LibreOffice is a free and open source office suite, a project from The Document Foundation. It branched off OpenOffice.org in 2010, which is an open-source version of StarOffice before. The LibreOffice suite consists of programs for word processing, creation and editing of spreadsheets, slideshows, diagrams and drawings, working with databases, and composing mathematical formulas. It is available in 110 languages.
LibreOffice uses the international standard ISO/IEC OpenDocument file format (ODF) as the original format for saving documents for all its applications. LibreOffice also supports file formats from most other major office suites, including Microsoft Office, through various import/export filters.
LibreOffice is available for various computing platforms, including Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux (including LibreOffice Viewer for Android), as well as in the form of an online office suite. This is the standard office suite of the most popular Linux distributions. It is the most actively developed and open-source office suite, with about 50 times the development of Apache OpenOffice, another major OpenOffice.org derivative.
The project was announced and beta was released on September 28, 2010. Between January 2011 (first stable release) and October 2011, LibreOffice was downloaded about 7.5 million times. The project claims 120 million unique download addresses from May 2011 to May 2015, excluding Linux distributions, with 55 million of them coming from May 2014 to May 2015.
Video LibreOffice
Features
Included app
Operating system
The developers of the Document Foundation are targeting LibreOffice for Microsoft Windows (IA-32 and x86-64), Linux (IA-32 and x86-64) and macOS (x86-64). Community ports for FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD and Mac OS X 10.5 PowerPC receive support from individual contributors to the project. LibreOffice can also be installed in OpenIndiana via SFE.
In 2011, developers announced plans to move LibreOffice to Android and iOS. The document viewer beta version for Android 4.0 or later was released in January 2015; In May 2015, LibreOffice Viewer for Android was released with basic editing capabilities.
The LibreOffice Impress Remote app for various mobile operating systems makes it possible to control LibreOffice Impress remote presentations.
LibreOffice Online
LibreOffice Online is an online office suite edition from LibreOffice. This allows the use of LibreOffice via a web browser using the HTML5 canvas element. Development was announced at the first LibreOffice Conference in October 2011, and is in progress. The Document Foundation, IceWarp, and Collabora announced a collaboration to work on its implementation. The software version is featured in the September 2015 conference, and the Royal Commercial Service announced an interest in using the software. On December 15, 2015, Collabora, in partnership with ownCloud, released a Libreoffice Online branded technical preview as Collabora Online Development Edition (CODE). In July 2016, Nextcloud and Collabora partnered to bring CODE to Nextcloud users. In October 2016, Collabora has released nine updates to CODE. The first LibreOffice Online source code release was performed with LibreOffice version 5.3 in February 2017.
Unique features of LibreOffice
The 60-page detailed report in June 2015 compares the progress of the LibreOffice project with Apache OpenOffice related projects. This shows that "OpenOffice receives about 10% of improvements made by LibreOffice within the time period studied."
Supported file formats
Other features
LibreOffice can use GStreamer's multimedia framework on Linux to render multimedia content such as videos on Impress and other programs.
Visually, LibreOffice uses a large "Tango style" icon used for application shortcuts, quick launch icons, icons for related files and for icons found in the LibreOffice program toolbar. They are also used on toolbars and menus by default.
LibreOffice is also shipped with a modified theme that looks original on a GTK-based Linux distribution. It also creates fonts through Cairo on Linux distributions; this means the text in LibreOffice is rendered the same as the rest of the Linux desktop.
LibreOffice has a feature similar to WordArt called Fontwork .
License
The LibreOffice project uses a double license LGPLv3 (or later)/MPL 2.0 for new contributions for licensing to be upgraded. Since the core of the OpenOffice.org code base is donated to the Apache Software Foundation, there is an ongoing effort to get all code rebased to make future licensing updates easier. At the same time, there are complaints that IBM did not actually release the Lotus Symphony code as open source, although it has been claimed. It was reported that some LibreOffice developers wanted to include some parts of the code and bug fixes that IBM had set in their OpenOffice forks.
