LibreOffice facts for kids
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| Original author(s) | Star Division | ||
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| Developer(s) | The Document Foundation | ||
| Initial release | 25 January 2011 | ||
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| Written in | C++, XML, Python, and Java | ||
| Operating system | Linux, Windows 7+, macOS 10.15+, Android 5+; Unofficial: iOS, iPadOS, ChromeOS, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD, Haiku, Solaris (v. 5.2.5) |
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| Platform | x86-64 (all operating systems), IA-32, ARMel, ARMhf, ARM64, MIPS, MIPSel, PowerPC, ppc64le, S390x, VLIW | ||
| Predecessor | OpenOffice.org | ||
| Standard(s) | OpenDocument | ||
| Available in | 120 languages | ||
| Type | Office productivity suite | ||
| License | MPL-2.0 | ||
LibreOffice is a free and open-source office software suite. It's like a collection of programs that help you get work done on a computer. It's managed by a group called The Document Foundation (TDF).
LibreOffice was created in 2010 from another program called OpenOffice.org. It includes tools for writing, making spreadsheets, creating presentations, drawing, working with databases, and even writing math formulas. You can use LibreOffice in 120 different languages!
This software uses a special file type called OpenDocument. But don't worry, it can also open and save files from other popular office programs, like Microsoft Office.
You can use LibreOffice on many different computers and devices. It works on Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux. There are also versions for phones and tablets, like Android, iOS, iPadOS, and ChromeOS. Many popular Linux distributions even include LibreOffice as their main office software.
There's also LibreOffice Online, which lets you use some of its tools right in your web browser. It's great for working on documents from anywhere.
LibreOffice is one of the most actively developed free office suites. This means many people are constantly working to make it better and add new features.
The first stable version of LibreOffice was released in January 2011. By 2015, about 120 million people had downloaded it. Today, The Document Foundation estimates that around 200 million people worldwide use LibreOffice. Many of these users are students!
Contents
What LibreOffice Can Do
LibreOffice comes with several helpful programs, each designed for a different task.
Programs in LibreOffice
| Program | What it's for | |
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Writer | This is a word processor, much like Microsoft Word. You can use it to write essays, reports, letters, and any other text documents. It also lets you create forms you can fill out. |
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Calc | This is a spreadsheet program, similar to Microsoft Excel. You can use it to organize numbers, create charts, and do calculations. It's great for budgets, tracking data, or school projects. |
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Impress | This program helps you create slideshows, just like Microsoft PowerPoint. You can add text, images, and videos to make your presentations exciting. |
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Draw | Draw is a tool for creating drawings and diagrams. You can make flowcharts, posters, or edit PDF files. It's like a simpler version of programs such as CorelDRAW or Microsoft Visio. |
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Math | This application is for creating and editing mathematical formulas. If you need to write complex equations for a science or math project, Math can help you do that. You can then put these formulas into your Writer or Calc documents. |
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Base | Base is a database management program, similar to Microsoft Access. It helps you organize large amounts of information, like contact lists or inventory. You can use it to create and manage databases and generate reports from your data. |
Where LibreOffice Works
LibreOffice is designed to work on many different computer systems. The main developers make sure it runs well on Microsoft Windows, Linux, and macOS.
There are also versions created by the community for other systems like FreeBSD and OpenBSD.
In 2011, developers started working on versions for mobile devices. A basic viewing app for Android was released in 2015. Later, in 2020, a company called Collabora released official LibreOffice apps for Android, iOS, and ChromeOS.
There's even an app called Impress Remote that lets you control your LibreOffice Impress presentations from your phone!
LibreOffice Online
LibreOffice Online is a version of LibreOffice that you can use through a web browser. This means you can work on your documents online without installing the software on your computer.
It includes Writer, Calc, and Impress. This online version is still being developed, with help from companies like IceWarp and Collabora.
How LibreOffice Compares
In 2015, a report showed that LibreOffice was being developed much more actively than Apache OpenOffice, which is another program that came from OpenOffice.org. LibreOffice received about 10 times more improvements during that time.
File Formats LibreOffice Uses
LibreOffice uses a special file format called OpenDocument (ODF) to save your documents. This is an international standard.
However, LibreOffice is also very good at working with files from other office programs, including most versions of Microsoft Office. This means you can easily open and save files like .docx, .xlsx, and .pptx.
Extra Features
LibreOffice has many useful features:
- It can use GStreamer on Linux to play videos in your presentations.
- It offers different icon themes to match your computer's look.
- On Linux, text looks smooth and clear because of how LibreOffice handles fonts.
- Since version 6.2, LibreOffice has a "Notebookbar" interface, which looks a bit like the "ribbon" in Microsoft Office.
- There's a feature called Fontwork that lets you create cool text effects, similar to WordArt.
- LibreOffice can create "hybrid PDF" files. These files can be read like any normal PDF, but they also contain the original LibreOffice document inside. This means you can easily edit them later in LibreOffice!
LibreOffice is released under a special type of license called MPL 2.0. This license allows people to use, share, and change the software freely.
