v4 2013: LibreOffice and Apache OpenOffice future, comparison, codebase, merging?
I do care for a SVG import/support thread, a longtime missing feature in OO:
SVG import – Setup and Troubleshooting
As you can see by the current end of the thread I got in contact with Armin @ blogs.apache.org (coder of native SVG OO Import code) and I like to make some reflections/questions here.
I find it sad that coderbase and userbase is splitted between these two projects with many talented active people. And I read some current blog posts about the changes in the upcoming v4 versions, where the two projects (LO/AOO) will be probably separated by “Major changes in the API”, “new graphics stack” (based on GtkBuilder), “changing of licensing”, “Symphony features”/“Task Pane”, “MS O compatibility”, etc.
Irritating is that people usually does strongly support one of the two projects without much hard facts and evidence. My subtle opinion is that in current stable versions for standard users the two suites are still very similar.
I’d like to understand better the problems leaders, goals and licences of one project have versus the other and how and why (talented/innovative) code has to be pushed from one project to the other, with the risk to be not mantained well.
I will follow, test and use both projects from v4 on, because I like to know what suite does best fit my interests (see above).
Please post also URLs to reviews of the situation and possible future. Thank you.
EDIT: Link list
AOO: Jan 07, 2013 – Your top questions answered
AOO 22.1.2013 – IBMs Symphony soll Openoffice deutlich besser machen (v4 planned for Mid 2013)
LO January 24, 2013 – The meaning of the 4.0
LO January 27, 2013 – LibreOffice 4.0: The big changes will be under the hood
AOO January 30, 2013 – Fedora To Look At Reviving Apache OpenOffice
LO ReleaseNotes 4.0
LO ReleasePlan
This blog post by Rob Wier (from AOO) would seem to be relevant to your thread and the above comment in particular.
I generally agree, however this will change over time. The v4.0.x release of LO has seen changes of an extent that even some LO v3.x extensions are no longer compatible. This is simply the nature of software. It happens on every platform.
In very simplistic terms the reason for the initial split was Oracle. Many people in the open source community view Oracle with distrust in the same manner they view Microsoft, or Apple, or Google, and so on. Now that OO is under Apache it has a better chance of survival. Like anyone going through a major change though it takes time for things to settle. Sometimes a project never recovers from the shock. I have no idea if this will be the case with AOO or not.