Hi
Here's the draft for this month's newsletter. Any suggestions, additions or changes will be gratefully received.
With Thanks Deepankar
-----
#########################################################################
OPENOFFICE.ORG NEWSLETTER
Volume 02 - Issue 10 - 4/2005
Please send news clippings to:
[email protected]
#########################################################################
Highlights in this Newsletter
#########################################################################
* Security Patch for 1.1.4 (Announcements)
* First Native-Lang Group has been launched (News from the Native-Language
Confederation)
#########################################################################
Want to help OpenOffice.org? Find out hot to contribute or see our
To Do List!!
http://www.openoffice.org/contributing.html
http://development.openoffice.org/todo.html
#########################################################################
Announcements
#########################################################################
Security Patch for 1.1.4
------------------------
A security vulnerability affecting OpenOffice.org 1.1.4 and earlier, as
well as 2.0beta, including the developer builds, was recently detected.
It has been fixed and a patch is available for immediate download for
all users of OpenOffice.org 1.1.4.
Full security announcement:
http://download.openoffice.org/1.1.4/security_patch.html
Mailing list posting:
http://www.openoffice.org/servlets/ReadMsg?list=announce&msgNo=240
Original bug posting:
http://www.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=46388
Additional reporting:
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1785154,00.asp
http://news.com.com/OpenOffice.org+details+vulnerability/2100-1002_3-5669073.html?tag=nefd.top
NeoOffice/J Donates Code
------------------------
NeoOffice/J is an independent project building a Java-powered Aqua-fied Mac
OS X port of OpenOffice.org. Its donation resolves numerous bugs. Thanks!
We look forward to further collaboration.
Donation message:
http://porting.openoffice.org/servlets/ReadMsg?list=dev&msgNo=15387
NeoOffice/J Project:
http://trinity.neooffice.org/
Announcement Archive
--------------------
All new and past annoucements can be found in the announcement list
mailing list archive at
http://www.openoffice.org/servlets/SummarizeList?listName=announce
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---------------------------
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the Mozilla open source project, the Mozilla Foundation, other Mozilla
independent projects, marketing, and mostly anything related to the
Mozilla project."
To subscribe visit:
http://mail.mozilla.org/listinfo/newsletter/
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News from the Native-Language Confederation
#########################################################################
First Native-Lang Group has been launched
-----------------------------------------
"I would like to announce that the first Native-Language Group has been
launched.
To those who are wondering "what is a native-language group?", it can be
summed up as a group of several native-lang projects (see:
http://native-lang.openoffice.org)
willing to help each others and coordinate their actions.
The first native-language group is the Indic Native-Language Group,
composed of the following communities:
-the Hindi native-lang project (http://hi.openoffice.org)
-the Tamil native-lang project (http://ta.openoffice.org)
-the Bengali native-lang project (http://bn.openoffice.org)
-the Malayalam native-lang project (http://ml.openoffice.org)
-the Telugu native-lang project (http://te.openoffice.org)
-the Gujarati native-lang project (http://gu.openoffice.org)
More Indic projects can be added to this list in the future.
As part of its mission, the Indic native-lang group will have to
-coordinate localization efforts and developments
-mutualize and help the projects with the localized builds'QA.
-speed up the adoption of OpenOffice.org on a local basis and help
coordinate its promotion
- coordinate documentation writing
-communicate with the other projects of OOo and the native-lang
confederation
-ease the communication between the Indic native-lang projects
This group comes as an answer for the native-lang projects to avoid the
"walled garden" effect that some projects have to face, while at the
mean time help these projects who lack ressources and time to develop
and build themselves. Expect more groups to come in a near future.
I would also like to congratulate Vijay Kumar and Rajesh Rajan for their
newly appointed positions as the Group coordinators. Meanwhile, the
rights and deeds of the native-lang projects' leads remain unchanged."
[Contributed by Charles-H. Schulz,
Lead of the Native-Lang Confederation,
OpenOffice.org]
Marketing news 04/2005 from germanophone project
------------------------------------------------
"Hi *,
here are the monthly news from germanophone project.
