Euro-Office, Europe's open-source alternative to Microsoft Office and Google Docs, launches June 9
https://www.zdnet.com/article/euro-office-a-sovereign-cloud-based-office-suite-google-microsoft-alternative/
773 points · 124 comments · view on lemmy.world
124 Comments
ataraxya@lemmy.ml · 194 pts · 83d
if only there was a good, actively developed and highly regarded free and open source alternative whose name would be something like "LibreOffice"...
partial_accumen@lemmy.world · 202 pts · 83d
I like and use Libreoffice, but its a local application. This makes it fine for working by yourself and on your own hardware. Google Docs (Gstuite) is an online application with the best collaboration integration I've seen and works on nearly any device you can open a modern browser on. Yes, both products have a word processor and a spreadsheet, but they don't serve all the same use cases.
If this new Euro-office can replicate the Gsuite offerings (that Libreoffice lacks), then Euro-office could be a great addition to the open source community.
ataraxya@lemmy.ml · 67 pts · 83d
right, thank you for pointing it out.
pulsewidth@lemmy.world · 52 pts · 83d
Nah this new Euro-Office is literally a OnlyOffice fork according to their GitHub. It's much closer in comparison to LibreOffice than Google docs.
They have worked with NextCloud to make Euro-Office an app/add-on (I forget what NextCloud calls them specifically) from this release (v1.0), so that they can integrate with a platform that already.. Has this feature (with Collabora office), but hey.. The more the merrier.
chirospasm@lemmy.ml · 26 pts · 83d
Although straightforward, I appreciate they didn't reinvent the wheel here -- Nextcloud plus OnlyOffice is a solid combo to replace the MS365- and Gsuite-like product lines.
siftmama@lemmy.world · 18 pts · 83d
OnlyOffice is both. They have a fantastic web version that integrates well into NextCloud already. And they have a mobile version too. Assuming all of those get forked with it, we can certainly expect a Gsuite alternative.
pulsewidth@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 83d
Oh right, I didn't know they had a web version I only saw the local edition. Glad to be corrected.
grte@lemmy.ca · 33 pts · 83d
I remember seeing a post earlier this year about libreoffice doing a web based version.
Yeah, here it is.
partial_accumen@lemmy.world · 25 pts · 83d
You're proving my point. They just started working on it 3 months ago. It will be a long time, if ever, before it is a Gsuite replacement. They even said they tried this a few years ago and abandoned it. There's a risk they'd do it again.
So if there's another open source effort specifically focused on an online product, its a good thing.
timochka@lemmy.zip · 8 pts · 83d
LibreOffice still hasn't managed to sort out making the UI scalable on Wayland, so you're stuck with either needing a magnifying glass to see the icons or you have to stand in the next room over and nothing in between. Given how many years they've had to work on that, I feel like the odds of them developing a working web UI in my lifetime are pretty slim.
roofuskit@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 83d
Yeah, people are going to only office because libre office hasn't sorted out a lot of issues.
EisFrei@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 83d
Have you tried https://cryptpad.fr/ ?
BakedCatboy@lemmy.ml · 3 pts · 83d
Is cryptpad able to open existing docx files? Last time I checked I couldn't figure out how to do it. I mostly need to edit word documents that people send me, and send them back the same format.
EisFrei@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 83d
It can import most file types supported by only office
BakedCatboy@lemmy.ml · 1 pts · 83d
Where is that option? I'm only getting the option to create a new document for some reason, and to export documents created on cryptpad to docx. I assumed it was because they only figured out the conversion one way but maybe I'm just missing the button?
EisFrei@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 82d
You need to create an account for uploads. Then you click on files -> upload
arcine@jlai.lu · 6 pts · 83d
An office suite for collaborating ? Great idea ! I brt they would call it something like "Collabora Office" !
partial_accumen@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 83d
It takes more than a name to deliver the result. MS Office365 also claims to be great for collaboration, and its a trainwreck to try to use it in that way.
ayyy@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 83d
No I think we should call it
GoogleApache Wave. That would be a super intuitive name right??ripcord@lemmy.world · 24 pts · 83d
LibreOffice feels like a java app with 40 years of baggage and tech debt going back to Sun Microsystems
echodot@feddit.uk · 8 pts · 83d
It feels like when I was trying to use GIMP. In theory there might be a good product in there somewhere, but it's not worth it to wade through the terrible UX decisions in order to find out.
