Hi
I am trying to get the apps in Puppy to be in French at the moment, I have had success with Abiword by installing the language file, this was due to someone on there IRC channel not due to my own expertise. I am in need of help with the other major apps, Scribus Gaim Gnumeric etc.
My questions are;
a) Do I have to recompile the apps with language support and reinstall the apps.
b) Can I, as was done with Abiword, download the language file and install that in the right place.
c) Some other option I have NOT considered above.
I have Puppy 1.07, using LANG variable set to fr_FR
Cheers
Sam
Internationalising Puppy Apps
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costal martignier
- Posts: 198
- Joined: Sat 28 Jan 2006, 15:55
the internationalisation task has a high priority on my puppy todo list...
i think this is really importend, to mutch problems are in this forum regarding i18n so this is something that should be done for puppy 2, but i don't see any announcements about this
very sadly, but it's so that native english speakers don't see the need for other languages, most of them think: english is the world language, so they should use and know english...
we here in switzerland have 4 official language in our country, most swiss speak 3 languages ore more....
perhaps i will found some of you helping me with this task
regards
costal
i think this is really importend, to mutch problems are in this forum regarding i18n so this is something that should be done for puppy 2, but i don't see any announcements about this
very sadly, but it's so that native english speakers don't see the need for other languages, most of them think: english is the world language, so they should use and know english...
we here in switzerland have 4 official language in our country, most swiss speak 3 languages ore more....
perhaps i will found some of you helping me with this task
regards
costal
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Dougal
- Posts: 2502
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- Location: Hell more grotesque than any medieval woodcut
Unfortunately since most Linux users belong in the iso-8859-1 category (or it's extentions) they don't realize that language support is the most important thing in an OS after HW detection... which is where MS wins: I can take a WIN cd and install it and get language support out-of-the-box (sure, the os is crap, but what good is a good OS if you can't use it??).
I don't think there's a point in changing the interface language of programs (if you use a computer you need to know some English), but I was thinking that once I manage to figure out how to get puppy to properly use Hebrew (I'm unable to change the console font- see the Bugs section of the forum) I might try and make localization dotpups (adding locale, keymaps, fonts etc).
Oh, and I still can't even get the keyboard to lock to the second mode- need to keep my finger on the Alt key...
I don't think there's a point in changing the interface language of programs (if you use a computer you need to know some English), but I was thinking that once I manage to figure out how to get puppy to properly use Hebrew (I'm unable to change the console font- see the Bugs section of the forum) I might try and make localization dotpups (adding locale, keymaps, fonts etc).
Oh, and I still can't even get the keyboard to lock to the second mode- need to keep my finger on the Alt key...
answers:My questions are
a) yes, sometimes
b) yes, sometimes
c) yes, sometimes
not true at allnative english speakers don't see the need for other languages, most of them think: english is the world language, so they should use and know english
the computers in the library here have French keyboards ... many of the keys do not match what is printed when the key is pressed ... in particular, pressing the @ key does not print an @ character on the screen ... it's easier to copy and paste an @ character from a webpage than to try to find it on the keyboard ... though they have posted signs now, showing what keys to press to get that character
so i am sympathetic, from personal experience ... and i have done what i could ... which is not much, because i have a us english keyboard, and i always select us-english for my keyboard and locales, and have no problems ... this makes it difficult for me to help, because i have little experience with locales and alternate keyboards (obviously) ... well, other than dvorak
my packages are in english, with english readme files, because the language that i am able to speak is english ... my capabilities in other languages is limited , too limited to write programs and documentation in other languages ... if you suggest that i should learn other languages, you would be ignoring the fact that not everyone has the abilty to easily learn languages, any more than everyone has the abilty to learn to be a competent programmer, or to be a competent mathemetician ... in any case, it is simply not going to happen
i have offered to make dotpups of Icewm menus in other languages, if anyone wants to upload one ... no one has, so far
i have sometimes put messages at the top of a script so it would be easier to translate, though most of my dotpup scripts are small and simple anyway ... they could be adapted to work with $LANG, but i don't know whether there would be adequate font support
of course, it is the reponsibilty of a speaker of a language to translate the messages in a program and in documentation ... it would not be practical for a person with limited abilties in speaking a certain language, to translate something to that language, unless you think that the results (which would certainly be bizarre) would be adequate
OK WOW. . . .