At first I would like to give a summary of the CeBIT last month, where
we presented OOo and the de-project. As expected, it was a great event
and the feedback we got was mostly positive. We had a really nice time
and had many contacts, espacially to people who would like to join the
project for testing and several business contacts.
Very interesting was the fact, that we met many people from other
countries, which were interested in using OOo in other languages. We
tried to satisfy them to contact the several native-lang projects. Maybe
some of you got mail from one of them. :-)
For receiving an impression of the event see my summary (german):
http://de.openoffice.org/veranstaltungen/cebit2005/index.html
or english version (many thanks to Siegfried Schilling for the translation):
http://de.openoffice.org/veranstaltungen/cebit2005/index_en.html
If you want to have a look at our team, see several photos here:
http://de.openoffice.org/servlets/ProjectDocumentList?folderID=439&expandFolder=439&folderID=239
Our next plannings:
- Brandenburger Linux Infotag, Brandenburg, 22./23.03.2005 with 1
lecture: Preview OOo 2.0 (http://www.linuxinfotag-brb.de/)
- Planning of an "OOoCamp" for august, where we want to introduce young
people in our work, explaining what our community is and show the first
steps how to join the project. We plan several technical and
non-technical workshops for it and try to turn our attention in
integrating socially disadvantaged persons."
[Contributed by Jacqueline Rahemipour
## Co-Lead de.openoffice.org
## http://de.openoffice.org - www.openoffice.org]
Success Stories
#########################################################################
Thailand
========
Thailand: The case for open source software
-------------------------------------------
[Contributed by Simon Phipps]
"To counter the compatability issue, Sipa, Nectec and Sun Microsystems
Thailand are now working to make OpenOffice 2.0 _ an open source office
suite _ a standard program. In the past, there have been various office
software suites, including Pladao, OfficeTLE and OpenOffice, which
according to Mr Clark can create confusion.
Sipa, Nectec and Sun Microsystems are now merging some parts of Pladao
and OfficeTLE into OpenOffice 2.0."
http://www.bangkokpost.com/300305_Database/30Mar2005_data51.php
USA
===
Small college saves big with OpenOffice.org and Linux
-----------------------------------------------------
Duncan remains pleased with the results of his creativity. "This puts us
in control of our tech resources, instead of relying on some third
party. It's kind of a scary to say there's some company out there
telling me I'm going to buy a new computer every two years. We've
doubled the number of computers we have available to us with the
cost-savings of OpenOffice.org versus Microsoft Office. We've made
available open access to labs and cyber caf�s using hardware that others
would have just thrown away.
"OpenOffice.org made a lot of that possible."
http://business.newsforge.com/business/05/03/30/2033252.shtml?tid=37&tid=132&tid=2
New Zealand
===========
DHBs to test open source alternative to Windows and Office
----------------------------------------------------------
"First, the DHBs will pilot an open source desktop environment, being
put together by Steve Rayner, CIO of Wanganui DHB, to assess how many
users it will serve adequately. Rayner plans to support two categories
of user: "power users" with Microsoft desktop software, and "regular
clinical users" with Novell Enterprise Desktop, OpenOffice.org and
GroupWise running on Suse Linux."
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/0/39A5FAC6A45E8FB2CC256FDA00319B5C?OpenDocument&pub=Computerworld
NZ open source trial attracts gov't attention
---------------------------------------------
"The Wanganui pilot will seek to establish how many users there are
with just basic computing needs and whether it is possible to meet
those with a non-Microsoft environment. It will be based on Suse Linux
and OpenOffice.org."
http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;1561121703;fp;16;fpid;0
South Africa
============
MIP Holdings moves most users to open source
--------------------------------------------
"Fortunately, the open source alternatives proved to be fully
functional, stable and reliable solutions that were not difficult for
users to adapt to. In extreme situations, power users may need more
than these alternatives offer, but these users are rare. MIP therefore
embarked on an upgrade project installing OpenOffice on its
workstations.
