Open365: When You Want a Self-Hosted Office Suite — and You’re Not a Google Fan
Let’s face it — not every organization wants to hand over its documents and emails to a cloud giant. For those looking to keep things local, but still have the tools people expect (email, calendar, document editing), Open365 once tried to be that all-in-one answer.
What Was It?
Open365 was an open-source project that bundled together LibreOffice Online, Seafile (for file sync/share), and a mail/calendar interface built on KDE’s Kontact — all glued together into a web-accessible interface. The idea was to offer something like Google Workspace or Office 365, but hosted on your own server.
It came with a desktop sync client, mobile access, and browser editing. In theory — a full cloud office suite, no subscription needed.
Who Looked at It Seriously
– Universities and schools exploring alternatives to Google services
– Companies needing internal-only collaboration tools
– Privacy-conscious teams with sensitive data
– Admins just curious how far open-source could go
It got traction in the open-source community, especially for testbeds and internal use.
What It Offered (Back When It Was Live)
| Component | What It Provided |
| LibreOffice Online | Word/Excel/PowerPoint editing in the browser |
| Seafile Integration | Dropbox-like file storage and sharing |
| Kontact Web Interface | Email, calendar, contacts — in one place |
| Desktop Clients | File sync tool for Windows, Linux, macOS |
| User Management | Account creation, password reset, role control |
| Web UI | Single sign-on to everything |
| Mobile Friendly | Worked on tablets and phones (to a degree) |
What Happened?
Here’s the catch: Open365 was eventually discontinued. The platform was launched by EyeOS and sponsored by Telefónica, but the public cloud service was shut down, and the open-source codebase wasn’t maintained for long afterward.
Some forks or community clones popped up, but they never saw wide adoption.
Can It Still Be Used?
Technically yes — the code is on GitHub (search for eyeos/open365). But expect a bumpy ride:
– No recent updates
– Dependency issues (outdated Seafile and LibreOffice builds)
– Setup is non-trivial — not for the faint of heart
– Documentation is sparse and sometimes outdated
Still, for lab experiments or one-off internal testing? Could be worth a look. Just don’t plan your company-wide deployment around it.
Installation (If You’re Willing to Give It a Try)
Heads up: the project is no longer maintained, and installing it today is more of a deep-dive than a one-click experience. What follows is more of a general direction than a step-by-step guide.
1. Find the source code:
Archived repo: https://github.com/eyeos/Open365
2. Prepare a Linux server:
Ubuntu or Debian preferred, with at least 4–8 GB RAM. You’ll need Docker, Node.js, and some luck.
Be ready for outdated dependencies and broken packages — the code hasn’t aged well.
3. Build Docker containers manually:
Some parts still compile. Others — like Seafile or LibreOffice Online — may need patching or older base images.
4. Run using Docker or by hand:
No working docker-compose.yml out of the box. Documentation is sparse, forums are mostly silent.
5. Manually configure DNS, SSL, and mail delivery:
There’s no wizard. You’re expected to glue it together — mail server, reverse proxy, user management and all.
What People Said While It Lived
“Finally, a private Google Docs alternative — and it actually works.”
“The file sync was solid, but setting up mail was tricky.”
“We used it for a semester — students liked the LibreOffice integration.”
Final Word
Open365 was ambitious — maybe too much so. But it showed what open-source office tools could look like when stitched together. While it’s no longer maintained, it left behind ideas that still matter: user-owned infrastructure, full-stack privacy, and no forced subscriptions.
If you’re nostalgic or just curious, the repo is still out there.
