Apache Releases OpenOffice 4.0
The great open source productivity suite settles into its new home with a new look and a little help from IBM.
The Apache Foundation has announced the Apache OpenOffice 4.0 productivity suite -- the first major release since Apache took over the OpenOffice project.
OpenOffice has a long history with the Linux community. The software began in 1986 as part of the StarOffice suite, which was developed by the German company StarDivision. Sun Microsystems acquired StarDivision in 1999, releasing the source code as an open source project under the name OpenOffice. When Oracle acquired Sun in 2010, they continued to fund development of OpenOffice, however, many of the principal developers left Oracle to work on the community-driven LibreOffice fork, which has gradually replaced OpenOffice in most Linux distributions. Oracle gave the OpenOffice code and trademarks to the Apache Foundation in June 2011, and OpenOffice graduated from the Apache incubator to become a full Apache project in October 2012.
Since Oracle's exit, the leading force in OpenOffice development has been IBM. The latest release release shows IBM's influence, with a new sidebar adapted from code used in IBM's Lotus Symphony suite. The new sidebar gives one-click access to several editing and document-processing options. According to Apache OpenOffice VP Andrea Pescetti, the sidebar is "The first radical improvement to the OpenOffice user interface in years."
Other changes include improved color management, as well as enhancements to the Calc, Chart, and Draw editor modules. The new release also comes with some new features for better compatibility with Microsoft Office.
Apache OpenOffice 4.0 supports dozens of languages and runs on Windows and MacOS as well as Linux.
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
![Learn More](https://www.linux-magazine.com/var/linux_magazin/storage/images/media/linux-magazine-eng-us/images/misc/learn-more/834592-1-eng-US/Learn-More_medium.png)
News
-
NVIDIA Released Driver for Upcoming NVIDIA 560 GPU for Linux
Not only has NVIDIA released the driver for its upcoming CPU series, it's the first release that defaults to using open-source GPU kernel modules.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 24.07 Released
If you’re into rolling release Linux distributions, OpenMandriva ROME has a new snapshot with a new kernel.
-
Kernel 6.10 Available for General Usage
Linus Torvalds has released the 6.10 kernel and it includes significant performance increases for Intel Core hybrid systems and more.
-
TUXEDO Computers Releases InfinityBook Pro 14 Gen9 Laptop
Sporting either AMD or Intel CPUs, the TUXEDO InfinityBook Pro 14 is an extremely compact, lightweight, sturdy powerhouse.
-
Google Extends Support for Linux Kernels Used for Android
Because the LTS Linux kernel releases are so important to Android, Google has decided to extend the support period beyond that offered by the kernel development team.
-
Linux Mint 22 Stable Delayed
If you're anxious about getting your hands on the stable release of Linux Mint 22, it looks as if you're going to have to wait a bit longer.
-
Nitrux 3.5.1 Available for Install
The latest version of the immutable, systemd-free distribution includes an updated kernel and NVIDIA driver.
-
Debian 12.6 Released with Plenty of Bug Fixes and Updates
The sixth update to Debian "Bookworm" is all about security mitigations and making adjustments for some "serious problems."
-
Canonical Offers 12-Year LTS for Open Source Docker Images
Canonical is expanding its LTS offering to reach beyond the DEB packages with a new distro-less Docker image.
-
Plasma Desktop 6.1 Released with Several Enhancements
If you're a fan of Plasma Desktop, you should be excited about this new point release.