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1 | Notes on the Free Translation Project |
2 | ************************************* | |
3 | ||
4 | Free software is going international! The Free Translation Project | |
5 | is a way to get maintainers of free software, translators, and users all | |
6 | together, so that will gradually become able to speak many languages. | |
7 | A few packages already provide translations for their messages. | |
8 | ||
9 | If you found this `ABOUT-NLS' file inside a distribution, you may | |
10 | assume that the distributed package does use GNU `gettext' internally, | |
a04eba3f | 11 | itself available at your nearest GNU archive site. But you do _not_ |
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12 | need to install GNU `gettext' prior to configuring, installing or using |
13 | this package with messages translated. | |
14 | ||
15 | Installers will find here some useful hints. These notes also | |
16 | explain how users should proceed for getting the programs to use the | |
17 | available translations. They tell how people wanting to contribute and | |
18 | work at translations should contact the appropriate team. | |
19 | ||
20 | When reporting bugs in the `intl/' directory or bugs which may be | |
21 | related to internationalization, you should tell about the version of | |
22 | `gettext' which is used. The information can be found in the | |
23 | `intl/VERSION' file, in internationalized packages. | |
24 | ||
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25 | Quick configuration advice |
26 | ========================== | |
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27 | |
28 | If you want to exploit the full power of internationalization, you | |
29 | should configure it using | |
30 | ||
31 | ./configure --with-included-gettext | |
32 | ||
33 | to force usage of internationalizing routines provided within this | |
34 | package, despite the existence of internationalizing capabilities in the | |
35 | operating system where this package is being installed. So far, only | |
36 | the `gettext' implementation in the GNU C library version 2 provides as | |
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37 | many features (such as locale alias, message inheritance, automatic |
38 | charset conversion or plural form handling) as the implementation here. | |
39 | It is also not possible to offer this additional functionality on top | |
40 | of a `catgets' implementation. Future versions of GNU `gettext' will | |
41 | very likely convey even more functionality. So it might be a good idea | |
42 | to change to GNU `gettext' as soon as possible. | |
43 | ||
44 | So you need _not_ provide this option if you are using GNU libc 2 or | |
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45 | you have installed a recent copy of the GNU gettext package with the |
46 | included `libintl'. | |
47 | ||
48 | INSTALL Matters | |
49 | =============== | |
50 | ||
51 | Some packages are "localizable" when properly installed; the | |
52 | programs they contain can be made to speak your own native language. | |
53 | Most such packages use GNU `gettext'. Other packages have their own | |
54 | ways to internationalization, predating GNU `gettext'. | |
55 | ||
56 | By default, this package will be installed to allow translation of | |
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57 | messages. It will automatically detect whether the system already |
58 | provides the GNU `gettext' functions. If not, the GNU `gettext' own | |
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59 | library will be used. This library is wholly contained within this |
60 | package, usually in the `intl/' subdirectory, so prior installation of | |
a04eba3f | 61 | the GNU `gettext' package is _not_ required. Installers may use |
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62 | special options at configuration time for changing the default |
63 | behaviour. The commands: | |
64 | ||
65 | ./configure --with-included-gettext | |
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66 | ./configure --disable-nls |
67 | ||
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68 | will respectively bypass any pre-existing `gettext' to use the |