Akasazh@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 82d
Afaik there's a port that makes the ui more like Photoshop, I forget the name, maybe another lemming can fill it in.
BlindPenguin@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 82d
There were several attempts for that. The most recent one is PhotoGIMP, which is actually a patch and not a port. Before that, there used to be Gimpshop, but the dude behind it got fucked over by someone who bought a dotcom domain with that name and served ad and spyware. Though, ever since the major gui rework several years ago, i don't see much of a point. It is a different software, no matter how much you try to cover it up, the functionality and workflow will always be different. And most other commercial software don't constantly try to copy some other software either.
echodot@feddit.uk · 2 pts · 82d
It can look like however it wants, I just wish that it looked decent rather than looking like something that a rather untalented junior dev would come up with.
pennomi@lemmy.world · 23 pts · 83d
iglou@programming.dev · 16 pts · 83d
OnlyOffice has a decent product owned by a pretty shitty business, so I am glad to see another alternative based on their product.
wltr@discuss.tchncs.de · 6 pts · 83d
Isn’t Only Office European too? My memory tells me it’s from Estonia. It’s Europe!
C4pt41n_Pr0xy@lemmy.world · 19 pts · 83d
No it's not. The main company is Russian and they try way too hard to hide the fact that they are from Russia. They constantly creating new sub companies in Estonia, Cypher, UK and some more and transfer the HQ there while main Company is still in Russia along with CEO that owns it.
wltr@discuss.tchncs.de · 5 pts · 83d
Oh, that’s sad. Thanks for informing me (and others) on that part! Considering the war in Ukraine (where I live now), there’s a no way, I’m going to use it then. In this case, I agree. Having a European solution is better than using Russian or even USian.
Natanael@slrpnk.net · 17 pts · 83d
And a bit dumb
https://www.webpronews.com/fsf-slaps-down-onlyoffices-agpl-gambit-fork-freedom-hangs-in-the-balance/
They tried to abuse their trademark to control forks
hexagonwin@lemmy.today · 7 pts · 83d
this seems stupid. maybe this fork could be worth using
hexagonwin@lemmy.today · 6 pts · 83d
it seems to be latvia according to wikipedia
Leafimo@feddit.org · 17 pts · 83d
With quite some controversy of ties to Russia
SaharaMaleikuhm@feddit.org · 9 pts · 83d
Yeah, fuck them. That shit does not make it onto my system.
wltr@discuss.tchncs.de · 1 pts · 83d
Ah, my apologies to the people of both countries. It seems I remember them being Baltic States. Well, Latvia is even closer to Central Europe!
IrateAnteater@sh.itjust.works · 19 pts · 83d
Looks like this is going to be a browser based suite with online collaboration, more like Google docs than Microsoft office.
Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 83d
Would only be interested if there's a local version as well that can turn syncing on or off. A purely web based office suite is unappealing.
IrateAnteater@sh.itjust.works · 4 pts · 83d
Office suites like this are usually more aimed at corporate customers anyway.
Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 83d
Yeah but they are people too. I don't wish this upon them.
placebo@lemmy.zip · 3 pts · 82d
lambisio@feddit.cl · 2 pts · 83d
OpenOffice?
hamsterkill@lemmy.sdf.org · 4 pts · 83d
OpenOffice has been more or less dead for a decade. LibreOffice was its successor.
lambisio@feddit.cl · 1 pts · 83d
Yeah I was going for the "if only there was something like LibreOffice" joke.
Fmstrat@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 83d
Uhh, you realize it's just OnlyOffice, right? Another actively developed, free and open source (but web-first, vs desktop first) software?
T4V0@lemmy.pt · 13 pts · 83d
While they claim to be open source, OnlyOffice uses their trademark to block forks and derivative work. Which is why this Euro Office was created, along with more control over mobile apps, since that part has issues as well.
