LibreOffice - patches

users
#1

I'm about to get a new laptop as my current one is not in compliance with the new General Data Protection Regulations (it's just over 10years old with Windows 7 so no longer supported by Microsoft regarding patches).

It has been suggested I use LibreOffice rather than Microsoft Word, Excel etc.

I've read a few articles on Libre, but what I would like to know is - you say Libre is an 'open
Source software', and input/ patches is by anyone, that's the way I've digested it. So my concern is, do you actually mean 'anyone' or are the patches development by your own team of software developers? You can obviously see where I'm going with this.

I also noticed the software package name has changed over a relatively short period of time. Is it just in name or do folk have to keep down loading new packages?

Would appreciate your comments as soon as you can please.

Kind regards
Liz D'arville

#2

do you actually mean 'anyone' or are the patches development by your own team of software developers?

Anybody can submit patches. However, not all patches are accepted.

I also noticed the software package name has changed over a relatively short period of time.

That is because LibO practices release early, and release often:
* Every six months, a minor number release is made;
* Every six weeks, a point release is made;
* Roughly every fortnight, a release candidate/beta version is made
available;
* Every week, a weekly build is made available. This is for the brave;
* Every night, a nightly build is attempted. This is for those who live
on the wild side, doing dangerous things;

Two stable versions of LibO are available:
* Still, which is the more stable, and bug free version;
* Fresh, which has all the new bells and whistles, with their associated
bugs;

Is it just in name or do folk have to keep down loading new packages?

Whilst the point releases are usually bug fixes, they do occasionally
include additional functionality, and capabilities.

The most stable option, is to install the Still release, every six months.

jonathon

#3

Liz,

I'm about to get a new laptop as my current one is not in compliance with
the new General Data Protection Regulations (it's just over 10years old
with Windows 7 so no longer supported by Microsoft regarding patches).

It has been suggested I use LibreOffice rather than Microsoft Word, Excel
etc.

I've read a few articles on Libre, but what I would like to know is - you
say Libre is an 'open
Source software', and input/ patches is by anyone, that's the way I've
digested it. So my concern is, do you actually mean 'anyone' or are the
patches development by your own team of software developers? You can
obviously see where I'm going with this.

I also noticed the software package name has changed over a relatively
short period of time. Is it just in name or do folk have to keep down
loading new packages?

Would appreciate your comments as soon as you can please.

A (good) open source project is managed the same way as a good proprietary
software. In the sense that when new code is written, it gets reviews
according to predefined project governance, and then accepted or rejected.
That's the difference (in the open source world) between the contributors
(people who write code, patches, or even documentations, or participate in
driving community activities...) and the committers, who are the people who
can accept new contributions into the code base.

So when somebody writes a patch for a bug (you can, too, if you want, and
have the skills) and contributes it, it gets fully reviewed and (possibly)
approved and committed.

This happens for patches correcting issues, as well as all new code
bringing new functionality. This ensures that the project also keeps on
track with what the project strategy team is looking for.

Does it mean that no bugs get missed? No, of course. But that's the same as
for any software project. What it means is that there is the same type of
quality control mechanisms as for proprietary projects... but many many
more eyes looking at the code for bugs. So in average (COVERITY 2014
report) open source code tends to actually be higher quality than
proprietary with a density of 0.61 bugs per thousand lines of code for open
source versus 0.76 for proprietary (page 6 of the report available here :
http://go.coverity.com/rs/157-LQW-289/images/2014-Coverity-Scan-Report.pdf).

Note that in the paragraphs above, I didn't mention what project this
applies to. It's because it applies to ALL software projects (open source
or not, LibreOffice or others). :slight_smile:

Enjoy the great software LibreOffice from The Documentation Foundation !

Gilles

#4

hello.
yes, the libreoffice is one of the opensource programs which anyone
can submit patches and new codes.
i have problem of supporting diacritics for arabic and persian,
developers told me if you know someone who can help you for resolving
your issue, tell to join us and fix the issue.

#5

And, you don't even have to do that. I'm still using LibreOffice 5.1.6
on my computer, and it works fine. I'll upgrade when I need some
functionality or bug fix that isn't in 5.1.6. When that day comes, I'll
follow Jonathon's advice and use the most stable Still release.

Virgil

#6

And, you don't even have to do that. I'm still using LibreOffice 5.1.6
on my computer, and it works fine. I'll upgrade when I need some
functionality or bug fix that isn't in 5.1.6. When that day comes, I'll
follow Jonathon's advice and use the most stable Still release.

Virgil

#7

hello.
yes, the libreoffice is one of the opensource programs which anyone
can submit patches and new codes.
i have problem of supporting diacritics for arabic and persian,
developers told me if you know someone who can help you for resolving
your issue, tell to join us and fix the issue.

#8

A great and useful summary - thanks.