69 | internationalizing routines provided within this package, or else, | |
70 | _totally_ disable translation of messages. | |
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71 | |
72 | When you already have GNU `gettext' installed on your system and run | |
73 | configure without an option for your new package, `configure' will | |
74 | probably detect the previously built and installed `libintl.a' file and | |
75 | will decide to use this. This might be not what is desirable. You | |
76 | should use the more recent version of the GNU `gettext' library. I.e. | |
77 | if the file `intl/VERSION' shows that the library which comes with this | |
78 | package is more recent, you should use | |
79 | ||
80 | ./configure --with-included-gettext | |
81 | ||
82 | to prevent auto-detection. | |
83 | ||
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84 | The configuration process will not test for the `catgets' function |
85 | and therefore it will not be used. The reason is that even an | |
86 | emulation of `gettext' on top of `catgets' could not provide all the | |
87 | extensions of the GNU `gettext' library. | |
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88 | |
89 | Internationalized packages have usually many `po/LL.po' files, where | |
90 | LL gives an ISO 639 two-letter code identifying the language. Unless | |
91 | translations have been forbidden at `configure' time by using the | |
92 | `--disable-nls' switch, all available translations are installed | |
93 | together with the package. However, the environment variable `LINGUAS' | |
94 | may be set, prior to configuration, to limit the installed set. | |
95 | `LINGUAS' should then contain a space separated list of two-letter | |
96 | codes, stating which languages are allowed. | |
97 | ||
98 | Using This Package | |
99 | ================== | |
100 | ||
101 | As a user, if your language has been installed for this package, you | |
102 | only have to set the `LANG' environment variable to the appropriate | |
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103 | `LL_CC' combination. Here `LL' is an ISO 639 two-letter language code, |
104 | and `CC' is an ISO 3166 two-letter country code. For example, let's | |
105 | suppose that you speak German and live in Germany. At the shell | |
106 | prompt, merely execute `setenv LANG de_DE' (in `csh'), | |
107 | `export LANG; LANG=de_DE' (in `sh') or `export LANG=de_DE' (in `bash'). | |
108 | This can be done from your `.login' or `.profile' file, once and for | |
109 | all. | |
110 | ||
111 | You might think that the country code specification is redundant. | |
112 | But in fact, some languages have dialects in different countries. For | |
113 | example, `de_AT' is used for Austria, and `pt_BR' for Brazil. The | |
114 | country code serves to distinguish the dialects. | |
115 | ||
116 | The locale naming convention of `LL_CC', with `LL' denoting the | |
117 | language and `CC' denoting the country, is the one use on systems based | |
118 | on GNU libc. On other systems, some variations of this scheme are | |
119 | used, such as `LL' or `LL_CC.ENCODING'. You can get the list of | |
120 | locales supported by your system for your country by running the command | |
121 | `locale -a | grep '^LL''. | |
122 | ||
123 | Not all programs have translations for all languages. By default, an | |
124 | English message is shown in place of a nonexistent translation. If you | |
125 | understand other languages, you can set up a priority list of languages. | |
126 | This is done through a different environment variable, called | |
127 | `LANGUAGE'. GNU `gettext' gives preference to `LANGUAGE' over `LANG' | |
128 | for the purpose of message handling, but you still need to have `LANG' | |
129 | set to the primary language; this is required by other parts of the | |
130 | system libraries. For example, some Swedish users who would rather | |
131 | read translations in German than English for when Swedish is not | |
132 | available, set `LANGUAGE' to `sv:de' while leaving `LANG' to `sv_SE'. | |
133 | ||
134 | In the `LANGUAGE' environment variable, but not in the `LANG' | |
135 | environment variable, `LL_CC' combinations can be abbreviated as `LL' | |