Fmstrat@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 83d
Yes, which makes this choice even better since these will be open maintainers under a new name. Looking forward to it.
mcv@lemmy.zip · 4 pts · 83d
Why are there so many different open source office suites? Wouldn't it be more effective if they joined forces? Or do they have incompatible visions?
ayyy@sh.itjust.works · 5 pts · 83d
Because before cloud vendor subscription lock-in was considered socially acceptable, there were a lot of big tech companies that wanted to be seen being “open source” in name to court customers while locking you in by other means. “Open”Office is the quintessential example, but it is by no means a unique situation in the “Open” source world.
It happens often enough that there are some people who get very upset with you for not knowing the difference between “Open Source”, “open source”, and “source available”.
Fmstrat@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 83d
The later, most likely. LibreOffice is a desktop native app, while OnlyOffice is a web-first app.
swagmoney@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 83d
literally french name
echodot@feddit.uk · 0 pts · 83d
Libraoffice isn't good though, if it was people would already use it.
Kazumara@discuss.tchncs.de · 1 pts · 82d
We do...
echodot@feddit.uk · 0 pts · 82d
Who does? I don't know of any major company that uses LibreOffice
Kazumara@discuss.tchncs.de · 1 pts · 82d
Moving the goalpost much?
echodot@feddit.uk · 1 pts · 81d
I thought the goalposts were always corporations in Europe? Who have you been thinking of this whole time?
greybeard@feddit.online · 81 pts · 83d
If governments across the world gave a quarter of what they give to Microsoft to open source projects that compete, not only would they get to stop paying Microsoft all that money, they'd have a better product to boot. Add to that the side benefit to people and companies using it, and it's pretty obvious why Microsoft will do everything in its power (except make a better product for a better price) to prevent that.
NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world · 17 pts · 83d
I can't wait for all the Office EU <--> MS365 tools Microsoft make that always make the Office EU software look bad on purpose
hexagonwin@lemmy.today · 39 pts · 83d
i remember hearing this is just a rebrand of onlyoffice, is there something interesting about it (from a technical pov)?
SatyrSack@quokk.au · 66 pts · 83d
https://github.com/Euro-Office
grue@lemmy.world · 18 pts · 83d
Ah, good riddance to OnlyOffice, then!
MadMadBunny@lemmy.ca · 9 pts · 83d
Looks clean and consistent at first glance, which is a huge plus.
pleksi@sopuli.xyz · 33 pts · 83d
I’m using nextcloud+onlyoffice as office 365 replacement so this is simply excellent news! Glad i can get rid of onlyoffice the company.
Yerbouti@sh.itjust.works · 4 pts · 83d
What's wrong with Only office? I like it way more than Collabora.
mholiv@lemmy.world · 44 pts · 83d
They’re trying to exploit what they consider a loophole in the AGPL to stop people from forking the project.
At the same time they refuse to accept any PRs.
FSF has a great write up about it.
https://www.fsf.org/blogs/licensing/agpl-is-not-a-tool-for-taking-freedom-away
ennof@feddit.org · 7 pts · 83d
It's also supposedly a Russian project, which may or may not be relevant to people.
Wispy2891@lemmy.world · 31 pts · 82d
It pisses me off when tech journalists don't bother to double check with a simple web search. Don't even need to actually search, just type in the search bar "apache foundation o" and it autocompletes in "apache foundation OpenOffice"
hakunawazo@lemmy.world · 15 pts · 82d
It could be worse:
Apache Foundation's OnlyFans
Brkdncr@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 82d
My margins can only get so tight.
answersplease77@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 82d
why reinvent the wheel when we have LibreOffice already
rnkn@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 82d
OnlyOffice is a much more polished and mature suite than LibreOffice.
AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 82d
Is it really, or is it just a matter of interface?
Wispy2891@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 82d
It is actually better in rendering Microsoft office files with weird layouts
Also it integrates wonderfully in nextcloud, it's like Google docs (auto save, history, collaborative editing)
AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 82d
I see. Their focus does seem to be on microsoft compatibility, although pushing odf would be more sensible in Europe.
rnkn@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 81d
TIAS
rodneylives@lemmy.world · 30 pts · 83d
Spotted a typo, it refers to "Apache Foundation's OnlyOffice," when that product is OpenOffice (as one can discover by following the link). This is different from the OnlyOffice mentioned earlier in the paragraph.
Croquette@sh.itjust.works · 11 pts · 83d
Isn't OpenOffice deprecated? Or am I mistaken?
ripcord@lemmy.world · 15 pts · 83d
It still exists and gets regular updates, but has been half-dead for 20 years.
