How to open .XLTM files on Linux
To open .XLTM files on Linux, if your desktop doesn’t recognize .xltm associations, check the MIME type mapping using your environment’s shared-mime-info database.
Step-by-step instructions
- If your desktop doesn’t recognize .xltm associations, check the MIME type mapping using your environment’s shared-mime-info database.
- For best compatibility (especially with macros), open the file in Microsoft Excel on Windows/macOS; Linux office suites may not fully support VBA macros.
Common issues
Macros are disabled or won’t run
.xltm can contain VBA macros, but Excel may block them depending on security settings or because the file came from an untrusted location (for example, downloaded from the internet).
- Confirm you trust the source of the template before enabling any macros.
- Open the file in Microsoft Excel desktop and review the security prompt/Protected View behavior before choosing to enable macros.
Opened as a template but changes don’t “save back” to the original file
Excel templates are meant to be used as a starting point for new workbooks. Opening a template often results in a new document derived from the template rather than editing the template itself.
- If you need to modify the template itself, open it from within Excel (File → Open) and then save it explicitly as an .xltm template.
- If you intended to create a new spreadsheet, use Save As to store the new workbook with a different name.
File opens in another app or shows an unknown file type on Linux
On Linux/Unix desktops, file association often depends on the shared MIME database, which maps extensions like .xltm to MIME types and applications.
- Ensure your system’s shared-mime-info database is installed/updated so .xltm is recognized and associated correctly.
- Manually choose an application to open it, or open it in Microsoft Excel on another platform for best macro compatibility.
Security note
.xltm is macro-enabled and can preserve VBA macro code; treat files from unknown or unexpected sources as potentially unsafe before enabling macros.