136 | to denote the language's main dialect. For example, `de' is equivalent | |
137 | to `de_DE' (German as spoken in Germany), and `pt' to `pt_PT' | |
138 | (Portuguese as spoken in Portugal) in this context. | |
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139 | |
140 | Translating Teams | |
141 | ================= | |
142 | ||
143 | For the Free Translation Project to be a success, we need interested | |
144 | people who like their own language and write it well, and who are also | |
145 | able to synergize with other translators speaking the same language. | |
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146 | Each translation team has its own mailing list. The up-to-date list of |
147 | teams can be found at the Free Translation Project's homepage, | |
148 | `http://www.iro.umontreal.ca/contrib/po/HTML/', in the "National teams" | |
149 | area. | |
150 | ||
151 | If you'd like to volunteer to _work_ at translating messages, you | |
e435507f | 152 | should become a member of the translating team for your own language. |
a04eba3f | 153 | The subscribing address is _not_ the same as the list itself, it has |
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154 | `-request' appended. For example, speakers of Swedish can send a |
155 | message to `sv-request@li.org', having this message body: | |
156 | ||
157 | subscribe | |
158 | ||
159 | Keep in mind that team members are expected to participate | |
a04eba3f | 160 | _actively_ in translations, or at solving translational difficulties, |
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161 | rather than merely lurking around. If your team does not exist yet and |
162 | you want to start one, or if you are unsure about what to do or how to | |
163 | get started, please write to `translation@iro.umontreal.ca' to reach the | |
164 | coordinator for all translator teams. | |
165 | ||
166 | The English team is special. It works at improving and uniformizing | |
167 | the terminology in use. Proven linguistic skill are praised more than | |
168 | programming skill, here. | |
169 | ||
170 | Available Packages | |
171 | ================== | |
172 | ||
173 | Languages are not equally supported in all packages. The following | |
174 | matrix shows the current state of internationalization, as of August | |
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175 | 2002. The matrix shows, in regard of each package, for which languages |
176 | PO files have been submitted to translation coordination, with a | |
177 | translation percentage of at least 50%. | |
178 | ||
179 | Ready PO files be bg ca cs da de el en eo es et fi fr | |
180 | +----------------------------------------+ | |
181 | a2ps | [] [] [] [] | | |
182 | ap-utils | | | |
183 | bash | [] [] [] [] | | |
184 | bfd | [] [] | | |
185 | binutils | [] [] | | |
186 | bison | [] [] [] [] | | |
187 | clisp | | | |
188 | clisp | [] [] [] [] | | |
189 | clisplow | | | |
190 | cpio | [] [] [] [] | | |
191 | darkstat | () | | |
192 | diffutils | [] [] [] [] [] [] | | |
193 | enscript | [] [] | | |
194 | error | [] [] [] | | |
195 | fetchmail | [] () [] [] [] () | | |
196 | fileutils | [] [] [] [] [] | | |
197 | findutils | [] [] [] [] [] [] | | |
198 | flex | [] [] [] [] [] | | |
199 | gas | [] [] | | |
200 | gawk | [] [] [] | | |
201 | gcal | [] [] | | |
202 | gcc | [] [] | | |
203 | gettext | [] [] [] [] [] | | |
204 | gnupg | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | | |
205 | gprof | [] [] | | |
206 | gpsdrive | () () () () () | | |
207 | grep | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | | |
208 | gretl | [] | | |
209 | gthumb | () () () | | |
210 | hello | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | | |
211 | id-utils | [] [] [] | | |
212 | indent | [] [] [] [] [] | | |
213 | jpilot | () [] [] [] | | |
214 | jwhois | [] [] | | |
215 | kbd | [] [] [] | | |
216 | ld | [] [] | | |
217 | libc | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | | |
218 | libiconv | [] [] [] [] | | |
219 | lifelines | () () | | |
220 | lilypond | [] [] | | |
221 | lingoteach | [] [] | | |
222 | lingoteach_lessons| () () | | |
223 | lynx | [] [] [] [] [] | | |
224 | m4 | [] [] [] [] [] | | |
225 | make | [] [] [] [] | | |
