LibreOffice

LibreOffice is a set of tools for computers.

It helps people do many kinds of work.

You can use it to write stories.

You can also make charts and math work. It can even help you make shows for a class.

This software is free for everyone to use. It works on many types of computers. It can even work on phones.

Many people use it every day. It can open files from other programs too. This makes it easy to share your work.

It is a great way to be creative.

Do you want to try it?

LibreOffice is a free set of tools for computers.

It was made in 2010 by The Document Foundation. This group started it as a new version of OpenOffice.org.

It has many different parts for different jobs. You can use Writer to write stories or letters.

Calc is a spreadsheet program for math and charts.

Impress helps you make shows for a class. Draw is for making art and shapes.

Base manages data, and Math helps with math rules.

LibreOffice works on many systems like Windows and macOS. It is also the main office tool for Linux. It can even work on phones. The software uses the OpenDocument Format. This is a standard way to save files. It can also open files from Microsoft Office. This makes it easy to share work with others. Many people use it. By 2018, there were about 200 million users. It is available in 120 different languages.

LibreOffice is a free set of tools for computer work.

It is called an open-source office suite. This means the code is available for anyone to see and use. The Document Foundation, or TDF, manages this project. It provides many different programs for different tasks. You can write letters in Writer or use Calc for math.

Impress helps you make slideshows for a class.

Draw is for making shapes and art.

Base manages data, and Math helps with math rules.

These tools help people work on many different projects.

These programs work together in a special way. LibreOffice uses the OpenDocument Format, or ODF, as its main way to save files. ODF is an international standard for digital documents. The software can also open files from other programs, like Microsoft Office. It uses special filters to read these different files. This lets you share your work easily with others.

You can even make hybrid PDFs. These are files that stay as a PDF but still hold editable data inside. This makes the software very flexible for different needs.

LibreOffice has a long history. It began in 2010 as a fork of OpenOffice.org. A fork happens when a new group starts a new version of an existing program. OpenOffice.org itself came from a program called StarOffice. StarOffice was made by a German company called Star Division starting in 1985. In 1999, a company called Sun Microsystems bought Star Division. This long line of software helped lead to the LibreOffice we use today. The first stable version of LibreOffice arrived in January 2011.

Many people around the world use these tools. In its first year, LibreOffice had about 7.5 million downloads. By 2015, it had over 120 million downloads.

By 2018, TDF estimated there were 200 million active users. The software is available in 120 different languages. It works on Windows and macOS. It is also the main office tool for many Linux systems. You can even find versions for mobile devices like Android and iOS. This wide support makes it a very popular choice.

LibreOffice is a great example of how people work together. Most of the work is done by commercial partners. These partners help support big companies that use the software. This teamwork helps LibreOffice grow faster than other similar programs. For example, Apache OpenOffice has struggled to find enough people to help since 2015. Because of these partners, LibreOffice gets many updates. It is a massive community effort that keeps the software running well for everyone.

LibreOffice is a free and open-source office productivity software suite. It is managed by an organization called The Document Foundation (TDF). Open-source means the software's underlying code is available for anyone to view or modify. This suite provides a complete set of tools for digital work. It allows individuals and businesses to create documents, manage data, and make presentations. Because it is free, it serves as a major alternative to paid software like Microsoft Office.

The suite is composed of several specialized applications. Writer is the word processor used for creating text documents.

Calc is a spreadsheet program designed for data analysis and formulas.

Impress handles the creation of visual presentations.

For graphic work, Draw serves as a vector graphics editor.

Base is used for database management, while Math is a dedicated editor for mathematical expressions.

LibreOffice is highly flexible regarding how it handles files. Its default saving method is the OpenDocument Format (ODF). ODF is an international standard used for digital documents. However, the suite can also work with many other file types. It uses import and export filters to remain compatible with Microsoft Office formats. It can even create "hybrid PDFs." These are files that function as standard PDFs but contain an editable ODF file inside them. This allows users to share documents that are easy to view but still easy to change.

The software is designed to work across many different computer systems. TDF officially supports Windows, macOS, and Linux. In many Linux distributions, LibreOffice is actually the default office suite. There are also community-made versions for other systems like BSD. Commercial partners like Collabora provide versions for mobile platforms. These include Android, iOS, and iPadOS. There is even a web-based version called LibreOffice Online. This version lets users edit documents through a web browser using HTML5 technology.

LibreOffice has a deep history that traces back several decades. It began in 2010 as a "fork" of OpenOffice.org. A fork occurs when a new group takes the existing code to start a separate project. OpenOffice.org was itself a successor to StarOffice. StarOffice was originally developed by a German company called Star Division starting in 1985. In 1999, Sun Microsystems acquired Star Division. This lineage of software development eventually led to the creation of the modern LibreOffice suite.

The growth of LibreOffice has been very significant. After its first stable release in January 2011, it saw rapid adoption. It recorded about 7.5 million downloads in its very first year. By 2015, the number of downloads exceeded 120 million. By 2018, TDF estimated that there were approximately 200 million active users. The software is also highly accessible globally, as it is available in 120 different languages.

A unique aspect of LibreOffice is its development model. While it is free, much of the active development is done by commercial partners. These companies, such as Collabora and CIB, develop the code to support their enterprise customers. This professional involvement has helped LibreOffice stay very active. In contrast, another fork called Apache OpenOffice has struggled since 2015. It has had difficulty finding enough contributors to provide timely security updates. This partnership model ensures that LibreOffice continues to receive regular improvements and technical support.