| Notes on the Free Translation Project |
| ************************************* |
| |
| Free software is going international! The Free Translation Project |
| is a way to get maintainers of free software, translators, and users all |
| together, so that will gradually become able to speak many languages. |
| A few packages already provide translations for their messages. |
| |
| If you found this `ABOUT-NLS' file inside a distribution, you may |
| assume that the distributed package does use GNU `gettext' internally, |
| itself available at your nearest GNU archive site. But you do _not_ |
| need to install GNU `gettext' prior to configuring, installing or using |
| this package with messages translated. |
| |
| Installers will find here some useful hints. These notes also |
| explain how users should proceed for getting the programs to use the |
| available translations. They tell how people wanting to contribute and |
| work at translations should contact the appropriate team. |
| |
| When reporting bugs in the `intl/' directory or bugs which may be |
| related to internationalization, you should tell about the version of |
| `gettext' which is used. The information can be found in the |
| `intl/VERSION' file, in internationalized packages. |
| |
| Quick configuration advice |
| ========================== |
| |
| If you want to exploit the full power of internationalization, you |
| should configure it using |
| |
| ./configure --with-included-gettext |
| |
| to force usage of internationalizing routines provided within this |
| package, despite the existence of internationalizing capabilities in the |
| operating system where this package is being installed. So far, only |
| the `gettext' implementation in the GNU C library version 2 provides as |
| many features (such as locale alias, message inheritance, automatic |
| charset conversion or plural form handling) as the implementation here. |
| It is also not possible to offer this additional functionality on top |
| of a `catgets' implementation. Future versions of GNU `gettext' will |
| very likely convey even more functionality. So it might be a good idea |
| to change to GNU `gettext' as soon as possible. |
| |
| So you need _not_ provide this option if you are using GNU libc 2 or |
| you have installed a recent copy of the GNU gettext package with the |
| included `libintl'. |
| |
| INSTALL Matters |
| =============== |
| |
| Some packages are "localizable" when properly installed; the |
| programs they contain can be made to speak your own native language. |
| Most such packages use GNU `gettext'. Other packages have their own |
| ways to internationalization, predating GNU `gettext'. |
| |
| By default, this package will be installed to allow translation of |
| messages. It will automatically detect whether the system already |
| provides the GNU `gettext' functions. If not, the GNU `gettext' own |
| library will be used. This library is wholly contained within this |
| package, usually in the `intl/' subdirectory, so prior installation of |
| the GNU `gettext' package is _not_ required. Installers may use |
| special options at configuration time for changing the default |
| behaviour. The commands: |
| |
| ./configure --with-included-gettext |
| ./configure --disable-nls |
| |
| will respectively bypass any pre-existing `gettext' to use the |
| internationalizing routines provided within this package, or else, |
| _totally_ disable translation of messages. |
| |
| When you already have GNU `gettext' installed on your system and run |
| configure without an option for your new package, `configure' will |
| probably detect the previously built and installed `libintl.a' file and |
| will decide to use this. This might be not what is desirable. You |
| should use the more recent version of the GNU `gettext' library. I.e. |
| if the file `intl/VERSION' shows that the library which comes with this |
| package is more recent, you should use |
| |
| ./configure --with-included-gettext |
| |
| to prevent auto-detection. |
| |
| The configuration process will not test for the `catgets' function |
| and therefore it will not be used. The reason is that even an |