226 | man-db | [] () () [] () () | | |
227 | mysecretdiary | [] [] [] | | |
228 | nano | [] () [] [] [] [] | | |
229 | nano_1_0 | [] () [] [] [] [] | | |
230 | opcodes | [] [] [] | | |
231 | parted | [] [] [] [] [] | | |
232 | ptx | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | | |
233 | python | | | |
234 | recode | [] [] [] [] [] [] | | |
235 | sed | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | | |
236 | sh-utils | [] [] [] [] | | |
237 | sharutils | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | | |
238 | sketch | () [] () | | |
239 | soundtracker | [] [] [] | | |
240 | sp | [] | | |
241 | tar | [] [] [] [] [] [] | | |
242 | texinfo | [] [] [] [] [] | | |
243 | textutils | [] [] [] [] [] | | |
244 | util-linux | [] [] [] [] [] [] | | |
245 | vorbis-tools | [] | | |
246 | wastesedge | | | |
247 | wdiff | [] [] [] [] [] [] | | |
248 | wget | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | | |
249 | +----------------------------------------+ | |
250 | be bg ca cs da de el en eo es et fi fr | |
251 | 0 2 19 10 30 44 9 1 12 44 17 6 53 | |
252 | ||
253 | gl he hr hu id it ja ko lv nb nl nn | |
254 | +-------------------------------------+ | |
255 | a2ps | () () [] | | |
256 | ap-utils | | | |
257 | bash | [] | | |
258 | bfd | [] | | |
259 | binutils | [] | | |
260 | bison | [] [] [] [] | | |
261 | clisp | | | |
262 | clisp | [] | | |
263 | clisplow | | | |
264 | cpio | [] [] [] [] | | |
265 | darkstat | | | |
266 | diffutils | [] [] [] [] [] | | |
267 | enscript | [] [] | | |
268 | error | [] | | |
269 | fetchmail | [] | | |
270 | fileutils | [] [] [] | | |
271 | findutils | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | | |
272 | flex | [] | | |
273 | gas | | | |
274 | gawk | [] | | |
275 | gcal | | | |
276 | gcc | [] | | |
277 | gettext | [] [] | | |
278 | gnupg | [] [] [] [] | | |
279 | gprof | [] | | |
280 | gpsdrive | [] () () | | |
281 | grep | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | | |
282 | gretl | | | |
283 | gthumb | () () | | |
284 | hello | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | | |
285 | id-utils | [] [] | | |
286 | indent | [] [] [] [] | | |
287 | jpilot | () () | | |
288 | jwhois | [] [] | | |
289 | kbd | | | |
290 | ld | | | |
291 | libc | [] [] [] [] | | |
292 | libiconv | [] [] [] | | |
293 | lifelines | | | |
294 | lilypond | [] | | |
295 | lingoteach | [] | | |
296 | lingoteach_lessons| | | |
297 | lynx | [] [] [] [] | | |
298 | m4 | [] [] [] [] | | |
299 | make | [] [] [] [] [] [] | | |
300 | man-db | () () | | |
301 | mysecretdiary | [] | | |
302 | nano | [] [] [] [] | | |
303 | nano_1_0 | [] [] [] [] [] | | |
304 | opcodes | [] [] | | |
305 | parted | [] [] [] | | |
306 | ptx | [] [] [] [] [] | | |
307 | python | | | |
308 | recode | [] [] [] | | |
309 | sed | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | | |
310 | sh-utils | [] [] [] | | |
311 | sharutils | [] [] [] | | |
312 | sketch | () | | |
313 | soundtracker | [] [] | | |
314 | sp | | | |
315 | tar | [] [] [] [] [] [] | | |
316 | texinfo | [] [] [] | | |
317 | textutils | [] [] [] [] | | |
318 | util-linux | () [] | | |
319 | vorbis-tools | [] | | |
320 | wastesedge | | | |
321 | wdiff | [] [] [] | | |
322 | wget | [] [] [] [] [] [] | | |
323 | +-------------------------------------+ | |
324 | gl he hr hu id it ja ko lv nb nl nn | |
325 | 23 9 12 19 16 13 26 9 1 7 19 3 | |
e435507f | 326 | |
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327 | no pl pt pt_BR ru sk sl sv tr uk zh_CN zh_TW |
328 | +----------------------------------------------+ | |
329 | a2ps | () () () [] [] [] [] [] | 10 | |
330 | ap-utils | () | 0 | |
331 | bash | [] | 6 | |
332 | bfd | [] [] | 5 | |
333 | binutils | [] [] | 5 | |
334 | bison | [] [] [] [] | 12 | |
335 | clisp | | 0 | |
336 | clisp | | 5 | |
337 | clisplow | | 0 | |
338 | cpio | [] [] [] [] | 12 | |
339 | darkstat | [] [] () () | 2 | |
340 | diffutils | [] [] [] [] [] [] | 17 | |
341 | enscript | [] [] [] [] | 8 | |
342 | error | [] [] [] | 7 | |
343 | fetchmail | () () [] | 6 | |
344 | fileutils | [] [] [] [] [] [] | 14 | |
345 | findutils | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 21 | |
346 | flex | [] [] [] | 9 | |
347 | gas | [] | 3 | |
