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LinuxPlanet: This week's Linux Top 3, once again has a strong desktop component
IT World: 469 days. That's the number of days since there's been a major release of OpenOffice.org. Today, that calendar can get set back to zero.
An anonymous reader sends word that Apache OpenOffice 3.4 has been released (download). This is the first release since OpenOffice became a project at the Apache Software Foundation. The release notes list all of the improvements, the highlights of which The H has summarized: "According to its developers, Apache OpenOffice (AOO) 3.4.0, the first update since OpenOffice.org 3.3.0 from January 2011, now starts up faster than its predecessor and introduces a number of new features such as support for documents secured using AES256 encryption. The Linear Programming solver in the Calc spreadsheet program has been replaced with the CoinMP C-API library from the Computational Infrastructure for Operations Research (COIN-OR) project. As in LibreOffice 3.4.0, the DataPilot functionality has been renamed to Pivot Table, and now supports an unlimited number of fields. A new 'Quote all text cells' CSV (Comma Separated Values) export option has been also added to Calc. Other changes include improved ODF 1.2 encryption and Unix Printing support and various enhancements to the Impress presentation and Draw sketching programs." Read more of this story at Slashdot.
InternetNews: From the 'Too Little, Too Late' files:
InternetNews: From the 'Does Sourceforge Matter Anymore?' files:
Michael Meeks: As the date of the Apache OpenOffice release approaches, and the final release candidate wends its way through a couple of rounds of approval / voting, I thought it might help clarify the current situation to have a side-by-side summary of what is in each suite
Linux User & Developer: "Significantly, the pledge to release the code of Lotus Symphony to the Apache Software Foundation, made last July, is yet to be realised, perhaps because of a combination of ongoing code development and relicensing issues."
IT World: "IBM is indeed dropping production of its Lotus Symphony office suite, ending a five-year run on the Microsoft Office alternative."
InternetNews: From the 'Goodbye Lotus Symphapache open officeony' files:
Developer World: "In its new role as steward of the OpenOffice.org open source office suite, the Apache Software Foundation expects to offer an Apache-branded version of the package for developers in 2012."
Thinkcloud writes "In an open letter, the Apache Software Foundation has made its plans for OpenOffice clear, including an Apache-branded OpenOffice suite targeted at developers coming next year." From The H: "The ASF says it does not want to force any vision on the ODF community noting that 'it is impossible to agree upon a single vision for all participants, Apache OpenOffice does not seek to define a single vision, nor does it seek to be the only player' in the large ODF ecosystem. Instead, it wishes to offer a neutral 'collaboration opportunity' and notes that its permissive licensing and development model are 'widely recognised as one of the best ways to ensure open standards, such as ODF, gain traction and adoption.'" Read more of this story at Slashdot.
IT World: "Thursday's story about the future of OpenOffice.org garnered an interesting response from the Apache Software Foundation."
Linux and Open Source: "Citing its success with other donated projects, the Apache Software Foundation vowed to protect OpenOffice.org and prevent fragmentation."
Apache: OpenOffice.org is now officially part of the Apache family.
The H Open: "...the differences are already so great that it will now be hard to exchange new code between the two projects."
Delimiter: OpenOffice set for adoption down under?
Wazi:With the release of a new version of LibreOffice this month, it's a good time to look at the two major open source office suites, LibreOffice and OpenOffice.org, to see what advantages each offers, and which is a better bet for end users.
Wazi: Do you want to see your name on the front page of a book? It's easier than you might think.
FOSS Force: "Along with that sigh of relief, however, red flags began to fly in the FOSS blogosphere because IBM had a hand in Oracle's decision."
Consortium Info: Poor OpenOffice.
ZDnet: Don't write off OpenOffice for LibreOffice quite yet. IBM is donating all of its IBM Lotus Symphony office suite code to the new Apache OpenOffice.
The H Open: "The Brazilian government has signed a letter of intent to work with both The Document Foundation and the Apache OpenOffice.org community to develop the Office Suite platforms maintained by both communities."
The H Open: "The splits and controversies around LibreOffice and OpenOffice.org have highlighted a number of issues concerning the licensing and corporate governance of open source projects and communities."
IT World: "Rob Weir argued this week that forked communities are not a zero-sum game, and that the success of OpenOffice.org will not mean the death of LibreOffice. He's right and he's wrong."
Simon Says...: "The best thing end-users can do is ignore OpenOffice.org at Apache until the dust settles, and switch to LibreOffice instead."
Off the Beat: Bruce Byfield's Blog: "The tone on the mailing lists and public statements suggest to me that Apache members are generally non-plussed about the donation, as though it is something they are dutifully accepting rather than anything they're excited about."
FSF: "When OpenOffice.org moves to a non-copyleft license, there's a ready replacement for people who want a productivity suite that does more to protect their freedom: LibreOffice."
IT World: "Former Microsoft developer-turned-free-software-advocate Keith Curtis has outlined his thoughts on why it would be a bad idea to make OpenOffice.org an incubator project stewarded by the Apache Software Foundation."
Linux User & Developer : Oracle's donation of the OpenOffice.org to the Apache Software Foundation does no favours for the users or developers of open office suites,