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FAQs
Last updated 2004-10
Most FAQs: Questions
- Are OpenOffice.org binaries legal for commercial/business use?
- Does the OpenOffice.org open source license give me the right to modify and distribute any version of StarOffice?
- Can I sell or otherwise distribute OpenOffice.org?
- Can Sun ever take away the code?
- How can I get OpenOffice.org in some language other than English?
- What are the differences between StarOffice and OpenOffice.org?
- I'm having trouble with fonts, is there a solution?
- Can I attach a file to an Issue?
- Can I use Microsoft Access databases within OpenOffice.org?
Most FAQs: Answers
- Are OpenOffice.org binaries legal for commercial/business use?
Yes, you may use OpenOffice.org binaries for commercial use. Please refer to our download page.
Alternatively, if you are interested in StarOffice for commercial use please, see this URL: http://www.sun.com/staroffice/
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- Does the OpenOffice.org open source license give me the right to modify and distribute any version of StarOffice?
No. The OpenOffice.org source license does not allow anyone to modify, repackage, or redistribute any version of StarOffice, or any other commercial version of the OpenOffice.org source code without an assignment from the vendor. For StarOffice, the vendor is Sun Microsystems.
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- Can I sell and otherwise distribute OpenOffice.org?
Yes. Our license, the LGPL, allows anyone to sell and otherwise distribute OpenOffice.org binaries (executable installation sets; the application people can use), provided that the source is always made available to all, either by link (to www.openoffice.org/) or by inclusion. If you are interested in selling CDROMs of OpenOffice.org or distributing it via OEM computers, please visit the CDROM and OEM projects.
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- Can Sun ever take away the code?
The simple answer is NO. Once code is released under the LGPL, it can never be taken away. Once LGPL, always LGPL. Sun has no plans to return to a closed-development model. Sun is subject to the same rules as the rest of the community, including giving back modifications under the LGPL . Thus, Sun can never take away the code and the community's contributions to it. This code belongs to the community as guaranteed by the LGPL.
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- How can I get OpenOffice.org in some language other than English?
OpenOffice.org has been translated and configured to at least 45 languages besides English. We list supported languages in our Native-Language Confederation projects page. These languages are also listed on the download pages.
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- What are the differences between StarOffice and OpenOffice.org?
Differences between StarOffice and OpenOffice.org
- The source code available at OpenOffice.org does not consist of all of the StarOffice code. Usually, the reason for this is that Sun pays to license third-party code to include in StarOffice that which it does not have permission to make available in OpenOffice.org. Those things which are or will be present in StarOffice but are not available on OpenOffice.org include:
- Certain fonts (including, especially, Asian language fonts)
- The database component (Adabas D)
- Some templates
- Extensive Clip Art Gallery
- Some sorting functionality (Asian versions)
- Certain file filters
- Commercial spell checker, synonym dictionary
- Management tools
For more information on the current features of OpenOffice.org, please see the "Features" page.
A detailed comparison datasheet is available at Sun Microsystem's web site about OpenOffice.org.
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- I'm having trouble with fonts, is there a solution?
Yes. You'll be glad to learn that Christof Pintaske has written an excellent font troubleshooting guide.
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- Can I attach a file to an Issue?
Yes. Our current limit is 10MB (ten megabytes). Attaching a file to an issue is a two-step procedure and is not obvious. You must first submit the issue or locate the issue to which you wish to attach the file. Then, you can add the file as an attachment to that issue.
Note: You cannot add OpenOffice.org files natively. They must be added as "binary" files. This is a temporary problem.
Hints: Reduce the size of your file as much as possible. And, if you are uploading an HTML document, be sure to compress it first (Zip or tar it), otherwise it gets corrupted when others try to download it.
- Can I use Microsoft Access files within OpenOffice.org?
Yes. It's really easy, especially if you follow John McCreesh's step by step illustrated guide, available either online or in pdf format (325k)
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