| emulation of `gettext' on top of `catgets' could not provide all the |
| extensions of the GNU `gettext' library. |
| |
| Internationalized packages have usually many `po/LL.po' files, where |
| LL gives an ISO 639 two-letter code identifying the language. Unless |
| translations have been forbidden at `configure' time by using the |
| `--disable-nls' switch, all available translations are installed |
| together with the package. However, the environment variable `LINGUAS' |
| may be set, prior to configuration, to limit the installed set. |
| `LINGUAS' should then contain a space separated list of two-letter |
| codes, stating which languages are allowed. |
| |
| Using This Package |
| ================== |
| |
| As a user, if your language has been installed for this package, you |
| only have to set the `LANG' environment variable to the appropriate |
| `LL_CC' combination. Here `LL' is an ISO 639 two-letter language code, |
| and `CC' is an ISO 3166 two-letter country code. For example, let's |
| suppose that you speak German and live in Germany. At the shell |
| prompt, merely execute `setenv LANG de_DE' (in `csh'), |
| `export LANG; LANG=de_DE' (in `sh') or `export LANG=de_DE' (in `bash'). |
| This can be done from your `.login' or `.profile' file, once and for |
| all. |
| |
| You might think that the country code specification is redundant. |
| But in fact, some languages have dialects in different countries. For |
| example, `de_AT' is used for Austria, and `pt_BR' for Brazil. The |
| country code serves to distinguish the dialects. |
| |
| The locale naming convention of `LL_CC', with `LL' denoting the |
| language and `CC' denoting the country, is the one use on systems based |
| on GNU libc. On other systems, some variations of this scheme are |
| used, such as `LL' or `LL_CC.ENCODING'. You can get the list of |
| locales supported by your system for your country by running the command |
| `locale -a | grep '^LL''. |
| |
| Not all programs have translations for all languages. By default, an |
| English message is shown in place of a nonexistent translation. If you |
| understand other languages, you can set up a priority list of languages. |
| This is done through a different environment variable, called |
| `LANGUAGE'. GNU `gettext' gives preference to `LANGUAGE' over `LANG' |
| for the purpose of message handling, but you still need to have `LANG' |
| set to the primary language; this is required by other parts of the |
| system libraries. For example, some Swedish users who would rather |
| read translations in German than English for when Swedish is not |
| available, set `LANGUAGE' to `sv:de' while leaving `LANG' to `sv_SE'. |
| |
| In the `LANGUAGE' environment variable, but not in the `LANG' |
| environment variable, `LL_CC' combinations can be abbreviated as `LL' |
| to denote the language's main dialect. For example, `de' is equivalent |
| to `de_DE' (German as spoken in Germany), and `pt' to `pt_PT' |
| (Portuguese as spoken in Portugal) in this context. |
| |
| Translating Teams |
| ================= |
| |
| For the Free Translation Project to be a success, we need interested |
| people who like their own language and write it well, and who are also |
| able to synergize with other translators speaking the same language. |
| Each translation team has its own mailing list. The up-to-date list of |
| teams can be found at the Free Translation Project's homepage, |
| `http://www.iro.umontreal.ca/contrib/po/HTML/', in the "National teams" |
| area. |
| |
| If you'd like to volunteer to _work_ at translating messages, you |
| should become a member of the translating team for your own language. |
| The subscribing address is _not_ the same as the list itself, it has |
| `-request' appended. For example, speakers of Swedish can send a |
| message to `sv-request@li.org', having this message body: |
| |
| subscribe |
| |
| Keep in mind that team members are expected to participate |
| _actively_ in translations, or at solving translational difficulties, |
| rather than merely lurking around. If your team does not exist yet and |
| you want to start one, or if you are unsure about what to do or how to |
