Customizing file formats with unoconv
Flexible Import/Export
© Photo by Hudson Hintze on Unsplash
A hidden utility in the LibreOffice toolbox, unoconv offers a wide array of import and export filter options for use at the command line.
LibreOffice is designed to save, import, or export one file at a time, using standard filter settings. The File menu allows you to choose PDF export options, but for most other types of files, you must use the default filter settings. If you want to save multiple files, or adjust the filter settings, you need to shift to the command line and run unoconv [1], a little known Python script that gives you greater control, both with a wide array of import and export filter options.
Unoconv is short for Universal Network Objects (UNO) conversion, a reference to the UNO API used by both LibreOffice and OpenOffice [2]. Bindings for UNO are available for most C++, Java, and Python compilers, and the API is used to create extensions, as well as to provide support for formats not visible in the LibreOffice desktop window, such as the obsolete LibreOffice 1.0 file formats.
Unsurprisingly, unoconv requires access to LibreOffice's resources. The easiest way to provide this access is to install unoconv on a system that already has LibreOffice installed. However, as detailed in the man page, you can also use the --connect (-c) option followed by a comma-separated list to define and connect to the location of a remote LibreOffice instance or --listener (-l) to have unoconv detect one.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Ubuntu 25.04 Coming Soon
Ubuntu 25.04 (Plucky Puffin) has been given an April release date with many notable updates.
-
Gnome Developers Consider Dropping RPM Support
In a move that might shock a lot of users, the Gnome development team has proposed the idea of going straight up Flatpak.
-
openSUSE Tumbleweed Ditches AppArmor for SELinux
If you're an openSUSE Tumbleweed user, you can expect a major change to the distribution.
-
Plasma 6.3 Now Available
Plasma desktop v6.3 has a couple of pretty nifty tricks up its sleeve.
-
LibreOffice 25.2 Has Arrived
If you've been hoping for a release that offers more UI customizations, you're in for a treat.
-
TuxCare Has a Big AlmaLinux 9 Announcement in Store
TuxCare announced it has successfully completed a Security Technical Implementation Guide for AlmaLinux OS 9.
-
First Release Candidate for Linux Kernel 6.14 Now Available
Linus Torvalds has officially released the first release candidate for kernel 6.14 and it includes over 500,000 lines of modified code, making for a small release.
-
System76 Refreshes Meerkat Mini PC
If you're looking for a small form factor PC powered by Linux, System76 has exactly what you need in the Meerkat mini PC.
-
Gnome 48 Alpha Ready for Testing
The latest Gnome desktop alpha is now available with plenty of new features and improvements.
-
Wine 10 Includes Plenty to Excite Users
With its latest release, Wine has the usual crop of bug fixes and improvements, along with some exciting new features.