I wish OnlyOffice was a little more well-known and community-developed - it's way better at what it does
nibbler@discuss.tchncs.de · 5 pts · 82d
OnlyOffice recently got famous for not understanding FOSS.
Croquette@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 82d
Isn't OnlyOffice Russian? And they were trying to hide that? Am I remembering that wrong?
ripcord@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 82d
Yes
ayyy@sh.itjust.works · 13 pts · 83d
LibreOffice is the fork that’s truly community driven. OpenOffice is open source but controlled by big tech.
Croquette@sh.itjust.works · 4 pts · 82d
Explains why LibreOffice is the default choice then. Thanks
Puddinghelmet@lemmy.world · 27 pts · 82d
https://www.techzine.eu/news/infrastructure/140634/dutch-central-bank-chooses-lidl-for-european-cloud/
https://www.techzine.eu/news/infrastructure/141644/kpn-launches-sovereign-cloud-with-stackit-in-the-netherlands/
One of the biggest telecom provider of the Netherlands KPN has started to work with German company Schwarzdigits to create a fully European Cloud as well and they'll release it today!! Looooooooooooooooooooooooove these initiatives !!!! Letsgo Europe 😍 🇪🇺
kepix@lemmy.world · 22 pts · 83d
"Office EU is a complete cloud-based office suite (like Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace) that is 100% European-owned and runs entirely on European infrastructure."
its datafarming
cardfire@sh.itjust.works · 9 pts · 83d
Can you elaborate?
ayyy@sh.itjust.works · 17 pts · 83d
“Cloud-based” is the issue they’re complaining about. I mean we’re talking about an office suite. Those have been able to run on a potato since the 1980’s. Why the heck does that need to be hosted by a supercomputer that somebody else owns and operates?
vividspecter@aussie.zone · 11 pts · 83d
Collaborative editing and the like isn't really easy to solve with other methods. Maybe a P2P approach could be viable.
T156@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 82d
P2P wouldn't scale very well, though. It would be really complicated once you have more than a small handful of people.
From what I remember, Lemmy had/has a similar problem, where the whole thing would start bogging down past a point, because all the connected instances would need to update each other, instead of a main hub they could query like more centralised networks would.
FG_3479@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 83d
It can be self hosted, so the cloud can be a computer that you own.
echodot@feddit.uk · 6 pts · 83d
Most businesses will be able to set this up on their own as well. This isn't really aimed at the public it's more a business to business viewpoint.
cardfire@sh.itjust.works · 8 pts · 83d
Having degoogled this year, I deeply miss Google sheets and the ability to (a) summon it on any device and (b) share it with shy real-time participants.
I am trying out cryptpad which feels both flabby in terms of complexity and ui, but also in terms of delays and nuisances in processing and learning curve. Like if I were dumped into 'Corel quattro' or 'Lotus 123' for the first time, now.
But I don't want them being able to slurp up my data and then hand it over to an adversarial government, so I am very interested in continuing to shift to European service providers for email, password management, and office documents.
The criticism in the thread isn't about the vendor in specific, but the technology in general? Because I need persuasion (not that it's your job, I just know we are all fumbling towards hopefully "better")
Nindelofocho@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 83d
Well hold on now. Could it be self hosted?
I use google docs when i want a simple document that is accessible and thats useful. I use open office or local programs when i want to drill into the details.
kshade@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 82d
It's for self-hosting.
PlanchettePhantom@lemmy.world · 21 pts · 82d
MithranArkanere@lemmy.world · 16 pts · 82d
Nothing bad in having some variety.
Maybe they'll come up with stuff the other team didn't and both improve that way.
Wataba@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 81d
I'll gladly try any alternatives to a suite that feels 20 years out of date personally.
ozoned@piefed.social · 16 pts · 83d
Looks like it's powered by NextCloud? If so, that's FOSS funding that we all win!
pulsewidth@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 83d
NextCloud is a contributor, I believe the screenshot they're using is to show that Euro-Office can be used as an integration/app in NextCloud as of now.
Euro-Office seems based mostly on OnlyOffice if I'm reading their source page correctly. It's a competor to LibreOffice more than a whole platform.
