Tinker ☀️13h ago

Heavy drama in the open-source world of...

...Office Document Software.

Nextcloud, originally a fork of ownCloud, has launched Euro-Office, a fork of OnlyOffice (pissing off OnlyOffice). Collabora is weighing in and issuing comments against both OnlyOffice and Euro-Office while, itself, forking Collabora Office Desktop from the Document Foundation's LibreOffice. Document Foundation has now resumed LibreOffice Online which competes against Euro-Office and OnlyOffice.

(I think I've got all that right 😅 Correct me if I haven't! 😂)

❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥 I unironically love this!!!! ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

Document software may appear boring on its face, but Microsoft Office is a big reason why folks still stay with Microsoft OS and don't (can't...) move to Linux. MS Office 365 is often used as a bridge to allow folks to move to Linux while still using Microsoft products in the browser but that solution still keeps them tied to closed source solutions.

Development of Free and Open Sourced Software (FOSS) office products, both desktop apps and online web apps, is a core and key element to allowing FOSS solutions to thrive - both for individuals and organizations.

This level of drama and fighting is indicative of a lot of effort and attention being thrown into this arena. I'm confident over time it'll settle and different projects will merge back together or at the very least borrow and build upon each's efforts.

Read and get your fill of the drama here: https://www.theregister.com/2026/04/02/eurooffice_forks_onlyoffice/

#FOSS #digitalSovereignty #installParty #Linux #diDay

Forking frenzy ensues after Euro-Office launch sparks OnlyOffice backlash

: Meanwhile, Collabora splits from LibreOffice Online amid claims TDF ejected 'all Collabora staff and partners'

The Register
Show threadrickf12h ago

@tinker @Gina

The last paragraph of the article is worth thinking about - if there’s potential big government money available to support/endorse a sovereign EU office package, you can bet organizations are going to be falling all over themselves to try and get their share of the market.

Show threadGina

@rickf @tinker correct. There are basically 3 alternatives to MS Office in the #opensource market atm:

1. Nextcloud based: think OpenDesk, Euro-Office, the Good Cloud, office.eu, IONOS and many others. Choice of Collabora or OnlyOffice. Some with Nextcloud Talk, others like Opendesk with OpenTalk.
2. LaSuite based: the French gov suite, via Mosa.cloud, lasuite.coop, Linagora and Openburo.eu as a collective. Self built, very lean apps.
3. Alternative offering: like Proton with their own suite.

12:00pmWeb
Show threadtautology11h ago

@Gina @rickf @tinker I'm intruiged why you went to Proton instead of LibreOffice for alternative offering?

Or did you just mean in-web-browser office alternatives?

Show threadGina11h ago

@tautology @rickf @tinker i meant anything that offers a browser based office suite, aka files + text editor + videocalling or chat solution, email as bonus.

I'm sure there are many more than the ones I mentioned.

Show threadGina11h ago
@tautology @rickf @tinker I will say, it's getting super annoying to be approached weekly by companies that sell "THE sovereign office suite, fully EU, for only €€€ per year, etc" and it's literally just Nextcloud and Collabora.
Show threadrickf10h ago

@Gina @tautology @tinker

Indeed. As I said, and at the risk of being overly-cynical, it's all about the money. But deAmericanizing one's tech stack is a sound plan, regardless. #resiliency #autonomy #privacy

Show threadGina10h ago
@rickf @tautology @tinker true, and don't get me wrong, we love Nextcloud <3. What I'm less impressed by is businesses selling NC as their own amazing invention.
Show threadrickf10h ago

@Gina @tautology @tinker

No kidding. They just hope there aren't any competent geeks present who can peel the curtain back when they come in to hawk their wares to managers and contracting officers.

Early in my career I remember being in a product pitch meeting - my directors were excited and ready to sign until I asked the vendor why we should buy their expensive products when we could use 2 free 'hacker' tools that did the same thing. (They blathered ...but we didn't buy it)

Show threadCliff'sEsportCorner4h ago
@Gina @tautology @rickf @tinker With FOSS it often seems if you look away for a bit they will have doubled when you look back again ^^