I get the following error while openning a .xls file in Libreoffice Calc, Ubuntu 12.04 [LibreOffice 3.5.5.2; Build ID: 350m 1 (Build:2)] To overcome this I checked the LibreOffice Security Level to Low under Macro Security (from Tools---- Options--- Security tab. Then I went ahead intalling java by running the following commands from the terminal window (with some tips from various forums) sudo add-apt-repository ppa:libreoffice/ppa sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install libreoffice libreoffice-java-common libreoffice-math libreoffice-gnome libreoffice-java-common Still I got the BASIC runtime error (as in the title), even after clicking Tools---- Options ---- Java and checking the 'Use a Java runtime environment option' and then clicking on 'Sun Microsystems Inc' under listed JRE environments installed. Even I ran the following commands to install latest Java run time environments from terminal window sudo apt-get install openjdk-7-jre icedtea-7-plugin But still I get the same Basicruntime error (details as in the title bar). This particular file opens perfectly in Microsoft Excel 2007, in Win XP Professional.