happened to me. Did I achieve the exact same results as someone with MS Excel? Yup. However, when the professor ran scripts, functions, and reports in his environment, nothing worked, and he RTFM’d me with the Syllabus where it said MS Excel is required to complete the course.
If the above doesn’t pertain to you, LibreOffice or the online version of Office will work great. I’ve used it to make a lot of documents and I’ve sent it to others with minimal issue.
This is why it’ll be good to hear some specifics. I had a similar Microsoft centric uni, and I used Google docs (collaboration), exported as a PDF which I asked if they were fine with that (some were), and eventually they accepted PDF everywhere.
Definitely. I hear about students turning in work as PDF a lot. It sounds like that is an awesome workaround/solution to not having MS Office. I am always wary when I read threads like this and giving advice, because Calc and Database do not perform nearly as well as Excel and Access. I know it’s rare, extreme use cases, but some professors are sticklers and that’s what the material calls for.
The OP said O365, which I took to mean more than just Word. I could be off, just a sensitive subject
There are a bunch of improvements in the newer versions of libreoffice calc, there is also Google sheets for example that has some decently powerful features. I agree though if your stuff requires a lot of spreadsheet work with specific formulas that’s only in Excel and you can’t replicate. Use the right tools for the job.
Documents are definitely better submitted as PDF wherever possible, so you can use anything to write those (even latex:D )
thats true LibreOffice Calc still doesn’t have all the integrated functions of Excel and when your course includes those functions it makes it really hard to use Calc.
I’d suggest a VM. Plus VMs are ultra portable and easy to backup. Keep all your school docs in the VM and keep a snapshot on an external drive for backup. Simply import the VM appliance to another PC and you’ll stay productive.
Hi all, thanks for all the replies! Because there is a few here, I’ll answer it all as much as I can!
Firstly, libre Office is a great alternative, and something I will probably use, the main issue and why I needed 365 specifically is some of the courses require specifically access and to do things a certain way, unfortunately.
As for how I am going to fix it, I think I will dual boot back to windows for when I need to do a very specific windows thing, and Linux with libre for everything else. I will look into a VM but I think the performance overhead will be too much.
That’s a bit vague. If its just you need to use office, and you need access to onedrive for some templates or something like that, that’s probably not a big issue.
if you have the disk space and computer power available setting up a virtual machine just to run a windows virtual machine with purpose of using office 365 is probably the best of both worlds less you dont want to buy a windows license.
if you dont have to use office 365 and can get by with office 2016 or 2013 then cross over makes getting these programs up and running pretty easy. and gives you the seamless desktop experience .
if 365 is needed then a virtual machine running windows is your answer. a fast enough computer can boot into a windows virtual machine fairly quick coupled with some shared folders between the host os and guest os working between the two environments is near painless.