Philip

#9

My comment is to keep your laptop and install linux on it... :slight_smile:

#10

Hi Lizzy:

I use GNU / Linux and happy with it...but if you want to keep windows there is a possible to install both operative system together in your laptop. It would be used Dual Boot process with an .iso file of Ubuntu for example.

Regards,

Jorge Rodríguez

#11

Eh? Not sure where you got that information, but Windows 7 isn't end of
life until January 20th 2020, so you still get security updates until
then (another 1.75 years).

#12

Hi :slight_smile:
I'm pretty sure "mainstream support" ended a few years ago. Quite what
that means seems very unclear.
Regards from
a Tom :slight_smile:

#13

It isn't that hard.

Full support means you can actually open support cases with MS and get
features and other regular issues fixed.

I challenge anyone to provide proof that they have ever been able to get
ANYTHING meaningful from this kind of support, MAYBE unless they are a
large multinational corporation or government customer.

Long term support means just critical/security updates.

#14

I'm pretty sure "mainstream support" ended a few years ago. Quite

what that means seems very unclear.

It isn't that hard.

If what I was told was true, in 2010, Microsoft was still providing Tier
3 support to a customer that used MS Dos 5.0, and a different customer
that used Win95. (I suspect that in both cases, the support was a
license fee for source code, and the paying customer did the bug fixes,
etc. themselves.)

As such, the precise meaning can change, depending upon circumstances.

MAYBE unless they are a large multinational corporation or government

customer.

a) If you hadn't put the qualifier "government" in, I could have pointed
you at one organization that has that. However, I suspect that Microsoft
provides that support, more because to not do so will result in an
unwinnable lawsuit, than because they want to.

b) Microsoft has several tiers of support. In theory, individuals,
SOHOs, and SMBs can purchase support for any tier. However, simple
economics restricts Tier 3 to big governments and bigger corporations.
This is the level at which bug fixes, etc. are dealt with ASAP.

Long term support means just critical/security updates.

The big issue with "long term support", is how "long term" is defined.
Personally, I wouldn't call 18 months "long term", but marketing people
apparently think so.

jonathon

#15

I really hate software packages that uses their own file format, change to a different format and not support the earlier one. I have had people ask me to open a document in that old format and find it is no longer supported.

I have many old files that are in old and unsupported formats. If just forgot I had them stored and never "converted" them to the newer format[s].

I wonder when MS will stop supporting .doc files? I prefer to get these from MS Office users, when I need to do some editing on it. I have not owned a version of MS Office beyond 2003. I do not have it installed on ANY of my Windows systems. I use LibreOffice now for my office needs - not MS.

#16

Hi :slight_smile:
I heard that just one part of the British Government (the local councils?)
'had to' pay M$ 6 million to be able to keep using Xp for just 1 more
year!! Presumably they are continuing to pay that annually because the cost
of upgrading, and then continuing to run all their legacy programs.
Apparently one part of the Dutch Government is doing something similar.

Ironically if they moved to any Gnu&Linux or even Mac it is highly likely
that their legacy apps would work for free(ish) through "WINE". For a
relatively small amount CodeWeavers would give a greater level of certainty
with that or/and employ some permanent devs "in house" to focus on whatever
issues crop up with them - but that might involve increasing their local
workforce which is politically complicated (especially if their work was
then fed back into the OpenSource project.

Most of us don't have 6 million in chump-change to throw away on projects
shrouded in secrecy that have no foreseeable end-date - let alone one that
has minimal investment in our countries future and for a product that is
certain to be dropped at random over some profit-driven or political whim
of a foreign organisation!

Regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

#17

Greetings,

In regards to FOS (Free and Open Source) Wine. (I have no experience with the proprietary and $$$ CodeWeavers version.) About 14 years ago I tried to get Wine running on my Linux computer to support M$ Access and the many hours of time I invested getting my databases usable on Access. I failed. At that time, the Wine developers seemed to be focusing on windows-based games, not the M$ office programs. I could not get Access to run under that version of Wine. I ended up converting my Access databases to MySQL and have not looked back at wine or any M$ programs since. Admittedly, in the 14 intervening years, the Wine developers may have changed their focus from gaming and it could now support the M$ office programs. This is just a suggestion to beware and check it out to see if it works first before jumping to Wine and "burning your bridges".

Girvin Herr

#18

Theoretically true. But the learning curve for someone who's never done it before is tremendously steep.

I had a simple one-word patch to submit recently. I simply didn't have the time or energy to jump through the necessary hoops. It didn't get done: and I'm not exactly a computer novice!

I do believe a fast-track, *simple* change suggestion alternative might be advantageous.

#19

Theoretically true. But the learning curve for someone who's never done
it before is tremendously steep.

That is probably an understatement.

I do believe a fast-track, *simple* change suggestion alternative might
be advantageous.

+1

jonathon