Welcome to our interview series, where we chat with the passionate people behind the Collabora Online code. Collabora Online is made possible by the worldwide team, community, contributors and partners. Today, we’re sitting down with Luna Jernberg who helps bring the application to a Swedish-speaking audience.
About Luna
Luna is an experienced open-source contributor with a passion for localisation and retro computers. Her personal use of Collabora Online within her Nextcloud server and the Android app on her phone, gives her a hands-on perspective within Collabora Online as she helps to make it accessible to a global audience.
How did you first hear about Collabora Online and why did you decide to contribute?
I found it on Weblate, which is a platform for translating open-source projects. I was looking for projects I could translate into Swedish. I also knew a few of the other contributors, like Leif Jöran from the FOSS Conference in Gothenburg and Andreas, another main Swedish translator for LibreOffice from the Firefox community. I decided it seemed like a nice community and project to be a part of.
What was your very first contribution, and how did it feel to see it go live?
My first contribution was Swedish translations for the Android app. It was great to see the app on my phone in my native language. It was a very rewarding experience.
How does contributing to Collabora Online connect with your personal values or professional goals?
It’s mostly connected to my personal values at the moment. I use the extensions for Nextcloud on my NAS and the Android app on my phone, so it feels good to contribute to a project that I use myself.
Can you share an example of how the Collabora community has supported you?
They invited me to the COOL Days 2025 in Budapest and sponsored my travel and lodging, which was incredibly generous. I’ve also received a lot of help via the chat channels on Telegram and Matrix whenever I have a question.
Do you have any memorable moments from working with the Collabora team?
Meeting everyone for the first time at the dinner during COOL Days 2025 in Budapest was a great moment. It was fantastic to finally talk to people I’d only known online, especially Skyler who also develops the mobile app I translate into Swedish.
What’s your most memorable moment from COOL Days?
Meeting everyone I’d only ever talked to via chat or email was the most memorable part. It was also great to see what others were working on during the lightning talks and to talk to a fellow retro computer enthusiast during lunch. The great weather and fun and games at the Lumen Café were also a highlight.
What’s the most rewarding part of interacting with other contributors or users?
Joining some of the COOL Weekly meetings and randomly meeting Pedro Silva at FOSDEM 2023 and talking to him on my way back to my hotel was a really fun, memorable experience.
What advice would you give to someone wanting to start contributing?
Don’t be afraid to talk to the main maintainers and contributors about how you can get started. When I was 17, I found a link on a Swedish Ubuntu forum about needing translators, and I just jumped in. The best way to start is to just get involved.
Outside of contributing to Collabora Online, what’s a hobby or interest that you’re passionate about?
I love collecting retro computers that are older than me, like the Commodore 64, Commodore Amiga, and Macintosh SE/30. I was at a local Commodore meetup last weekend, and I love to play retro games and watch demoscene demos on them.
Luna’s journey reminds us that you don’t need to be a programmer to make a significant impact. Whether it’s through translation, design, documentation, or community support, every contribution matters.
