Where we are today
The Apache OpenOffice project distributes source and binaries as follows:
Distribution Method
|
What is distributed
|
Volume
|
SourceForge
|
Install sets (including Updates)
Language packs
|
120-170K per day
~20 TB per day
|
Apache mirrors
|
Source tarballs
(Also fallback up for binaries)
|
Unknown
|
Third parties, such as
Amazon, FileHippo, Chip.de, etc.
|
Install sets
|
Not known in all cases, but appears to be significant.
|
What is working well today
- We have the ability to support the high-volume of downloads that is generated by the popularity of the project.
- We have a good working relationship with SourceForge.
- Service level is high. Reports of downtime are rare to nonexistent.
Challenges
- Several imposter websites have popped up, and are advertising on Google and Bing and are offering adulterated versions of OpenOffice, confusing users.
- We get occasional notes from users who require physical media, but we have no official or vetted distributors to point them to.
- As we increase the number of languages supported and have additional releases, the release matrix of versions*platforms*languages may be harder to accommodate.
- We have no patch mechanism. Even a single minor fix requires that we rebuild, package and distribute the full matrix of binaries.
- We lack an in-product way to download and apply updates.
- Install experience on Linux is sub-optimal.
- Low conversion rate of downloads to engaged users. Although we have 40 million downloads, the number of engaged users on announcement list or social media is only 0.05% of that.
- Our binaries are not using code signing, a technique increasingly encouraged on Windows and MacOS. These platforms have made UI changes that now discourage installation of unsigned binaries.
- We're highly reliant on a single 3rd party for hosting our binaries.
High Level Goals
Specific Tasks to Support Goals