I personally would like to forget the politics about different languages and just get on with doing what I can to get the apps and as much of Puppy as I can in the French language. I have only been working on it for a day or so, and have I believe had quite a bit of success.
1) French keyboard working with all the special characters.
2) IceWM in French
3) 3 apps working in French
So people, if I can do it then so can anyone, if you put your mind to it.
That said I am not a Linux expert by a long way and need the help of those that have done this for other languages.
So if there is anyone out there that has some practical advice regarding this issue please feel free to help.
Guest Too, can you provide me with any more information on the qusetions I asked and the answers you provided.
I look forward to getting this sorted.
Cheers
Sam
I personally would like to forget the politics about different languages and just get on with doing what I can to get the apps and as much of Puppy as I can in the French language. I have only been working on it for a day or so, and have I believe had quite a bit of success.
1) French keyboard working with all the special characters.
2) IceWM in French
3) 3 apps working in French
So people, if I can do it then so can anyone, if you put your mind to it.
That said I am not a Linux expert by a long way and need the help of those that have done this for other languages.
So if there is anyone out there that has some practical advice regarding this issue please feel free to help.
Guest Too, can you provide me with any more information on the qusetions I asked and the answers you provided.
I look forward to getting this sorted.
Cheers
Sam
For some programs it might be sufficient, to add files to /usr/lib/locale
You could grab them from Debian .deb or from.rpm -packages.
Dotpups (and Programs that come with Puppy) are often converted debian (or other) packages, where the Languagefiles were deleted to save space.
Many Linuxprograms use the LC-environment-variables, and then use the corresponding language-files they find in /usr/lib/locale.
So there should be no need to recompile them.
This is true for programs like Abiword or Gnumeric.
but smaller programs (like my basic-programs or Puppys Wizards) do not use LC, so you would have to open them in an editor , and replace words in the scripts themselves.
Mark
You could grab them from Debian .deb or from.rpm -packages.
Dotpups (and Programs that come with Puppy) are often converted debian (or other) packages, where the Languagefiles were deleted to save space.
Many Linuxprograms use the LC-environment-variables, and then use the corresponding language-files they find in /usr/lib/locale.
So there should be no need to recompile them.
This is true for programs like Abiword or Gnumeric.
but smaller programs (like my basic-programs or Puppys Wizards) do not use LC, so you would have to open them in an editor , and replace words in the scripts themselves.
Mark
.po is used by some programs only, often by programs written in perl.
The LC -files:
Search a RPM of Gnumeric for example (the same version as in Puppy).
http://rpmseek.com
http://rpm.pbone.net/
Extract it like a zip with unrpm in a temporary folder:
http://www.murga.org/~puppy/viewtopic.p ... ight=unrpm
Now you will see the subfolder usr/lib/locale (or /usr/local/lib/locale)
Copy the files thereto puppys /usr/lib/locale
Now it should work in other languages.
Mark
The LC -files:
Search a RPM of Gnumeric for example (the same version as in Puppy).
http://rpmseek.com
http://rpm.pbone.net/
Extract it like a zip with unrpm in a temporary folder:
http://www.murga.org/~puppy/viewtopic.p ... ight=unrpm
Now you will see the subfolder usr/lib/locale (or /usr/local/lib/locale)
Copy the files thereto puppys /usr/lib/locale
Now it should work in other languages.
Mark
It seems Gnumeric was a bad example, it does not work.
You must replace the whole gnumeric I think.
At least a test I just made did not recognize the new language-files.
Another version I compiled myself some weeks ago, can display german.
So some testing is required, depending on the application...
I think Puppy uses several applications from Vector-Linux (search the forum), so maybe copying files from Vector will be a good solution.
