Releases

users
#1

I just want to double check the language used on the website.

Is the release 5.3.4 a "Stable" release or still in development? I don't see language on the website differentiating the "stable" releases verses the "prerelease" or "release candidate" flavors.

Any place I should have been looking for this answer?

Thanks for everyone's time.

#2

Hi Michael,

It's not clear where on the website you are viewing this information,
maybe in an area intended for those wishing to do QA testing on not yet
released versions, although it is possible (unlikely) that the page may
not have been updated to remove references to previous release
candidates yet.

The production (what you describe as "Stable") versions for various OS
are listed on the downloads page:
https://www.libreoffice.org/download/download/ where it says that 5.3.4
is a stable release. At the bottom of that page there are links to two
pre-release versions, which are still subject to QA review and possible
revision before being offered as production releases.

Hope this helps.

Dave

#3

All releases are "stable".

5.3.4 is the latest "Fresh" release, to be followed with 5.3.5 which is in
pre-release.

5.2.7 is the latest "Still" release, when 5.4.0 is released the 5.2 branch
will be EOL for active project development. 5.4.0 will become the "Fresh"
release and 5.3.5 will become the "Still" release.

Current status is available from the release notes page here:

http://www.libreoffice.org/download/release-notes

The time based release plan provides scheduling:
https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/ReleasePlan

#4

Yes all are "stable", but 5.3.2 - 5.3.4 gives me issues with the

Page dialog box taking 30+ seconds to open. 5.2.7 does not have

that issue. This was on the 64 bit DEB Linux install and seemed to do the same with Win10, but not as long as a delay.

I do not line the "Fresh" and "Still" names.

Also, you have to go almost to the end of the download page to get the "Still" version of 5.2.7. I would like to see the listing in the same green box as the "Fresh" version. Unless you look at the bottom of the page, you would think the "Fresh version" is the only one available for downloading.

So, right after the "need another language" line, it would be good to have the same size format as the "Fresh" listing. It would make more sense to me, and maybe others as well. Didn't it use to be that way? Both version we listed next to each other?

The descriptions for the versions are one-sided.

       "The latest "fresh" version of LibreOffice, recommended for technology enthusiasts."

This is for the Fresh version but I do not see any text like this for the Still version shown at the bottom of the page.

It needs to have this text describing what the "Still" version means. All you have to look at is the following:

"
Available Versions

LibreOffice is available in the following released versions:

     5.3.4
     5.2.7

LibreOffice is available in the following prerelease versions:

     5.4.0
     5.3.5
"
Nowhere does it say what the 5.2.7 version is. There is a text telling you that the next two version are pre-release versions.

CAN this be changed?

#5

krackedpress wrote

...
Nowhere does it say what the 5.2.7 version is.
...

CAN this be changed?

It remains in the release notes as indicated and reads: "The mature "still"
version of LibreOffice, recommended for enterprises. As such, the version is
stable and is suitable for all users. Detailed release notes can be accessed
from the link below."

Believe it will change on both the download page and the release-notes when
5.4.0 is released, and 5.3.5 becomes the Still branch. For now the page is
in transition as the 5.2 branch is officially EOL.

=-ref-=
http://www.libreoffice.org/download/release-notes

#6

Thanks.

Having that "still" description at the link, like it does for the "fresh" download, would be nice.

It would be nice to have the "still" description and link above that of the "fresh" download and description. That way, the "suitable for all users" version is the first choice and the "recommended for technology enthusiasts" listing would be second. To me, that indicates the fact that we feel it is "more important" to keep a version that all users can use - from individuals to enterprises - and not stress the "enthusiasts" version. For me, I feel that the way it is shows LO/TDF is not for businesses since you eye gravitates to the big boxed "tester version" and you could almost overlook the link for the "business version link".

If we really want to promote LibreOffice as a office suite for professionals, we need to have is shown first in the download page - before any other version. Maybe in the drop down menu, on the startup page, could say "Business Version - Still" and then "Technology Enthusiasts version - Fresh". That will easily show the visitors which version is for them.

#7

krackedpress wrote

...

It would be nice to have the "still" description and link above that of
the "fresh" download and description. That way, the "suitable for all
users" version is the first choice and the "recommended for technology
enthusiasts" listing would be second. To me, that indicates the fact
that we feel it is "more important" to keep a version that all users can
use - from individuals to enterprises - and not stress the "enthusiasts"
version. For me, I feel that the way it is shows LO/TDF is not for
businesses since you eye gravitates to the big boxed "tester version"
and you could almost overlook the link for the "business version link".

If we really want to promote LibreOffice as a office suite for
professionals, we need to have is shown first in the download page -
before any other version. Maybe in the drop down menu, on the startup
page, could say "Business Version - Still" and then "Technology
Enthusiasts version - Fresh". That will easily show the visitors which
version is for them.

That is a topic for the marketing folks, but I am comfortable saying no one
on the ESC sees it that way.

