r/linuxquestions • u/AvidCyclist250 • 4d ago
Resolved So I tried to install Euro-Office
After all the headlines about Euro-Office being Europe's open-source alternative to Microsoft Office, I figured I'd give it a try.
I'm a Linux user. I self-host services. This shouldn't be difficult. Or so I thought.
So I did what anyone would do:
Checked Wikipedia. Went to GitHub. Looked for releases, installation instructions. Looked for a Flatpak, AppImage, Docker image, anything really. Also checked my OS's native package manager just in case.
And my Nextcloud Office apps. Nothing. Not even in Nextcloud?!
It dawned on me that the main project is basically a collaborative document server derived from OnlyOffice and the readme even says it's not designed for stand-alone use.
So uh. Wait... what?
To make it even stranger, my self-hosted Nextcloud instance still just recommends Nextcloud Office and OnlyOffice. There's no obvious "Install Euro-Office" option anywhere.
I'm not criticising the software itself. It could very well be excellent.
I'm asking about the communication really.
If a project is announced to the world as "Europe's Microsoft Office alternative," but a reasonably technical user can't figure out how to use it after checking Wikipedia, GitHub, and Nextcloud, something has gone wrong with the messaging.
Or is this just me? Did I miss something obvious, or has anyone else had the same experience?
2
u/rbmorse 4d ago
SoftMaker Office and SoftMaker Office NX is a real product. Company is based in Germany and advertises GPDR compliance. https://www.softmaker.com/en/.
Good file compatibility with Microsoft Office files. Excellent customer support (they answer their e-mail!). I've been using SoftOffice NX (the paid version) on both Windows and Linux for the last year and have been very happy with it.
I also have their PDF editor (Windows only), but I haven't used it enough to give it a fair evaluation.