Add-ons and Programming
LibreOffice supports extra tools called "extensions" that you can add to it. These extensions can give LibreOffice new features. As of 2017, there were over 320 extensions available!
You can also write your own small programs, called "macros," for LibreOffice using languages like Python or LibreOffice Basic. These macros can automate tasks, like counting words in a paragraph.
LibreOffice History
LibreOffice was created because some members of the OpenOffice.org community wanted the project to be more open and community-driven.
When Oracle Corporation bought Sun Microsystems (the company behind OpenOffice.org) in 2010, many people worried that Oracle might stop supporting OpenOffice.org as a free project.
So, on September 28, 2010, The Document Foundation was announced, and LibreOffice was created as a new version of OpenOffice.org. The name "LibreOffice" was chosen because "Libre" means "free" in Spanish and French, showing its open-source nature.
Most Linux computer systems quickly switched from using OpenOffice.org to LibreOffice. In 2011, Oracle decided to stop developing OpenOffice.org and gave its code to the Apache Software Foundation, where it became Apache OpenOffice.
However, LibreOffice continued to grow and attract more developers. By 2015, it was clear that LibreOffice had become the more active and popular choice for free office software.
LibreOffice Versions
LibreOffice releases new major versions about every six months. They use a calendar-based numbering system, like 24.2.0, which means it's from February 2024.
There are usually two main types of versions available:
- "Fresh" versions: These are the newest versions with the latest features. They might have some small bugs that are still being fixed.
- "Still" versions: These are older versions that have been around for a while and have had most of their bugs fixed. They are recommended if you need a very stable version for important work.
Companies like Collabora and Red Hat also offer special versions of LibreOffice with extra support for businesses. These are branded as "Collabora Office" or "CIB Office."
Since version 7.1, the free version of LibreOffice is called "LibreOffice Community." This helps show that it's mainly for individual users and not specifically for large businesses that need dedicated support.
Who Uses LibreOffice
The number of people using LibreOffice has grown a lot over the years.
- In 2011, about 25 million people used LibreOffice.
- By 2013, this number grew to 75 million users.
- In 2015, 100 million people were using it, including 18 governments!
- By 2018, The Document Foundation estimated there were 200 million active users worldwide. About a quarter of these users are students.
Major Organizations Using LibreOffice
Many governments and large organizations around the world have chosen to use LibreOffice. Here are some examples:
- Brazil (2003-2004): The government company Serpro started using LibreOffice (then called BrOffice) and saved a lot of money.
- France (2005): The French police (Gendarmerie) began switching 72,000 computers to use LibreOffice.
- Ireland (2010): The city of Limerick started using LibreOffice to save costs and avoid being stuck with one software company.
- Copenhagen, Denmark (2011): Thirteen hospitals planned to switch 25,000 workers to LibreOffice.
- Spain (2012-2013): Cities like Las Palmas and the region of Valencia (120,000 computers!) switched to LibreOffice, saving hundreds of thousands of Euros.
- Munich, Germany (2013): The city of Munich, known for using open-source software, decided to move to LibreOffice on its 15,000 computers.
- Italy (2015): The Italian Ministry of Defense planned to install LibreOffice on 150,000 computers, one of the biggest switches in Europe. The city of Bari also switched 1,700 computers.
- United Kingdom (2015): LibreOffice became officially available for all UK Government agencies, potentially saving a lot of money.
- Vietnam (2016): Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group switched over 15,000 computers to LibreOffice.
- Lithuania (2016): The Lithuanian police switched over 8,000 computers, saving €1 million.
- Barcelona, Spain (2018): The city announced a big move to open-source software, including LibreOffice, to become more independent from specific software companies.
- Germany (2020): The state of Schleswig-Holstein plans to switch 25,000 employees from Microsoft Office to LibreOffice by 2025.
These examples show that LibreOffice is a reliable and cost-effective choice for many large organizations.
LibreOffice Conferences
Every year, The Document Foundation holds a LibreOffice Conference where people can learn about the software, share ideas, and discuss its future. These conferences have been held in various cities around the world:
- 2011 – Paris, France
- 2012 – Berlin, Germany
- 2013 – Milan, Italy
- 2014 – Bern, Switzerland
- 2015 – Aarhus, Denmark
- 2016 – Brno, Czech Republic
- 2017 – Rome, Italy
- 2018 – Tirana, Albania
- 2019 – Almería, Spain
- 2020 – Online (due to global events)
- 2021 – Online
- 2022 – Milan, Italy (hybrid event)
- 2023 – Bucharest, Romania
- 2024 – Luxembourg, Luxembourg
Other Versions of LibreOffice
Because LibreOffice is open-source, other companies and groups can take its code and create their own versions or add-ons. Here are a few:
- Collabora Office and Collabora Online: These are versions of LibreOffice made for businesses, offering extra support and features.
- EuroOffice: A version of LibreOffice with special features for the Hungarian language.
- NeoOffice: A version of LibreOffice specifically for macOS computers.
- OxOffice: A version of LibreOffice with better support for the Chinese language.
See also
In Spanish: LibreOffice para niños
