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

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Specific Tasks to Support Goals

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1 Comment

  1. Kay Schenk

    In Challenges:
    "Install experience on Linux is sub-optimal."

    I'm not exactly sure what is meant by this comment. Because of some specific distribution problems? Elaboration would be nice.

    "We get occasional notes from users who require physical media, but we have no official or vetted distributors to point them to."

    Is this something the project itself would like to take on vis a vis some mechanism.