News broke: The Document Foundation (TDF) ejected its core developers. This was a contentious separation between TDF and Collabora, the company behind most of LibreOffice Online. It highlights a significant failure mode in open-source projects: the tension between commercial interests and community governance principles. The operational impact on LibreOffice is severe, though claims of its demise are premature.
The Genesis of Conflict: Divergent Strategic Goals
The conflict originated with LibreOffice Online (LOOL). Collabora developed approximately 95% of its codebase, initially under TDF's umbrella. Initially, LOOL operated on a source-only model, typical for commercial open source where code is free but services and support are commercial. Hosting, for instance, required agreements with providers like Collabora. Collabora's commercial offering, CODE (Collabora Online Development Edition), integrated with platforms like Nextcloud, was built on this.
TDF, however, shifted its objectives. They sought to offer LOOL as a binary product, and, significantly, to host a free version themselves, a shift that inevitably created direct friction. Collabora viewed this as direct competition to their own commercial products. This outcome was predictable: Collabora had built and supported a product, only for the foundation it contributed to to become a direct competitor. This pattern is not uncommon; a foundation's stated "community" goals can often evolve into market capture strategies. This strategic divergence ultimately led to the decision to eject core developers.
In response, Collabora moved its contributions to "Collabora Online," a product under their direct control. TDF subsequently archived LOOL, only to revive it later, a move that understandably displeased Collabora. The disagreement transcended technicalities, becoming a fundamental dispute over the business model that sustained a primary contributor.
The Expulsion: Why TDF Ejected Core Developers
This long-running conflict escalated with TDF expelling Collabora personnel, including board of trustees members. TDF stated that Collabora violated rules established by newly appointed non-contributor board members.
Collabora, conversely, labeled this an "administrative takeover" by TDF's "non-programmer staff," leading to the removal of its "main core code contributors." They view TDF as transforming into a "staff-controlled collective" rather than a Free Software project in the traditional sense. A lawsuit between the two entities was also cited as a reason for Collabora's removal. The contrasting narratives surrounding why TDF ejected core developers highlight the deep ideological chasm.
Consequently, Collabora is now launching its own Gerrit instance, migrating its core branch from TDF Gerrit. This necessitates new accounts, temporary CI system disruption (duration unspecified), and a significant, though unquantified, reduction in Collabora's investment in TDF's community and product. They are developing a new, differentiated Collabora Office product with a leaner codebase—no Java, no database, and a web-based toolkit. This architectural shift directly addresses the high abstraction cost and inherent latency issues that often plague more complex, legacy systems, aiming for a more agile and performant offering. This development constitutes a hard fork, far beyond a minor dispute.
The Aftermath: The Future of LibreOffice
Beyond superficial characterizations of "pointless in-fighting" or "bizarre" behavior, this represents a fundamental governance failure. When TDF, whose stated purpose is to foster the project, alienates its largest code contributor and then directly competes with them, its operational model becomes untenable—a critical failure mode for any open-source project relying on external contributions. The idea that a lack of formal structure is inherently problematic is often discussed; however, in this case, the rigid application of structure, particularly by non-technical board members dictating terms that undermine technical and commercial viability, has proven to be the real issue. The decision to eject core developers from TDF has far-reaching implications for the open-source community.
The immediate impact is a significant reduction in LibreOffice's development capacity, particularly for its online components. Collabora will contribute only where strategically aligned, with their primary focus now on their own distinct product. This means TDF's revived LibreOffice Online will likely fall behind, or TDF must secure new, equally skilled contributors—a significant recruitment challenge.
TDF, in my view, has severely damaged its own project's prospects. Ejecting core developers while expecting continued project growth demonstrates a naive understanding of open-source dynamics. The operational future of LibreOffice, particularly its online offering, faces significant uncertainty due to this split. The foundation prioritized administrative control and a conflicting vision over retaining its most vital technical assets. The long-term stability of LibreOffice, particularly its online offering, faces significant uncertainty following the decision to eject core developers.
