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OpenOffice.org changes to LibreOffice

The Openoffice.org community announced September 28, 2010. "From now on, the OpenOffice.org community will be known as The Document Foundation." The community of volunteers developing and promoting OpenOffice.org is setting up an independent Foundation to continue the development of OpenOffice.org, the leading free office software, announce a major change in the project’s structure.

The new free office software will be named LibreOffice. The LibreOffice suit will contain the core code of OpenOffice.org minus 3rd party add-ons that might have been copyrighted in some form. Making LibreOffice truly free.

After ten years’ successful growth with Sun Microsystems the project launches an independent foundation called "The Document Foundation." The Foundation is creating an environment where community minded individuals and like minded organizations can contribute to a truly free office suite.

Oracle has acquired OpenOffice.org as part of its acquisition of Sun Microsystems. The community has invited Oracle to become a member of the new Foundation and to donate the OpenOffice.org brand. Pending this decision, the office suite has been named LibreOffice.

The Document Foundation is a collective effort by leading independent members of the OpenOffice.org community. It will be led by a Steering Committee of chosen developers and project managers. The announcement stated, "The Foundation aims to lower the barrier of adoption for both users and developers, to make LibreOffice the most accessible office suite ever."

The announcement includes a special invitation to prospective community members. "Developers are invited to join the project and contribute to the code in the new friendly and open environment, to shape the future of office productivity suites alongside contributors who translate, test, document, support, and promote the software."

LibreOffice is available in beta version at http://www.libreoffice.org. Warning: LibreOffice beta will over-write OpenOffice.org if it is installed on your PC.

Chris DiBona, Open Source Programs Manager at Google, Inc., has commented: "The creation of The Document Foundation is a great step forward in encouraging further development of open source office suites. Having a level playing field for all contributors is fundamental in creating a broad and active community around an open source software project. Google is proud to be a supporter of The Document Foundation and participate in the project".

Being a little confused about the origin and the intentions of The Document Foundation, I found the following explanation. "The Document Foundation is an independent self-governing democratic Foundation created by leading members of the OpenOffice.org Community. It continues to build on the Foundation of ten years' dedicated work by the OpenOffice.org community, and was created in the belief that an independent Foundation is the best fit to the Community's core values of openness, transparency, and valuing people for their contribution. It is open to any individual who agrees with our core values and contributes to our activities, and welcomes corporate participation, e.g. by sponsoring individuals to work as equals alongside other contributors in the community."

Additional information, including the mission, are available on the web site of The Document Foundation: http://www.documentfoundation.org

By petec - 10/02/2010