For project health we need more users on the Fresh, or even the master
branch. BZ is clogged with newly spun issues against branches already EOL,
majority of them already fixed and stock QA triage response is going to be
test with a current build. Project development simply moves on.

Rather we don't get to stable status for builds without testing--testing
requires use of the latest branch with patches pushed back as uncovered and
where feasible. For example OpenGL support, and HarfBuzz with DirectWrite
based font rendering on Windows is really only just becoming stable at the
5.4.0 release--the 5.3 branch remains wonky depending on GPU/driver
combinations.

Issues would likely have been uncovered sooner if more folks had made the
effort to test against master in addition to Fresh builds. Installation in
parallel is trivial, so for folks invested in the project it is a low
threshold to contribute.

#8

krackedpress wrote

...

It would be nice to have the "still" description and link above that of
the "fresh" download and description. That way, the "suitable for all
users" version is the first choice and the "recommended for technology
enthusiasts" listing would be second. To me, that indicates the fact
that we feel it is "more important" to keep a version that all users can
use - from individuals to enterprises - and not stress the "enthusiasts"
version. For me, I feel that the way it is shows LO/TDF is not for
businesses since you eye gravitates to the big boxed "tester version"
and you could almost overlook the link for the "business version link".

If we really want to promote LibreOffice as a office suite for
professionals, we need to have is shown first in the download page -
before any other version. Maybe in the drop down menu, on the startup
page, could say "Business Version - Still" and then "Technology
Enthusiasts version - Fresh". That will easily show the visitors which
version is for them.

That is a topic for the marketing folks, but I am comfortable saying no one
on the ESC sees it that way.

Yes, I do not see that, mostly, but I had a person using the latest and older versions of MS Office [bought older one around 2013] and he looked at the download page and saw the current page. He is a person who uses tablets for home and business [in large office, and a home office].

He did not like the fact he had to use an "very small" and "undefined" link to download the software for his home [family and home office] laptop and old family desktop.

He thought LO was "not professional enough" to use. No matter how I vouch for LO, he was turned off by the download page.

He had to buy 3 MS Office CD/DVDs to get all three systems that he and his family uses.

With the current Format>Page dialog pop-up delay, I will not promote the 5.3.x versions when it becomes the "still" version. The current 5.3.x still has that issue for my 4 computers [Ubuntu Linux and Windows 10]. I was told it was a know "bug". I has to go back to the latest 5.2.7 version for both OSs. Hopefully it will be fixed soon.

For project health we need more users on the Fresh, or even the master
branch. BZ is clogged with newly spun issues against branches already EOL,
majority of them already fixed and stock QA triage response is going to be
test with a current build. Project development simply moves on.

"Master Branch"?
This is the first time I heard of a master branch. I know of "still", "fresh", and "developer's" versions, but not "master".

Yes, we need "fresh" users, but when it does not work property for the user then the fresh version needs to be removed. I could not do my work with the last two 5.3.x fresh versions, due to the long delay for the formatting page options. So I went back to 5.2.7.

Hopefully 5.3.6 or 5.3.7 will be working properly when 5.4.x line becomes the fresh one.

Rather we don't get to stable status for builds without testing--testing
requires use of the latest branch with patches pushed back as uncovered and
where feasible. For example OpenGL support, and HarfBuzz with DirectWrite
based font rendering on Windows is really only just becoming stable at the
5.4.0 release--the 5.3 branch remains wonky depending on GPU/driver
combinations.

I do not know much about the underline GPU/driver combination issues. I just know what works and not works with Ubuntu 64-bit and Windows 10 64-bit packages. I no longer have any working 32-bit systems.

Issues would likely have been uncovered sooner if more folks had made the
effort to test against master in addition to Fresh builds. Installation in
parallel is trivial, so for folks invested in the project it is a low
threshold to contribute.

I switched to 5.3.x when it went beyond 5.3.2. I just tend not to install .0 through .2 versions.

#9

krackedpress wrote

"Master Branch"?
This is the first time I heard of a master branch. I know of "still",
"fresh", and "developer's" versions, but not "master".

Master is the current development git code base at each branch corresponding
to a release cycle the source tree is split/replicated.

<http://nabble.documentfoundation.org/file/n4219199/LO_branches.png>

Project uses tinderbox for test builds, this is list of current TBs building
master.

<http://nabble.documentfoundation.org/file/n4219199/LO_master_tinderboxes.png>

#10

hi stuart.
thanks so much for your great informations that you provided for me.
may i be in contact with you directly?
libreoffice 5/3.4 has many bug fixes related to my books, but
libreoffice 5.3 has a very big issue in accessibility for me which i
did not have in 5.2 and previous versions.
could you please see bug 108582 which i reported?
i tried my best to explane, but i did not recieve reply from developers?
https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/show_bug.cgi?id=108582

but my biggest issues using libreoffice is not supporting diacritics
as general letters and also not supporting sayAll command for screen
reader users.