Creation of scripts and extensions
LibreOffice supports third-party extensions. In July 2017, LibreOffice Extension Repository enrolled more than 320 extensions. The other list is managed by the Apache Software Foundation and another by the Free Software Foundation. Extensions and scripts for LibreOffice can be written in C, Java, CLI, Python, and LibreOffice Basic. Interpreter for the latter two is bundled with most LibreOffice installers, so no additional installation is required. The application programming interface for LibreOffice is called "UNO" and is documented extensively.
LibreOffice Basic
LibreOffice Basic is a programming language similar to Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) but based on StarOffice Basic. It is available in Writer, Calc and Base. It's used to write small programs known as "macros", with each macro performing a different task, like counting words in a paragraph.
Maps LibreOffice
History
ooo-build, Go-oo, and Oracle
Members of the OpenOffice.org community who are not Sun Microsystems employees want a more egalitarian form for the OpenOffice.org project over the years; Sun has stated in the original announcement of OpenOffice.org in 2000 that the project will eventually be run by a neutral foundation, and submit a more detailed proposal in 2001.
Ximian and then Novell have maintained a set of patch ooo-build, a project led by Michael Meeks, to make builds easier on Linux and because of difficulties getting contributions received upstream by Sun, even from corporate partners. It tracks the main path of development and is not intended to form a fork. It is also a standard development mechanism for OpenOffice.org in most Linux distributions and is contributed by the distribution.
In 2007, ooo-build was made available by Novell as a software package called Go-oo (ooo-build has been using the go-oo.org domain name since 2005), which includes many features not included in the OpenOffice.org upstream. Go-oo also encourages outside contributions, with rules similar to those adopted for LibreOffice.
Sun's contribution to OpenOffice.org has declined for some time, they are still reluctant to accept contributions and angry contributors on Sun releasing OpenOffice.org code to IBM for IBM Lotus Symphony under a proprietary contract, rather than under open source licenses.
Sun was purchased by Oracle Corporation in early 2010. Members of the OpenOffice.org community are concerned about Oracle's behavior towards open source software, Java's lawsuit against Google and Oracle's withdrawal of developers and a lack of real activity or commitment to OpenOffice.org, as noted by industry observers - as Meeks said in early September 2010, "The news from the OpenOffice Oracle conference is that there is no news." Discussions of forks begin soon after.
The Document Foundation and LibreOffice
On September 28, 2010, The Document Foundation was announced as the host of LibreOffice, a new derivative of OpenOffice.org. The initial announcement from the Document Foundation expressed their concern that Oracle would stop OpenOffice.org, or put restrictions on it as an open source project, as happened to Sun's OpenSolaris.
LibreOffice 3.3 beta uses build ooo-build infrastructure and OpenOffice.org 3.3 beta code from Oracle, then adds the selected patch from Go-oo. Go-oo is stopped for LibreOffice. Because the office suite labeled "OpenOffice.org" in most Linux distributions turns Go-oo, it's fastest moved to LibreOffice.
Oracle was invited to become a member of The Document Foundation. However, Oracle requires that all members of the OpenOffice.org Community Council involved with The Document Foundation withdraw from the OOo Community Council, claiming a conflict of interest.
Naming
The name "LibreOffice" is selected after researching the trademark and social media database, as well as after checking to see if it can be used for URLs in different countries. Oracle declined the request to donate the OpenOffice.org brand to the project.
LibreOffice was originally named BrOffice in Brazil. OpenOffice.org has been distributed as BrOffice.org by the BrOffice Excellence Center for Free Software due to trademark issues.
OpenOffice.org End and start of Apache OpenOffice
Oracle announced in April 2011 that it ended the development of OpenOffice.org and would lay off the majority of paid developers. In June 2011, Oracle announced that it would donate the OpenOffice.org code and trademark to the Apache Software Foundation, where the project was accepted for the project incubation process in the foundation, thus becoming Apache OpenOffice. In an interview with LWN in 2011, Ubuntu founder Mark Shuttleworth blamed The Document Foundation for destroying OpenOffice.org for not licensing the code under the Oracle Contributor License Agreement. But former Sun Simon Phipps executive denied this was the case:
The act of creating The Document Foundation and its LibreOffice project shows no harm to Oracle's business. No new commercial competition for Oracle Open Office (commercial edition OO.o) arises from LibreOffice. No contributions assessed by Oracle are terminated by its creation. Oracle's ability to continue code development is not at all disturbed. Oracle's decision seems to be just that, after a year of evaluation, the benefits that will result from the development of Oracle Open Office and Oracle Cloud Office do not justify the salaries of more than 100 senior developers working on both. Suggest that TDF in some way to blame stubborn business decisions that seem inevitable since Oracle's acquisition of Sun was announced is the best dishonest.
