I'm considering switching from Windows to Linux, but my university primarily uses Microsoft Office apps like Word and Excel. Is there an easy way to access these applications on Linux?
5 Answers
Microsoft Office 365 is accessible through a web browser on Linux, which can be a good option if you're okay with the online versions. Alternatives like OnlyOffice also work pretty well if you're looking for something closer to Microsoft’s UI.
If you are worried about compatibility, LibreOffice can handle .docx and .xlsx files, but just be aware that some formatting might not carry over perfectly to MS Office. Overall, you shouldn’t have too many issues with most documents.
If you just need to create and edit documents, LibreOffice is a great free alternative that supports Microsoft formats. However, if you absolutely need Microsoft Office, you could set up a virtual machine with Windows or consider a dual-boot setup. This way, you can use all the MS Office features seamlessly.
You can actually use the web versions of Microsoft Office. They work fine on Linux in a browser, though some users have reported missing features compared to the desktop versions. For most basic tasks, though, you should be okay!
What about using Wine to run the desktop versions? Has anyone tried that?
You might want to check your university's requirements, though. If they allow online versions, you’ll likely be fine. Otherwise, running Windows in a VM could be the best option if you need the complete feature set of Microsoft Office applications.
I’d recommend dual-boot if you need full performance with MS Office. VMs can be a bit slow, especially for heavier tasks.