Mark
You must replace the whole gnumeric I think.
At least a test I just made did not recognize the new language-files.
Another version I compiled myself some weeks ago, can display german.
So some testing is required, depending on the application...
I think Puppy uses several applications from Vector-Linux (search the forum), so maybe copying files from Vector will be a good solution.
Mark
http://www.murga.org/~puppy/viewtopic.p ... t=gnumeric
oops wrong... took it from Damn small linux.
That means I had trouble to compile it in Puppy.
Well just try it with a program you want to translate.
If itworks using puppy - just fine.
If not, use another Distro like Vector-Linux.
Mark
oops wrong... took it from Damn small linux.
That means I had trouble to compile it in Puppy.
Well just try it with a program you want to translate.
If itworks using puppy - just fine.
If not, use another Distro like Vector-Linux.
Mark
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Lobster
- Official Crustacean
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available in local languages
Barry has talked about making Puppy more compatible not just with slack based distros but Debian based.
This is to be encouraged because Ubuntu is based on Debian. Ubuntu has the best language support of any major distro. It is one of its stated aims to be available in local languages.
I would seriously consider sending off for the Ubuntu CD pack (it is free) and installing it on Hard Disk in preparation for Puppy 2 which will be able to use the resources of other distros.
If you are a regional Puppy user send Barry a postcard or something from your locality. It would be a nice thank you gesture:
Barry Kauler, P.O. Box 359, Perenjori, WA 6620, Australia
http://www.puppylinux.com/download/downpage.htm
This is to be encouraged because Ubuntu is based on Debian. Ubuntu has the best language support of any major distro. It is one of its stated aims to be available in local languages.
I would seriously consider sending off for the Ubuntu CD pack (it is free) and installing it on Hard Disk in preparation for Puppy 2 which will be able to use the resources of other distros.
If you are a regional Puppy user send Barry a postcard or something from your locality. It would be a nice thank you gesture:
Barry Kauler, P.O. Box 359, Perenjori, WA 6620, Australia
http://www.puppylinux.com/download/downpage.htm
I understand the language support is important for a distro which would like to be popular all over the world. But I don't think this is the major issue for puppy on the way to popularity. Much more important the support for the international keyboard layout to make puppy usable for different localities. This should be the first step. Even the layout support should build into puppy iso, language support should be an option loading from puppy repository or somehow.
I agree eMeRy. Of course keyboard support is important without it language support is rather superfluous. But I believe that the keyboard support is addressed by this thread http://www.murga.org/%7Epuppy/viewtopic ... highlight= (it is in my case anyway).
Also it would seem that puppy is available in other languages such as German and Vietnamese so language support is possible to what extent and how difficult it is, is what I am trying to find out. To that extent Lobster has raised some interesting points about Puppy2.
Would you clarify this for me Lobster
Also it would seem that puppy is available in other languages such as German and Vietnamese so language support is possible to what extent and how difficult it is, is what I am trying to find out. To that extent Lobster has raised some interesting points about Puppy2.
Would you clarify this for me Lobster
To what extent would this affect language support for instance.Puppy 2 which will be able to use the resources of other distros.
Hi SamSung,
I looked through the linked topic (and some others from there) to find how to tune my keybord and Xorg. I learnt that I should copy a proper xmodmap file (from other distro) to /root directory and rename it to .Xmodmap. I did it, and after I restarted X, the missed AltGr switch-key stated to work fine!
I think MU's keyboard layout chooser do the same.
I hope the chooser, or something like that will be part of the next release of puppy.
(Because it deserve...)
I looked through the linked topic (and some others from there) to find how to tune my keybord and Xorg. I learnt that I should copy a proper xmodmap file (from other distro) to /root directory and rename it to .Xmodmap. I did it, and after I restarted X, the missed AltGr switch-key stated to work fine!
I think MU's keyboard layout chooser do the same.
I hope the chooser, or something like that will be part of the next release of puppy.
(Because it deserve...)