LibreOffice 25.2.0: The Ultimate Free Office Suite for All Platforms
Introduction
LibreOffice is a powerful, free, and open-source office suite that has been a staple for many users worldwide. Developed by The Document Foundation, it offers a comprehensive set of tools for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, and more. In this article, we will explore what LibreOffice is, its features and components, supported platforms, the changelog of the latest stable version 25.2.0, installation instructions for various operating systems, and a comparison with other open-source office suites like OnlyOffice.
What is LibreOffice?
LibreOffice is a free and open-source office productivity suite that was forked from OpenOffice.org in 2010. It is designed to be a powerful alternative to proprietary office suites like Microsoft Office. LibreOffice includes several applications that make it the most versatile free office suite on the market.
Features and Components
LibreOffice comprises several key components:
- Writer: A word processor similar to Microsoft Word, used for creating and editing text documents.
- Calc: A spreadsheet application akin to Microsoft Excel, used for data analysis and visualization.
- Impress: A presentation program similar to Microsoft PowerPoint, used for creating slideshows.
- Draw: A vector graphics editor and diagramming tool.
- Base: A database management program similar to Microsoft Access.
- Math: An application for creating and editing mathematical formulas.
Supported Platforms
LibreOffice is available on a wide range of platforms, ensuring that users can access their documents regardless of the operating system they use. Supported platforms include:
- Windows: Windows 7 SP1 and later, including Windows 10 and 11.
- macOS: macOS 10.15 and later.
- Linux: Various distributions including Ubuntu, Fedora, and Debian.
- BSD: FreeBSD, OpenBSD, and NetBSD.
- Other: Android, iOS, iPadOS, ChromeOS, Haiku, and Solaris.
LibreOffice’s Release Plan:
- Time-Based Releases: LibreOffice follows a time-based release schedule, aiming for bi-annual releases in February and August. This approach ensures discipline, predictability, and regular updates.
- Release Versions: There are two versions available: the latest release for early adopters and power users, and the previous release for more cautious users and corporate implementations.
- Release Schedule: The schedule includes several beta and release candidate builds, with major releases every six months and bugfix releases every month until the release is stable.
- String Freeze: A "hard English string & UI freeze" is implemented for the first version of each major release to aid translators.
- Version Scheme: The versioning scheme includes alpha, beta, and release candidate builds, with the final release candidate being considered the final build.
- Accelerating the Release Cycle: Efforts are made to automate the build process and provide daily snapshots for continual testing.
- End-of-Life Releases: A release typically has a lifetime of around nine months, with support available from certified L3 providers for longer-term support.
Changelog of LibreOffice 25.2.0
The latest stable version, LibreOffice 25.2.0, brings numerous enhancements and bug fixes.
Here are the highlights:
Writer
- Track Changes: Enhanced to identify a click on a tracked change in the document by highlighting the corresponding entry in the "Manage Changes" window and sidebar panel.
- DOCX Import: Improved handling of line object transformations and font fallback.
- Asian Phonetic Guide: Added Group and Mono controls to the Asian Phonetic Guide dialog.
- TextBoxes: Now handle page captures.
- Boundaries: Boundaries are now toggled independently of Formatting Marks.
- Page Number Wizard: Offers an option to fit numbers into existing margins.
- Comments: New options to customize the background color and delete all content of a content type (excluding headings).
- Navigator: Added tooltip showing word and character count when hovering over a heading.
- Footnotes: Ability to change all footnotes to endnotes and vice versa.
- Accessibility: Improved warning and error levels in the Accessibility Sidebar deck.
Calc
- Connections.xml: Support for import and export of connections.xml in OOXML.
- AutoCalculate: Statusbar icon indicates when AutoCalculate is switched off.
- Duplicates: New dialog to select/remove duplicate records.
- Function Wizard: Improvements to searching and user experience.
- Solver: Models can now be saved into spreadsheets and provide a sensitivity analysis report.
- Sheet Protection: New options related to Pivot Tables, Pivot Charts, and AutoFilters.
Impress
- Interaction Dialog: Now async.
- SVG Export: Per-paragraph semi-transparent shape text.
- Templates: Various improvements to all Impress templates.
- Text Glow Effect: Allowed in text frame objects.
- Overflowing Text: No longer cut off when printing.
Draw
- Clipping Stroke Paths: Support for clipping stroke paths in imported PDFs.
Base
- SQL Dialog: Improved user experience by retaining user input during a session and showing the number of results.
- Unicode ODBC Calls: Now supported.
Chart
- Formulas: Can be stored in a user-defined category.
Math
- Formulas: Can be stored in a user-defined category.
Core / General
- macOS Quick Look: Now supported.
- Document Signing: Automatic signing of documents after defining a default certificate.
- Font Rendering: Improved for quotation marks when CJK and Western texts are intermixed.
User Interface
- Touch Screen: Panning and zooming now work properly under Windows.
- Recent Documents: List can be filtered by "Current Module Only".
- Hyphenation: Can be controlled from the Properties deck of the Sidebar.
- Appearance: Customization options for light/dark themes.
Scripting
- NOW() Function: Enhanced to support sub-seconds precision.
- ScriptForge Libraries: New services and methods added.
Localization
- New Languages: French (Republic of Guinea) added.
- Spell Check: Updated dictionaries for several languages.
Help
- Dark Mode: Help pages now in dark mode according to browser settings.
Experimental Features
- Font-Relative Indentation: Provisional support for font-relative first line, before-text, and after-text paragraph indentation.
- Macro Manager: New dialog combining functions of 5 existing dialogs.
Deprecations
- Windows 7 and 8/8.1: Deprecated platforms.
- Python Extensions: Will not work on Windows 7 due to minimum Python version requirement.
