How do I get a feature or bugfix that I really care about and which I consider important into LibreOffice? How do I request a feature or bugfix?
If you can code, first mirror the source code and make it work without a hitch, then open a new bug report at https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/enter_bug.cgi?product=LibreOffice with the diff and what else there’s to it.
If you can’t code at all, open a new bug report at the address above and explain everything. The better details and better explanation, the better.
If you can code but not fully implement it, open a new bug report at the address above and give everything there is to it.
When you want to bring some feature or bugfix into the limelight, the best way to go about it is writing a bug report or feature request. Rather than just complaining on twitter or writing a blog post, the LibreOffice feedback page is a great way to provide feedback.
While specifying what is needed and building consensus around what is most important is appreciated, it is just the start. As there are many awesome features that could be implemented, even a project with as many contributors as LibreOffice will have them as some among many, many others that are important too.
So what can be done to advance the features or bug fixes you care about most?
There are several options available to you:
-
Implement it yourself! This might seem daunting at first, but it worked out for so many people already, you should give it a try.
- We will help you with this!
- Hackfests and Conferences are a good start too. If you show commitment to contribute to LibreOffice, travel bursaries are available for you. Check back with the organizers of the event.
-
Find new and capable LibreOffice contributors and encourage them to
implement the feature you want.You are unlikely to be lucky persuading contributors who are already active – each of them
will have their own long list of pet peeves they want to solve for themselves,
their employers or their friends. As such, nagging in issue trackers or on social media is likely to prove counter-productive. -
Purchase “level 3” (professional) support at a company employing certified developers. More information is available on the professional support page – find a partner and raise the issue with them.
-
If you have marketing skills or you are a celebrity (or you know a celebrity or you know somebody who knowns somebody who knows a celebrity) you should nail down exactly how your feature should work, find a partner (good candidates are those from the link in 3) and get an estimated cost for the implementation.
Once you know how much funding you need you can start a Kickstarter/Indiegogo campaign and use your marketing skills, your friends, fame and maybe some of your own money to get the ball rolling. This has been done before, e.g. by Wilhelm Tux and OSBA. Some more information is available on the Crowdfunding wiki page.