Speaker
Eeshaan Sawant
Description
Collaboration today often means being locked into proprietary platforms, where your documents live in someone else’s cloud and your workflow depends on their roadmap. In the Linux world, however, many proprietary tools don’t exist, and the sheer number of choices can be overwhelming.
This talk will explore how to build powerful, privacy-respecting document collaboration workflows entirely on Linux, using open source technologies. We’ll look at what’s possible today, where the gaps remain, and how GNOME and the wider Linux community can make collaboration smoother, more inclusive, and fully under your control.
| Category | Privacy and Security |
|---|---|
| Talk Description | Most modern collaboration happens on platforms that lock us into proprietary ecosystems, with little control over our data. Most of the workflows are tied to vendor roadmaps, and privacy is often an afterthought. On Linux though, the situation is different. Many proprietary tools don’t exist here, and while open source offers countless alternatives, the abundance of choice can be confusing. Workflows often feel fragmented or incomplete, making it hard to settle on a reliable setup. This talk takes a deep dive into building document collaboration workflows on Linux that are both powerful and privacy-respecting. We’ll explore the current landscape of open source tools, highlight their strengths and limitations, and explore how well they integrate (or don’t) with the growing wave of GenAI technologies. We’ll also see how projects like GNOME can play a key role in shaping smoother, richer collaboration experiences for everyone. Along the way, I’ll share real-world use cases, lessons from working closely with the Japan Linux community, and insights into what’s needed to make Linux collaboration not just possible, but competitive with, and perhaps even better than proprietary solutions. Some of the tools we’ll look at include LibreOffice, Apache OpenOffice, ONLYOFFICE, Nextcloud Office, and more. |
| Author(s) Bio | Meet Eeshaan Sawant, an engineer passionate about Linux, open source, Cloud Native, and building tools that delight both users and developers. Eeshaan currently works as a Developer Experience Engineer at ONLYOFFICE, focusing on documentation, developer tooling, and community engagement. He is also a Linux Foundation Mentee at PipeCD for the Fall Term 2025. With more than half a decade of experience as a Linux practitioner, collaborating especially closely with Linux user groups in Japan - he has developed a strong understanding of the challenges users face when working with complex Linux Systems. He regularly shares his knowledge at various events across continents, and has spoken at high profile events like Write the Docs AU, DevRel Kaigi Japan, UbuCon Asia, TCUK London and more. Beyond work, Eeshaan is a huge foodie and a coffee connoisseur, and enjoys discovering new cafes, geeking out over pour-over techniques, and exploring local cuisines wherever he goes. |
| Pronouns | He/Him |
| Twitter and/or Mastodon Handle | https://www.linkedin.com/in/sawanteeshaan/ |
| Where are you located? | India |
| Do you need travel sponsorship from GNOME Foundation in order to join our event? | Yes |
Author
Eeshaan Sawant