Configuration Changes
- Memory Limit: Backwards-compatibility behavior removed.
Accessibility
- UI Elements: Report accessible identifiers for assistive technology.
- Windows: Accessibility now enabled whenever a tool queries information from LibreOffice.
LibreOffice system requirements:
Microsoft Windows
- Supported OS: Windows 7 SP1 with KB3063858 update, Windows 8, Windows Server 2012-2022, Windows 10, Windows 11.
- Hardware: Pentium-compatible PC, 256 MB RAM (512 MB recommended), up to 1.5 GB hard disk space, 1280x800 resolution with at least 256 colors.
- Administrator rights needed for installation.
- Java required for certain features, notably Base.
Apple macOS
- Supported OS: macOS 10.15 or newer.
- Hardware: Intel or Apple silicon processor, 512 MB RAM, up to 800 MB hard disk space, 1280x800 graphic device with 256 colors.
- Java required for certain features, notably Base.
- JDK required for Java on macOS 10.10 and newer.
GNU/Linux
- Recommended to install via distribution methods (e.g., Ubuntu Software Center).
- Hardware: Pentium-compatible PC, 256 MB RAM (512 MB recommended), up to 1.55 GB hard disk space, X Server with 1280x800 resolution and at least 256 colors.
- Java required for certain features, notably Base.
Other Operating Systems
- Community-provided builds available for other OSes like BSDs.
Installation Instructions
Installing LibreOffice on various operating systems is straightforward. Here are the steps for BSD, Unix, Linux, and independent distributions:
BSD:
1. Download the appropriate package from the LibreOffice website.
2. Use the package manager to install the downloaded package. For example, on FreeBSD, use `pkg install libreoffice`.
Unix/Linux:
1. Download the LibreOffice tar.gz archive from the official website.
2. Extract the archive using `tar -xzvf LibreOffice_25.2.0_Linux_x86-64_rpm.tar.gz`.
3. Navigate to the extracted directory and install the packages using your package manager. For RPM-based systems, use `sudo rpm -ivh *.rpm`. For DEB-based systems, use `sudo dpkg -i *.deb`.
Independent Distributions:
1. Follow the general Unix/Linux installation steps, ensuring you have the necessary dependencies installed.
2. Use the appropriate package manager for your distribution to install LibreOffice.
How to get support from LibreOffice:
- Community Support: LibreOffice Community offers various resources for help, but it does not include technical support from The Document Foundation.
- Ask.LibreOffice: A platform where users can ask questions and get answers about LibreOffice.
- IRC (Live Chat): Users can join the #libreoffice channel on Libera.Chat for help and general discussion.
- Documentation: Users can view documentation online or use the built-in help feature in LibreOffice.
- Wiki: The wiki contains a wealth of information, including FAQs and contributions from various teams.
- Mailing Lists: There are many global and regional mailing lists for announcements, discussions, and other topics.
- Follow Us: Users can follow LibreOffice on various social media platforms and blogs.
How to offer support to LibreOffice:
- Community Contribution: LibreOffice is developed by a global community of contributors. Anyone can join and help improve the software.
- Quick Tasks: There are bite-size tasks you can do in 10-20 minutes, like answering questions on Ask LibreOffice, updating FAQs, improving marketing materials, or confirming new bug reports.
- Areas to Contribute: You can get involved in various areas such as development, documentation, infrastructure, design, translation, quality assurance, and marketing.
- Development: You can work on coding, new features, and bug fixes.
- Documentation: Help with guidebooks, online help, and FAQs.
- Infrastructure: Gain experience with large-scale infrastructure like the website.
- Design: Contribute your artwork and user experience expertise.
- Translations: Help translate LibreOffice into over 100 languages.
- Quality Assurance: Sign up to Bugzilla, confirm or re-test bug reports, and join the QA team.
- Marketing: Spread the word, attend events, and create marketing materials.
Contrast with OnlyOffice
1. File Format Compatibility: Both LibreOffice and OnlyOffice support a wide range of file formats, including DOC, DOCX, ODT, and PDF. However, OnlyOffice has a slight edge with additional support for formats like EPUB and FB2.
2. User Interface: OnlyOffice has a more modern and sleek user interface compared to LibreOffice. It offers a ribbon-style interface similar to Microsoft Office, which some users may find more intuitive.
3. Collaboration Features: OnlyOffice excels in collaboration features, allowing multiple users to work on the same document simultaneously. It also integrates well with cloud storage services like Google Drive and Dropbox.
4. Platform Support: Both office suites are available on multiple platforms, including Windows, macOS, and Linux. OnlyOffice also offers web-based and mobile versions, making it more versatile for users who need access on the go.
5. Community and Support: LibreOffice has a larger and more active community of contributors and users, which means more frequent updates and a wealth of resources for troubleshooting and learning.
6. Pricing: LibreOffice is completely free and open-source, while OnlyOffice offers both free and paid versions with additional features in the paid plans.
Conclusion
LibreOffice 25.2.0 continues to be a powerful and versatile office suite that caters to a wide range of users. Its extensive features, cross-platform support, and active development community make it an excellent choice for both personal and professional use. Whether you are a student, a professional, or an organization, LibreOffice offers a reliable and cost-effective solution for all your office needs.
Disclaimer
The information provided is for general informational purposes only. While we strive to keep the information up-to-date and accurate, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability, or availability with respect to the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the page for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this page.
References
1. ReleaseNotes/25.2 - The Document Foundation Wiki
2. ONLYOFFICE vs LibreOffice vs OpenOffice [Tested Side By Side]
3. LibreOffice vs OnlyOffice 2024 Comparison | FinancesOnline
10. ReleasePlan - The Document Foundation Wiki
11. LibreOffice 25.2, the office suite that meets today’s user needs - The Document Foundation Blog
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