SatyrSack@quokk.au · 8 pts · 83d
Euro-Office seems to have been directly forked from ONLYOFFICE. With that said, the Nextcloud team are some of the core contributors.
corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca · 12 pts · 83d
SJVn is so hit-and-miss for tech clue, but this resonated.
Canada is a country outside of the US. Can we get on the notion of independence and digital sovereignty yet, or are we still gonna chain our junk flotilla to this Titanic? And when it goes down, will Millhouse still be complaining about how slow we sink?
Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.works · 11 pts · 83d
People inside the US are sick of this too.
M137@lemmy.today · 12 pts · 83d
I'm disappointed it's not "Euroffice".
echodot@feddit.uk · 20 pts · 83d
That only works in English. It's easier not to try and get clever with naming schemes when it needs to cover 12 different languages including one language that's written right to left.
Also from an administration standpoint it's a pain in the arse having a program with a clever name that you have to explain every time somebody tries to search for it in the company portal, and then can't find it. I already have this issue with some software on our domain called Omny instead of Omni.
this_jury_is_hung@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 82d
Beuro works as a pun for English, French and German
echodot@feddit.uk · 1 pts · 82d
Be euro? Because that's what they call it. It's really not worth it.
this_jury_is_hung@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 82d
No, it would be pronounced the same as bureau, but spelled differently.
cardfire@sh.itjust.works · 7 pts · 83d
Orafice. EuroOffice. Eurafice!
InFerNo@lemmy.ml · 8 pts · 82d
You're a fish, Harry
NebulaNomad@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 83d
Oracle?
razen@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 82d
Now when are we getting: As-Office, Aus-Office, Afri-Office, NAmeri-Office, SAmeri-Office and Ant-Office?
BouteilleBrune@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 82d
Ant-Office would be so cool..
ThunderQueen@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 82d
CarpalTunnelButt@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 81d
🥶
goatinspace@feddit.org · 5 pts · 83d
SatyrSack@quokk.au · 3 pts · 83d
This seems to be marketed to businesses and governments, but is it limited to them? Or should anyone be able to set up a public instance?
leftascenter@jlai.lu · 5 pts · 83d
It is a fork of only office, and as for now the aim is to keep it open to all.
r3plic@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 83d
They will have to keep it open for all permanently because OnlyOffice is published under a AGPL v.3 license. Any derivative work needs to have the same license meaning the code needs to stay public. They dont have a choice but I don't think they would close it down every anyway
melsaskca@lemmy.ca · 2 pts · 82d
Congratulations!
oakward@feddit.org · 1 pts · 83d
Does euro office have an Android app?
M33@piefed.world · 1 pts · 83d
Hope they will provide a Mac and Linux build.
sunbeam60@feddit.uk · 4 pts · 83d
It’s online only for now - clients are coming but for now focus is on online.
M33@piefed.world · 2 pts · 83d
Yes, the desktop apps are a separate build, but if they stop at online editing ie for nextcloud, it's a big misunderstanding of what office work stil look like today
sunbeam60@feddit.uk · 2 pts · 83d
Yeah I tend to agree but then I’m surprised how many people think GSuite is just fine!
nexusband@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 82d
The problem I have with this is, that it won't be compatible with Marcors and other stuff - Libre Office does work perfectly well for "normal" Office stuff and even basic excel...but anything beyond that is actually needed more than another "basic" Office software.
MatSeFi@lemmy.liebeleu.de · 3 pts · 82d
In LibreOffice you can code marcos using Python. The actual problem is cross compatibility ( while its possible to execute VBA in LibreOffcie
nexusband@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 82d
I know. The point though is, there are projects that have countless hours of work in them and sometimes even work together with access - not only would you need to invest time to redo those, you'd also have to learn python... Which is most often the argument for a switch to Libre falls on its face. I don't like it, and I don't agree with that, but it is what I am confronted with nearly every day over countless different companies...
MatSeFi@lemmy.liebeleu.de · 2 pts · 82d
Agree, grip of the lock-in is sitting tight .. But as you mentioned, its less the lack of software than it is path dependencies.
Wataba@sh.itjust.works · 0 pts · 81d
Tried LibreOffice, hated it for being clunky and unpleasant.
Hoping the Euro is better.