What sets this distributed real-time collaboration apart from both Google Docs and the LibreOffice-based Collabora Online is that it allows users to work on local documents stored on their own devices, rather than in the cloud
As an open-source office suite and a robust alternative to Microsoft Office, LibreOffice is working on a new functionality for its Writer tool, aiming to offer a viable alternative to Google Docs. What sets this distributed real-time collaboration apart from both Google Docs and the LibreOffice-based Collabora Online is that it allows users to work on local documents stored on their own devices, rather than in the cloud, writes Reclaimthenet.org.
Thorsten Behrens from Allotropia, one of the many contributors to LibreOffice’s development, introduced this project at this year’s Free and Open Source Software Developers’ European Meeting (FOSDEM). He revealed that CRDT technology underpins this collaborative feature. The initial development stages involved re-architecting Writer’s comment and change tracking systems.
Once integrated, this real-time collaborative functionality will be available across various instances of LibreOffice on desktop, mobile, and server/online platforms.
During FOSDEM, Behrens also presented ZetaOffice, another software based on LibreOffice and fully compatible with it. Unlike traditional software, ZetaOffice runs in a browser and is already in beta, with its first version expected soon. ZetaOffice allows users to access their documents from any device while retaining complete control over their data, as it does not use third-party cloud services.
In addition to Writer, ZetaOffice includes the Calc spreadsheet program and Impress for creating media presentations. Users can choose to self-host ZetaOffice or deploy it using ZetaOffice’s own Content Delivery Network (CDN). ZetaOffice is also available as a native desktop application for Linux and Windows and includes the zeta.js library for integrating the program into websites.
LibreOffice, a project of the Document Foundation, was developed collaboratively and originated as a fork from the now-discontinued OpenOffice productivity suite in 2010.