Hi, I’ve been using OpenOffice pretty much since it came out but I need to supply stuff in Word format so I think I need to switch to LibreOffice. Is it possible to have both installed during the transition process or would I risk corrupting files?
Thanks!
No corruption will arise. You only need to know that the two would “compete” for file associations for ODF files; that is only a cosmetic issue, that after every update of either suite, ODT/ODS/etc. will be associated with the just updated program (so double-clcking such file in file manager would open it in this program).
Many thanks Mike, apologies for not mentioning I’ve got 64-bit Windows 10, so nothing exotic. I see that OO hasn’t been updated since 2017 (!) so competition unlikely. However I’ve disabled automatic updates just in case.
Apache OpenOffice got an update a week or two ago. Just for your information.
oh! that’s curious because I had automatic updates selected and got the year from help/about.
Apache OpenOffice and LibreOffice can be installed side by side on MacOS and MS Windows. Changing and mixing default file handler for the odf extensions between the two suites is also no problem, should that ever be necessary. I do it on all computers I regularly do my work on.
I have not tried on Linux, nor on the latest (Big Sur) MacOS incarnation.
I have the both office suits and even run them simultaneously sometimes. No problem.
Provided you don’t open the same file simultaneously (or at least don’t try to update it in both apps at the same time): one app is read-only, the other one is allowed to write.
@ajlittoz: So you are saying that file locking methods for the two suites are not compatible, is that right? I wasn’t aware. Thanks!
@keme: not at all because I have no idea about the technology used. It is a wisdom rule: whenever you have multiple views on a document, only one view can be in write mode, otherwise it is a catastrophe with document destruction guaranteed.
Quite right! I will proceed with due caution, as will (I am sure) Bobm. 
I will indeed. Caution is my middle name! Thanks one and all!!