The roll-out went smoothly, again, with no users finding they could not
complete their daily tasks on the new software. Firth says some of the
functions in OpenOffice are accessible via different keystrokes or
mouse clicks, but these changes are easily overcome with a little
coaching. "The savings on licence fees is enormous," he notes. "But
most importantly, we are saving money without sacrificing productivity
or limiting user functionality.""
http://www.itweb.co.za/sections/enterprise/2005/0504080908.asp?A=ENA&S=Enterprise%20Architecture&O=FPIN
Saudi Arabia
============
Sun Microsystems consolidates market share in the Kingdom
---------------------------------------------------------
"As a sign of its progressive approach to utilizing the latest
technology to provide first class medical services, SANG-HA recently
deployed 1,500 SunRay thin client desktop systems, in addition to
purchasing 4,000 StarOffice licenses, in order to refresh its IT
technology strategy. In addition to SANG-HA, Sun counts Saudi Aramco,
STC, and SAMBA as key customers in the Kingdom."
http://www.ameinfo.com/58111.html
India
=====
State govt logs on to cost-cutting drive
----------------------------------------
"In the past few months, OpenOffice, a free downloadable package of
commonly-used applications like spreadsheets, word processing and
email, has become the official choice for thousands of desktops across
the state, and is expected to save the exchequer about Rs 90 crore in
licence fees. Recently, the Maharashtra police headquarters too plumped
for free operating system GNU/Linux with OpenOffice. That's not all.
Already, the election office is using a bi-lingual voter-list search
system developed by free software activists, while corporate open
sourcers like Red Hat are providing software for the government's
treasury management, citizens' facility centres and land record
management."
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1081589.cms
Studies & Reports
#########################################################################
Why Novell's internal migration to Linux desktops is a landmark story
---------------------------------------------------------------------
"The migration began last summer. Actually the first phase began the
previous year, with the move from Microsoft Office to OpenOffice.org.
Anderson set an ambitious goal for that first phase: She wanted to
migrate 90 percent of MS Office users to OOo in three months. They
almost made that goal, too, with 85 percent migrated during that time
frame. There were lessons to be learned from those who couldn't
migrate, and feedback to the OOo developers got work started on
removing some of the tougher obstacles. (Note: I've heard unconfirmed
reports that Novell has hired a number of OOo developers since then.)"
http://business.newsforge.com/business/05/03/23/1755222.shtml?tid=37&tid=18
Linux appeal grows as applications flourish
-------------------------------------------
"Sun Microsystems' OpenOffice, an open-source version of the company's
StarOffice suite, runs on Windows, Linux, Solaris and Apple Computer's
Macintosh OS X. As an open-source competitor to desktop suites such as
Microsoft Office, "OpenOffice has been a wild success," said Manish
Punjabi, Sun's group marketing manager for both products."
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/software/2005-04-04-linux-apps_x.htm
Resources
#########################################################################
Open source, more than Linux, the real winner for business
----------------------------------------------------------
[Thanks to Craig Adams]
"CSC, formerly Computer Sciences Corporation, is a fortune 500 company
supplying high level IT services to companies and government agencies in
76 locations on 6 continents . The organisation employs nearly 80 000
people and reported revenues of US$13.9 billion last year. In November
CSC Leading Edge Forum completed 18 months of research into OSS. The
report Open Source: Open for Business (7.8 MB) explores the usage and
potential of open source both within the company and amongst its
heavyweight client base."
http://www.tectonic.co.za/view.php?id=435
OpenOffice 2.0 to break down walls to adoption
----------------------------------------------
"Industry experts who have taken a look at the OpenOffice.org 2.0 said
new database functionality included with the open source personal
productivity suite will go a long way toward making the system a viable
alternative to Microsoft Office -- especially in the all important
small and medium-sized business (SMB) market."
http://searchenterpriselinux.techtarget.com/originalContent/0,289142,sid39_gci1073674,00.html
How to save, make money with open source? Round up this Posse
-------------------------------------------------------------
"Martin illustrated the point with examples from customers and
estimates from IDC that on average, every worker spends five minutes
per day on spam and/or viruses in email, a burden that can cause lost
productivity, undue stress on servers and support staff time. With open
source solutions Firefox, Postfix, OpenOffice and the LAMP stack --
Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP -- Martin claimed he could cut the wasted
man hours, consumption of support staff time, and security risks. In
addition, tools such as the Firefox browser require little or no
training, Martin said."
http://management.itmanagersjournal.com/management/05/03/18/2218226.shtml?tid=85
All Microsoft or None?
