Cannot update/install other software after failing to install LibreOffice

I tried to install LibreOffice through the software centre but an error occurred and the installation failed. Now it is shown as "installed" in software centre while it's actually not. I realised it was because I have OpenOffice4.1.1 installed. I tried to remove OpenOffice but so far none of the commands I found on any of the internet forums worked.

The software centre is now stuck in a loop of repairing and failing to repair the problem caused by OpenOffice. Now my laptop can neither update nor install other software. I manually removed the all the LibreOffice files in a terminal and hoped that it would stop the process, but of course it didn't. Could someone please let me know how I could stop the installation process of LibreOffice for now? Thanks in advance.

Here is the error I get when software centre tried to repair the problem:

installArchives() failed:
Preparing to unpack .../libreoffice-common_1%3a4.2.8-0ubuntu2_all.deb ...
Unpacking libreoffice-common (1:4.2.8-0ubuntu2) ...
dpkg:
error processing archive /var/cache/apt/archives/libreoffice-common_1%3a4.2.8-0ubuntu2_all.deb (--unpack):
trying to overwrite '/usr/bin/soffice', which is also in package openoffice-debian-menus 4.1.1-9775
rmdir: failed to remove /var/lib/libreoffice/share/prereg/: No such file or directory
rmdir: failed to remove /var/lib/libreoffice/share/: No such file or directory
rmdir: failed to remove /var/lib/libreoffice/program/: No such file or directory
rmdir: failed to remove /var/lib/libreoffice: No such file or directory
rmdir: failed to remove /var/lib/libreoffice: No such file or directory
Processing triggers for man-db (2.6.7.1-1ubuntu1) ...
Processing triggers for gnome-icon-theme (3.10.0-0ubuntu2) ...
Processing triggers for hicolor-icon-theme (0.13-1) ...
Processing triggers for shared-mime-info (1.2-0ubuntu3) ...
Unknown media type in type 'all/all'
Unknown media type in type 'all/allfiles'
Unknown media type in type 'uri/mms'
Unknown media type in type 'uri/mmst'
Unknown media type in type 'uri/mmsu'
Unknown media type in type 'uri/pnm'
Unknown media type in type 'uri/rtspt'
Unknown media type in type 'uri/rtspu'
Processing triggers for mime-support (3.54ubuntu1.1) ...
Processing triggers for gnome-menus (3.10.1-0ubuntu2) ...
Processing triggers for desktop-file-utils (0.22-1ubuntu1) ...
Processing triggers for bamfdaemon (0.5.1+14.04.20140409-0ubuntu1) ...
Rebuilding /usr/share/applications/bamf-2.index...
Errors were encountered while processing:
 /var/cache/apt/archives/libreoffice-common_1%3a4.2.8-0ubuntu2_all.deb
Error in function: 
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of libreoffice-l10n-en-gb: libreoffice-l10n-en-gb depends on libreoffice-common; however: Package libreoffice-common is not installed.
dpkg: error processing package libreoffice-l10n-en-gb (--configure): dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of libreoffice-java-common:  libreoffice-java-common depends on libreoffice-common; however: Package libreoffice-common is not installed.
dpkg: error processing package libreoffice-java-common (--configure): dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of libreoffice-l10n-en-za: libreoffice-l10n-en-za depends on libreoffice-common; however: Package libreoffice-common is not installed.
dpkg: error processing package libreoffice-l10n-en-za (--configure): dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of libreoffice-help-en-gb:
 libreoffice-help-en-gb depends on libreoffice-l10n-en-gb; however:
  Package libreoffice-l10n-en-gb is not configured yet.
dpkg: error processing package libreoffice-help-en-gb (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of libreoffice-sdbc-hsqldb:
 libreoffice-sdbc-hsqldb depends on libreoffice-java-common (>= 1:4.2.8~); however:
  Package libreoffice-java-common is not configured yet.
dpkg: error processing package libreoffice-sdbc-hsqldb (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of libreoffice-l10n-ja:
 libreoffice-l10n-ja depends on libreoffice-common; however:
  Package libreoffice-common is not installed.
dpkg: error processing package libreoffice-l10n-ja (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of libreoffice-help-en-us:
 libreoffice-help-en-us depends on libreoffice-l10n-en-us; however:
  Package libreoffice-l10n-en-us is not installed.
dpkg: error processing package libreoffice-help-en-us (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of libreoffice-core:
 libreoffice-core depends on libreoffice-common (>> 1:4.2.8); however:
  Package libreoffice-common is not installed.
dpkg: error processing package libreoffice-core (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of python3-uno:
 python3-uno depends on libreoffice-core (= 1:4.2.8-0ubuntu2); however:

Solution 1:

This is the problem:

trying to overwrite '/usr/bin/soffice', which is also in package openoffice-debian-menus 4.1.1-9775

Therefore open a terminal and remove the package openoffice-debian-menus with the command

sudo apt-get purge openoffice-debian-menus

After that repair your installation:

sudo apt-get install -f

Solution 2:

Just run this command :

sudo apt-get remove --purge libreoffice-core libreoffice-common python3-uno libreoffice-*

as libreoffice and openoffice use same soffice so the error is there.

Solution 3:

This worked for me:

sudo apt-get remove --purge libreoffice-core libreoffice-common unoconv python3-uno libreoffice-*

It seems that unoconv broke something and prevented to remove its own package which depends on libreoffice.