In March 2015, LibreOffice's LWN.net comparison with its Apache OpenOffice cousin project concluded that "LibreOffice has won the battle for developer participation".
Release history
Version
Since March 2014 and 4.2.2 versions, two major versions of "released" from LibreOffice are available at any time, in addition to development versions (nominated release candidates and wake-up dates). The versions are intended to signify their eligibility for various user requirements. The release is marked by three numbers separated by dots. The first two numbers represent the primary version number (branch), and the last number shows the release of bug fixes made in the series. LibreOffice specifies two versions of the release as:
- "Fresh" - the latest main (branch) version, which contains the latest enhancements but may have introduced bugs that are not in the "still" release.
- "Still" (formerly "Stable") - the previous major version, which, by that time has been a "still" version, has had about six months of bug fixes. Recommended for users whose stability is more important than recent improvements.
Release schedule
LibreOffice uses a time-based release schedule for predictability, rather than a "when it's ready" schedule. The new major version is released around every six months, in January or February and July or August each year. The initial intentions are to be released in March and September, to sync with other free software project schedules. A minor bug fix version of the "fresh" and "still" release branches is often released.
Users and deployments
The Document Foundation estimates that by September 2011, there are 10 million users worldwide who have obtained LibreOffice through a download or CD-ROM. Over 90% of them are on Windows, with the other 5% in OS X. LibreOffice is the default office suite for most Linux distributions, and is installed when the operating system is installed or updated. Based on International Data Corporation calculations for new or updated Linux installations in 2011, The Document Foundation estimates one in 15 million Linux users. It provides a total estimated user base of 25 million users in 2011. In September 2013, after two years, the estimated number of LibreOffice users was 75 million. One million unique new IP addresses to check weekly downloads. In August 2016, the number of LibreOffice users is estimated at 120 million.
In 2011, the Document Foundation set a target of 200 million users worldwide before the end of 2020.
LibreOffice has seen a variety of bulk deployments from the start:
2003-2010
- In 2003-2004, the Brazilian company Serpro began migrating its software to BrOffice (local version of LibreOffice at the time), with an estimated BRL of 3.5 million (about US $ 1.2 million at the time) , and being a case study for similar initiatives in Brazil, particularly in e-government.
- In 2005, the French Gendarmerie announced the migration to OpenOffice.org. It plans to migrate 72,000 desktop machines to an Ubuntu version tailored to LibreOffice by 2015.
- In 2010, the city of Limerick in Ireland gradually began to migrate to open-source solutions to free itself from lock-in vendors and increase the negotiating power of its purchases. One key aspect of this step is the use of LibreOffice.
2011
- The administrative authority of the region ÃÆ'Žle-de-France (including Paris) includes LibreOffice in a USB flash drive provided to students containing free open-source software. USB flash drives are given to about 800,000 students.
- It has been announced that thirteen hospitals in the Copenhagen region will gradually turn to LibreOffice, affecting "almost all of 25,000 workers".
2012
- The Greek city of Pylaia-Chortiatis moved its PC to use LibreOffice. Local Linux user groups estimate cost savings of at least EUR70,000.
- In July, the Spanish city of Las Palmas transferred 1,200 PCs using LibreOffice, citing cost savings of EUR400,000.
- The Umbrian Administration, Italy, initiated a project to migrate an initial group of 5,000 civilian workers to LibreOffice.
- The city of Largo, Florida, USA has long been a user of open-source software using Linux thin clients. Initially using OpenOffice.org, the city of Largo switched to LibreOffice in 2013.
2013
- In June, the provincial government of South Tyrol will divert 7,000 PCs in administration and "more thousands" of PCs in health services using LibreOffice and ODF.