----------------------
"In a study done on behalf of the European Union, Valoris, a European
business consultancy, found OpenOffice a viable alternative to
Microsoft Office. The EU asked the company to recommend an open
document format that would let member states' governments exchange
electronic documents. Recommending both Office and OpenOffice as
appropriate, the report concluded: "OpenOffice user base size is now
such that it is irreversible.""
http://www.internetnews.com/ent-news/article.php/3493416
Erwin Tenhumberg's Weblog
-------------------------
Includes news and tips on the upcoming OpenOffice.org 2.0
http://blogs.sun.com/roller/page/dancer
Customer & User Feedback
#########################################################################
First Look: OpenOffice.org 2.0 Looks Good
-----------------------------------------
"In addition to Base, the database app, OpenOffice.org 2.0 includes a
word processor, a spreadsheet application, a presentation program, an
app for creating mathematical formulas, and a nifty drawing program
much more powerful and fun than Microsoft's Paint. The beta version is
available for Windows, Linux, and Mac machines."
http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/article/0,aid,120154,00.asp
Download some of the best software money can't buy
--------------------------------------------------
"Don't want to deal with the hassles of incompatible files? No problem
- OpenOffice.org can create, open, edit, and save Word, Excel, and
PowerPoint documents. Plus, it's available for multiple platforms,
including Windows, Macintosh, and Linux.
This is an outstanding solution for college students, home offices, and
pretty much anyone who wants Microsoft Office-caliber functionality
without the sticker shock."
http://hometownlife.com/WestBloomfield/News.asp?pageType=StoryCurrent&Story
ArchiveID=94436&StoryID=10661&Section=At%20Home&OnlineSection=At%20Home&
SectionPubDate=Thursday,%20March%2031,%202005&RefDate=3/31/2005
OpenOffice is a decent alternative
----------------------------------
"Don�t take that to mean I�ve explored every nook and cranny of the 2.0
beta. However, I�ve looked at enough to know that users should consider
using it over paying out cash for Microsoft Office, a software that�s
gotten fatter and fatter."
http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/business/11197462.htm
Mo' Beta Builds
---------------
"I've been using development builds of OpenOffice.org 2.0 since last
autumn, always saving documents to Microsoft Office formats since
that's the standard here at PC World HQ. In that time, I've had only a
couple of small problems sharing documents with coworkers using
Microsoft Office. We're talking about very slight formatting
inconsistencies, here--not anything that prevented work from getting
done."
http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/article/0,aid,120116,00.asp
Developer and Administrator News
#########################################################################
IBM Certifies OpenDocument Successful Implementation
----------------------------------------------------
[Noticed on Simon Phipps' blog:
http://blogs.sun.com/roller/page/webmink/20050328#ibm_endorses_opendocument]
"Formal statement: IBM Corporation certifies that it is successfully
using the Open Document Format for Office Applications (OpenDocument)
1.0 specification consistently with the OASIS IPR Policy. --
Nathaniel Borenstein, Distinguished Engineer and Open Standards
Strategist, IBM Corporation"
http://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/office/200503/msg00020.html
OpenOffice delayed thanks to lack of developers
-----------------------------------------------
"OpenOffice's development is being hampered by a lack of independent
contributors, its project leaders have warned the open-source
community.
It may be touted as a viable alternative to Microsoft Office, but its
pace of development and adoption of new features is being stifled by a
"monolithic" code base and a developer community still largely
controlled by Sun Microsystems, it is claimed.