348 | gawk | [] [] | 6 | |
349 | gcal | [] [] | 4 | |
350 | gcc | [] | 4 | |
351 | gettext | [] [] [] [] [] [] | 13 | |
352 | gnupg | [] [] [] | 14 | |
353 | gprof | [] [] | 5 | |
354 | gpsdrive | [] [] | 3 | |
355 | grep | [] [] [] [] [] | 20 | |
356 | gretl | | 1 | |
357 | gthumb | () () [] | 1 | |
358 | hello | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 28 | |
359 | id-utils | [] [] [] [] | 9 | |
360 | indent | [] [] [] [] [] | 14 | |
361 | jpilot | () () [] [] | 5 | |
362 | jwhois | [] () () [] [] | 7 | |
363 | kbd | [] [] | 5 | |
364 | ld | [] [] | 4 | |
365 | libc | [] [] [] [] [] [] | 18 | |
366 | libiconv | [] [] [] [] [] | 12 | |
367 | lifelines | [] | 1 | |
368 | lilypond | [] | 4 | |
369 | lingoteach | [] [] | 5 | |
370 | lingoteach_lessons| () | 0 | |
371 | lynx | [] [] [] [] | 13 | |
372 | m4 | [] [] [] [] | 13 | |
373 | make | [] [] [] [] [] | 15 | |
374 | man-db | | 3 | |
375 | mysecretdiary | [] [] [] | 7 | |
376 | nano | [] [] [] [] | 13 | |
377 | nano_1_0 | [] [] [] [] | 14 | |
378 | opcodes | [] [] [] | 8 | |
379 | parted | [] [] [] [] | 12 | |
380 | ptx | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 19 | |
381 | python | | 0 | |
382 | recode | [] [] [] [] [] [] | 15 | |
383 | sed | [] [] [] [] [] [] | 24 | |
384 | sh-utils | [] [] | 9 | |
385 | sharutils | [] [] [] [] | 14 | |
386 | sketch | [] () [] | 4 | |
387 | soundtracker | [] | 6 | |
388 | sp | | 1 | |
389 | tar | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 19 | |
390 | texinfo | [] [] | 10 | |
391 | textutils | [] [] [] [] [] | 14 | |
392 | util-linux | [] [] [] | 10 | |
393 | vorbis-tools | [] | 3 | |
394 | wastesedge | | 0 | |
395 | wdiff | [] [] [] [] [] | 14 | |
396 | wget | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 24 | |
397 | +----------------------------------------------+ | |
398 | 37 teams no pl pt pt_BR ru sk sl sv tr uk zh_CN zh_TW | |
399 | 68 domains 4 15 2 28 28 12 10 49 43 4 1 9 609 | |
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400 | |
401 | Some counters in the preceding matrix are higher than the number of | |
402 | visible blocks let us expect. This is because a few extra PO files are | |
403 | used for implementing regional variants of languages, or language | |
404 | dialects. | |
405 | ||
406 | For a PO file in the matrix above to be effective, the package to | |
407 | which it applies should also have been internationalized and | |
408 | distributed as such by its maintainer. There might be an observable | |
409 | lag between the mere existence a PO file and its wide availability in a | |
410 | distribution. | |
411 | ||
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412 | If August 2002 seems to be old, you may fetch a more recent copy of |
413 | this `ABOUT-NLS' file on most GNU archive sites. The most up-to-date | |
414 | matrix with full percentage details can be found at | |
415 | `http://www.iro.umontreal.ca/contrib/po/HTML/matrix.html'. | |
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416 | |
417 | Using `gettext' in new packages | |
418 | =============================== | |
419 | ||
420 | If you are writing a freely available program and want to | |
421 | internationalize it you are welcome to use GNU `gettext' in your | |
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422 | package. Of course you have to respect the GNU Library General Public |
423 | License which covers the use of the GNU `gettext' library. This means | |
424 | in particular that even non-free programs can use `libintl' as a shared | |
425 | library, whereas only free software can use `libintl' as a static | |
426 | library or use modified versions of `libintl'. | |
427 | ||
428 | Once the sources are changed appropriately and the setup can handle | |
429 | to use of `gettext' the only thing missing are the translations. The | |
430 | Free Translation Project is also available for packages which are not | |
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431 | developed inside the GNU project. Therefore the information given above |
432 | applies also for every other Free Software Project. Contact | |
433 | `translation@iro.umontreal.ca' to make the `.pot' files available to | |
434 | the translation teams. | |
435 |