- In August, Spain's autonomous regional administration of Valencia has completed the migration of all 120,000 administrative PCs, including schools and courts, to LibreOffice.
- The city of Munich in Germany announced it would transition from OpenOffice to LibreOffice in the near future. This is in line with Munich's long-term commitment to using open-source software. Munich uses LiMux, a derivative of Ubuntu Linux, in almost all of the city's 15,000 computers. The City of Munich is the second public administration to join the advisory board at the Document Foundation. News appears in 2014 that the Council is considering migrating back to Microsoft Windows & amp; Microsoft Office but then rejected. Based on a study, the mayor of Munich, Dieter Reiter, initiated a re-investigation of migration scenarios back to the Microsoft system. The belief of the study is questionable because the company has been a "Microsoft Partner of the Year" for nine years. Further details are issued by the Document Foundation.
2014
- The French city of Toulouse announced a $ 1 million rescue by migrating thousands of workstations to LibreOffice.
2015
- The Italian Ministry of Defense announces it will install LibreOffice on 150,000 PCs.
- The Italian city of Bari replaces Microsoft Office with LibreOffice on its 1,700 PCs.
- LibreOffice is officially available to all UK Government agencies across the country. Annual cost savings on subscriptions to 6,500 users compared to MS Office are around 900,000 GBP.
- In July 2015, the IT project manager working for the Nantes administration (French sixth largest city) talked about the turnover of 5,000 ongoing workstations to LibreOffice beginning in 2013. According to IT project manager, the switch to LibreOffice allowed administration to save EUR1.7 million.
- Since 2015, LibreOffice is installed on nearly all 500,000 workstations from 11 members of the French ministry of the MIMO working group. The MIMO working group is the first public administration to join the advisory board at the Document Foundation.
2016
- The Taiwan region in Yilan will not buy Microsoft Office licenses anymore and switch to ODF and LibreOffice.
- The Vietnamese Post and Telecommunication Group diverts all of its PCs (more than 15,000) to LibreOffice.
- The Lithuanian police switched to LibreOffice at over 8,000 workstations, citing cost savings of EUR1 million.
2017
- The majority (75%) municipalities in the Walloon region of Belgium use open source software and services that include LibreOffice. In March 2017, more than 20,000 public administration staff and many more citizens used the service.
- The Spanish autonomous region of Galicia announced plans to complete its switch to LibreOffice in some central government and ministry services, making LibreOffice the only office productivity suite on 6,000 workstations.
- The city of Rome, Italy, began installing LibreOffice on all of its 14,000 PC workstations, parallel to existing office-owned offices. This is one of the planned steps to improve the use of free and open source software in the city, aimed at reducing locking to IT vendors.
Conference
Beginning in 2011, The Document Foundation has hosted the annual LibreOffice Conference, as follows:
- 2011Ã, - Paris, FranceÃ, - October 12-15
- 2012Ã, - Berlin, Germany - October 17-19
- 2013Ã, - Milano, ItalyÃ, - September 24-27
- 2014Ã, - Bern, SwitzerlandÃ, - September 3-5
- 2015Ã, - Aarhus, DenmarkÃ, - 23-25 ​​â € <â €
- 2016Ã, - Brno, Czech Republic - September 7-9
- 2017Ã, - Rome, Italy - October 11-13
- 2018Ã, - Tirana, AlbaniaÃ, - September 26-28
Derivatives
- Collabora provides LibreOffice-branded and customized LibreOffice Vanilla for Mac, GovOffice, Collabora Office, Collabora Online Development Edition (CODE) and Collabora Online.
- EuroOffice is a derivative of LibreOffice with a free and non-free extension developed by Hungarian-based MultiRacio Ltd.
- "LibreOffice powered by CIB" is a branded and customized version of LibreOffice developed by CIB software based in Germany GmbH.
- The NeoOffice version 2017 and later is based on LibreOffice. Previous versions include stability improvements from LibreOffice.
- OxOffice is a derivative of LibreOffice (originally a derivative of OpenOffice.org) with enhanced support for Mandarin.
References
External links
- Official website
- LibreOffice in Curlie (based on DMOZ)
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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