Project contributors speaking at the annual OpenOffice.org conference
in Australia this week raised a number of worrying issues. Developer
Ken Foskey said the biggest problem was a lack of developers and a code
base that is "just too big"."
http://www.techworld.com/applications/news/index.cfm?newsid=3510
Java fallout: OpenOffice.org 2.0 and the FOSS community
-------------------------------------------------------
[Thanks to Charles-H. Schulz]
"Several new features of the recently released OpenOffice.org 2.0 beta
require a Java Runtime Environment (JRE). Since Java's license is neither
free nor open source, a small but vocal minority has responded both strongly
and negatively. For instance, when NewsForge recently published a review of
the beta, no other feature attracted as much comment. Some groups, including
members of the major GNU/Linux distributions, most of whom repackage
OpenOffice.org (OOo), have responded by looking for alternatives, often
while cursing the project for the extra work it has dumped on them. How did
OpenOffice.org come to rely on Java? What problems is it likely to cause?
How are GNU/Linux distributions reacting to this change in a key piece of
software?"
http://software.newsforge.com/software/05/03/22/204244.shtml?tid=93
Process Improvement Solutions to Novell Linux
---------------------------------------------
"Neoxen Modus Lite for OpenOffice.org is an essential part of Neoxen
Systems solution offering for software development groups supporting
both open source and commercial software development. There is
considerable evidence in savings in process development costs with
Neoxen Modus Lite using Novell platforms. Linux is becoming a viable
alternative as desktop computing environment.""
http://newsvac.newsforge.com/article.pl?sid=05/04/13/2024237
Gentoo update for openoffice
----------------------------
"Gentoo has issued updates for openoffice. These fix a vulnerability,
which can be exploited by malicious people to compromise a user's
system."
http://secunia.com/advisories/14983/
Tips, Tricks & How-Tos
#########################################################################
Making the leap: Microsoft Word to OpenOffice.org Writer
--------------------------------------------------------
"Whether you're moving from Windows to GNU/Linux, or just from the
proprietary Microsoft Office to the free software OpenOffice.org suite,
one of the challenges you'll face is learning how to use OpenOffice.org
Writer effectively if you're used to Microsoft Word. In this article
I'll show you around OpenOffice.org Writer, where to find familiar Word
tools, and how to customize the interface and preferences to make it a
little more Word-friendly."
http://software.newsforge.com/article.pl?sid=05/04/15/1951232&tid=93
Competitive/Market Info
#########################################################################
A Word to the unwise -- program's grammar check isn't so smart
--------------------------------------------------------------
"Microsoft the company should big improve Word grammar check.
No, your eyes aren't deceiving you. That sentence is a confusing
jumble. However, it is perfectly fine in the assessment of Microsoft
Word's built-in grammar checker, which detects no problem with the
prose.
Sandeep Krishnamurthy thinks Microsoft can do a lot better."
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/217802_grammar28.asp
Microsoft cops standards attack
-------------------------------
"Microsoft Australia has come under fire from rival vendors and
open-source advocates for keeping its Office document standards
proprietary.
Greg Stone, Microsoft's national technology officer for Australia and
New Zealand, faced the criticism during his presentation at the
Australian Unix User Group's Open Computing in Government conference in
Canberra. However, he stood firm on the company's policy of making the
XML schemas for its Office 2003 document standard publicly available
provided interested parties sign an agreement with the software
heavyweight."
