Localization Manager (addlocale)

[pinoc]

Hi Uggla,

the Ubuntu po-file database is ~2.6GB, then converted to mo-files and leaving out some which could not be converted results in ~800MB. Of that you do not need some too exotic locales -> ~ 500MB, on average may be 15MB per locale. With addlocale 1.6 I had ~60% of these mo-files per locale in PCLOS. Now I found a trick to have ~95% of them in PCLOS and the remaining mo-files are Ubuntu specific, so not relevant for PCLOS. Still there are very few which need to be imported from somewhere else, but 95% of the users will not even need them. Addlocale 1.7 is progressing nicely and many more applications will be converted, but it will take some more days to finish this.  And with 98% conversion it will make the mo-database superfluous
Tomorrow, when I am back at work, I can attach the script to generate the mo-file database, so you can look into this and see what is useful for you. Remember that this database is based on Ubuntu. Obviously, this database is not complete and you will still have to search for some mo-files in other distros, but this is really striving for perfection. Addlocale 1.7 will give you at least 95% of what can be achieved, which should be fine for almost anyone.

regards,
-pinoc

[melodie]

Addlocale 1.7 will give you at least 95% of what can be achieved, which should be fine for almost anyone.

That will indeed be a great step forward ! I've done a remaster in french in order to spread it, but I'll wait for your next addlocale version before making it a final.

Here is a shot I took of the remaster, that I'm actually testing in Virtalbox in another distribution.

[dagsljos]

thanks for all this work pinoc.... sure is nice knowing it will be done right..

as Melodie, think I'll restart my remasters when you've got the 1.7 ready for us.. 

[Uggla]

Addlocale 1.7 will give you at least 95% of what can be achieved, which should be fine for almost anyone.

Thats great, and certainly good enough for me! 

/Uggla

[pinoc]

quick update:
it seems that the next version should be a big improvement because I finally manged to get locale-specific lists of all language-relevant packages from the entire repo (14GB). Such a list can then be compared to the existing packages in the system and then only the translatable packages for the given locale will be reinstalled (but now we know all of them for each locale). Compared to the current version, this should show many more applications in the new locale and it is also more efficient. In addition, the new method will be modular, the first module addresses the WM, and the second the applications. Consequently, a addlocale-Gnome, addlocale-openbox, etc. should then be feasible, but before diving into this I must make sure it works well for my favorite KDE WM    Since these are major changes, it will take me at least one week to properly implement and test them. So, if you are in a hurry, use the current version, which is not too bad either.

regards,
-pinoc

[melodie]

...Compared to the current version, this should show many more applications in the new locale and it is also more efficient. In addition, the new method will be modular, the first module addresses the WM, and the second the applications. Consequently, a addlocale-Gnome, addlocale-openbox, etc. should then be feasible, but before diving into this I must make sure it works well for my favorite KDE WM 

Gigantic ! Enormous ! 

/I'll wait quietly for this great improvement, then will follow very closely the diverse environments adaptations.

/I wonder : how does the script act to make all following applications, that will be installed later on and long after the localization be well translated to your locale ? Is the developping team going to add all the present and future locales from the more advanced Ubuntu or else to the localization packages that are on the repositories ?

[melodie]

but, I ain't going to put French on my computer, and have to reinstall cause I can't read it, just to test it out.   

Yes you do ! then you learn french, then once finished you add one more locale (let's say sweddish he he !) you learn another language, then... then you go to all countries in the world to spread PClos among all people who don't know it yet, then PCLOS becomes Number 1 before MS !   

(btw adding a language does not create the need to reinstall, I'm sure if one uninstalls a locale, that's it. Maybe he'll just additionnally go to /usr/share/locales, erase all that he does not need.)

[capnx]

How do I turn applications from system language (Chinese) to English? Right now, my system is in Chinese, but I want application menus like firefox and openoffice to display in English. I tried through Control Center and Configure your Computer, and neither worked.

Any suggestions?

[pinoc]

capnx,
run addlocale again, keep the default setting 'English US', and your applications will be back in English.
-pinoc

[capnx]

just did that, but addlocale didn't do anything.

the only way for me to switch the system back to full english is through draklocale through terminal, which erases all chinese language from both system and applications.

[pinoc]

which addlocale version do you use? If it is the one located under /usr/bin then this one is totally outdated and should never be used. When you run addlocale, does it say at the welcome screen 'version 1.6' ?
if you choose English in draklocale, this will not erase the Chinese language, instead it tells the system to use English as default language from now on. Please be aware that you can only have one (1) language as the system language, so for the applications you must choose either English or Chinese. However, the KDE desktop of a given user-account can have a language setting which is different from the system language. This can be set in the KDE control center BUT this KDE desktop language will not affect the system language, because this language is defined system-wide.

hope that helps, (and addlocale 1.6 MUST reset things back to English  )
-pinoc 

[capnx]

thanks for the tips. i am using version 1.6

Please be aware that you can only have one (1) language as the system language, so for the applications you must choose either English or Chinese.

the major headache for me is it seems some applications (openoffice and firefox) will only stick with system languages. so if i set draklocale to chinese, then those apps' menus will only display in chinese, no matter how i change the KDE control center or the configure your computer regional settings. if I set system to english, the the system can't read chinese characters (chinese file names will come up as boxes).

just seems I can't get the best of two worlds

[pinoc]

capnx, just an idea, I can not test this right now cause I'm not at my test machine: set the system to Chinese so all characters are displayed properly. Then to get firefox and openoffice in English you could try to uninstall the Chinese addons for FF and OO, so uninstall firefox-zh_CN and openoffice.org-help/l10n-zh_CN, then they could be forced to use English cause there is no Chinese anymore, same for thunderbird, and koffice, maybe, hopefully, worth a try... 

good luck,
-pinoc

[capnx]

dude, you're a FRICKEN GENIUS!!!

sorry for the shouting, but im just so happy the workaround finally worked
so the complete circle for doing it was: addlocale -> chinese system language, then set the control center region/language to english, THEN uninstall all the application chinese languages through synaps. lol!!!

keep up the good work pinoc!

* capnx so giddy with happiness 

[pinoc]

capnx, that's great news and good to hear it worked!
Ok then, best wishes and now enjoy your 'new' PCLOS system!!