My business partner lives at a different address and I want to share a spread sheet with him so that he can make changes and updates
I hate to say it – have you thought about Google Docs? Not a LibreOffice solution, but you can upload a Calc spreadsheet to Google Docs, and share it there. It’s a thought…
Don’t need Google Docs. You can use Google Drive right from a Writer or Calc document (File->Open remote). There is also third party items such as Dropbox. Have had success with these & others.
I’ve never used the “open remote” option. I’ll have to try it sometime! But yes, a fileshare like Dropbox would do it nicely.
If you don’t like exporting private or confidential data to third-party hosting service, why not open an SSH channel on your computer (preferably an H24 active one)? File>Open remote supports FTP and SSH (the latter one being crypted is safer than the first – no FTPS alas). I do it routinely.
There developed a vivid discusson on the topic by posting comments.
I am wondering for what reason none of the more experienced contributors here tried an answer.
I am also interested in well informed comments on the amateurish answer I tried.
@Lupp: My suggestion is not LO-specific. It depends on OS and requires technical skills (among others, ports may need to be opened through the box and firewall; also DNS name must be allocated to the computer). Last, it does not solve the organisational issue of version management by itself. It is very easy to end up with a mess as you point out.
The most simple and most safe way on a low level of needed services might be the exchange via email attachments.
Simply share with your partner a secret password for the encryption of the file, send the file to and fro in the respective most recent version, and make sure that no one changes his file a second time while the other partner got it but not yet returned it again.
An additional version control by modifying the filename (increasing odd and even numbers respectively, e.g.) should help to avoid mistakes. Backups of, say, the last 20 versions on each side, should also exist.)
Of course this is not a “professional” solution. For a professional solution ask a professional provider of IT services.