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/software/0,2000061733,39188761,00.htm
Business Technology Guide - SME Solutions Showcase (Singapore)
--------------------------------------------------------------
"The StarOffice suite is a full-featured office suite that has all the
functionality you need for home or office. The standalone applications
in the StarOffice 7 Office Suite are not only fully integrated, they
are also compatible with Microsoft Office, so users can easily access,
edit, and share documents."
http://computerworld.com.sg/ShowPage.aspx?pagetype=2&articleid=311&pubid=3&issueid=33
Feds prefer WordPerfect
-----------------------
"WordPerfect is "the tool of choice for the legal arena," said Mary
Aileen O'Donovan, Program Manager for the Justice Management Division
at the DOJ. "Corel has consistently shown that they really understand
how enterprise agreements should work�we pay once and then go forth in
use. Corel understands our needs and that makes our life a lot easier,"
she effused in a Corel press release."
http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=22157
Additional reporting:
http://www.fcw.com/article88398-03-28-05-Print
Linspire Five-0 Linux Software Available In Retail Stores
---------------------------------------------------------
"San Diego-based Linspire, Inc. said Wednesday its Linspire Five-0
desktop Linux operating system is available in retail stores
nationwide.
The new product features enhancements in its core applications on the
Linux platform, said Linspire. The operating system comes with such
desktop applications as OpenOffice.org (a Microsoft file-compatible
office suite), Web browser, e-mail and instant messaging clients,
multimedia viewers; photo and music managers, and calendaring tools."
http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=160502105&tid=5979
Microsoft to DHBs: we're cheaper in the long run
------------------------------------------------
"Microsoft NZ believes the District Health Boards open source pilot
could be "short-sighted".
�It is important to remember that the cost of software does not end
with its acquisition," says strategy manager Brett Roberts.
Last week health board CIOs said they wanted to pay lower software
licensing fees to Microsoft, estimated at more than $20 million over
three years, and would trial an open source desktop with Suse Linux and
OpenOffice.org. The CIOs also demanded stronger representation on the
public sector committee negotiating the details of G2006, the next
iteration of the New Zealand Government�s bulk licensing agreement with
Microsoft."
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/0/CE6C59FE57DB9AF8CC256FE0000FC912?OpenDocument&pub=Computerworld
Office flaw exploit code published
----------------------------------
"On the same day that Microsoft issued its latest batch of monthly
patches, details of a new flaw have been published - along with code to
exploit it
Microsoft is investigating the report of a flaw that could open systems
using its Access or Office software up to attack.
The vulnerability, which was not one of eight patched by Microsoft on
Tuesday, is in the Jet database engine component, according to an
advisory posted the same day by security company Secunia. It could
enable an intruder to remotely execute malicious code on a vulnerable
PC, Secunia said."
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/0,39020330,39194879,00.htm
(Press Release) Canadian firm now world's number 2 office suite
software maker
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Montreal, Quebec, April 19 /PR Direct/ - David bested Goliath with a
small pebble and E-Press Corp. is taking on Microsoft in much the same
way; only this battle is being fought with software. Over the last five
years E-Press has developed office software capable of surpassing
anything Bill Gates has to offer, and people are starting to take
note."
http://www.prdirect.ca/en/view_release.aspx?TrafficID=2475
Microsoft Will Virtualize Linux
-------------------------------
[Contributed bu Kazunari Hirano]
"Amid jokes about cooperating with rivals such as Sun Microsystems,
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said the company would make serious
investments in, and open up, its Virtual Server 2005 product to run on
non-Windows machines.
This includes Linux, he said during his keynote address Wednesday at
the Microsoft Management Summit in Las Vegas. To prove the point,
Microsoft official Bill Anderson demonstrated how Red Hat Linux could
run on Virtual Server 2005."
http://www.internetnews.com/ent-news/article.php/3499286
Statistics
#########################################################################
Events
#########################################################################
Upcoming
========
LCA 2005
--------
Canberra, Australia
2005/04/20-23
http://linux.conf.au/
Open Source Forum
-----------------
Moscow, Russia
2005/04/27-29
http://www.opensource-forum.ru/
fisl 6.0
--------
Porto Alegre, Brazil
2005/06/1-04
http://fisl.softwarelivre.org/6.0/index.php?language=en
Newsletter Archive
#########################################################################
Past issues of the OpenOffice.org Newsletter can be found in the archive
of the announce mailing list:
http://www.openoffice.org/servlets/SummarizeList?listName=announce
Contact Information (regarding this newsletter)
#########################################################################
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