| get started, please write to `translation@iro.umontreal.ca' to reach the |
| coordinator for all translator teams. |
| |
| The English team is special. It works at improving and uniformizing |
| the terminology in use. Proven linguistic skill are praised more than |
| programming skill, here. |
| |
| Available Packages |
| ================== |
| |
| Languages are not equally supported in all packages. The following |
| matrix shows the current state of internationalization, as of August |
| 2002. The matrix shows, in regard of each package, for which languages |
| PO files have been submitted to translation coordination, with a |
| translation percentage of at least 50%. |
| |
| Ready PO files be bg ca cs da de el en eo es et fi fr |
| +----------------------------------------+ |
| a2ps | [] [] [] [] | |
| ap-utils | | |
| bash | [] [] [] [] | |
| bfd | [] [] | |
| binutils | [] [] | |
| bison | [] [] [] [] | |
| clisp | | |
| clisp | [] [] [] [] | |
| clisplow | | |
| cpio | [] [] [] [] | |
| darkstat | () | |
| diffutils | [] [] [] [] [] [] | |
| enscript | [] [] | |
| error | [] [] [] | |
| fetchmail | [] () [] [] [] () | |
| fileutils | [] [] [] [] [] | |
| findutils | [] [] [] [] [] [] | |
| flex | [] [] [] [] [] | |
| gas | [] [] | |
| gawk | [] [] [] | |
| gcal | [] [] | |
| gcc | [] [] | |
| gettext | [] [] [] [] [] | |
| gnupg | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | |
| gprof | [] [] | |
| gpsdrive | () () () () () | |
| grep | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | |
| gretl | [] | |
| gthumb | () () () | |
| hello | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | |
| id-utils | [] [] [] | |
| indent | [] [] [] [] [] | |
| jpilot | () [] [] [] | |
| jwhois | [] [] | |
| kbd | [] [] [] | |
| ld | [] [] | |
| libc | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | |
| libiconv | [] [] [] [] | |
| lifelines | () () | |
| lilypond | [] [] | |
| lingoteach | [] [] | |
| lingoteach_lessons| () () | |
| lynx | [] [] [] [] [] | |
| m4 | [] [] [] [] [] | |
| make | [] [] [] [] | |
| man-db | [] () () [] () () | |
| mysecretdiary | [] [] [] | |
| nano | [] () [] [] [] [] | |
| nano_1_0 | [] () [] [] [] [] | |
| opcodes | [] [] [] | |
| parted | [] [] [] [] [] | |
| ptx | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | |
| python | | |
| recode | [] [] [] [] [] [] | |
| sed | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | |
| sh-utils | [] [] [] [] | |
| sharutils | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | |
| sketch | () [] () | |
| soundtracker | [] [] [] | |
| sp | [] | |
| tar | [] [] [] [] [] [] | |
| texinfo | [] [] [] [] [] | |
| textutils | [] [] [] [] [] | |
| util-linux | [] [] [] [] [] [] | |
| vorbis-tools | [] | |
| wastesedge | | |
| wdiff | [] [] [] [] [] [] | |
| wget | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | |
| +----------------------------------------+ |
| be bg ca cs da de el en eo es et fi fr |
| 0 2 19 10 30 44 9 1 12 44 17 6 53 |
| |
| gl he hr hu id it ja ko lv nb nl nn |
| +-------------------------------------+ |
| a2ps | () () [] | |
| ap-utils | | |
| bash | [] | |
| bfd | [] | |
| binutils | [] | |
| bison | [] [] [] [] | |
| clisp | | |
| clisp | [] | |
| clisplow | | |
| cpio | [] [] [] [] | |
| darkstat | | |
| diffutils | [] [] [] [] [] | |
| enscript | [] [] | |
| error | [] | |
| fetchmail | [] | |
| fileutils | [] [] [] | |
| findutils | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | |
| flex | [] | |
| gas | | |
| gawk | [] | |
| gcal | | |
| gcc | [] | |
| gettext | [] [] | |
| gnupg | [] [] [] [] | |
| gprof | [] | |
| gpsdrive | [] () () | |
| grep | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | |
| gretl | | |
| gthumb | () () | |
| hello | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | |
| id-utils | [] [] | |
| indent | [] [] [] [] | |
| jpilot | () () | |
| jwhois | [] [] | |
| kbd | | |
| ld | | |
| libc | [] [] [] [] | |
| libiconv | [] [] [] | |
| lifelines | | |
| lilypond | [] | |
| lingoteach | [] | |
| lingoteach_lessons| | |
| lynx | [] [] [] [] | |
| m4 | [] [] [] [] | |
| make | [] [] [] [] [] [] | |
| man-db | () () | |
| mysecretdiary | [] | |
| nano | [] [] [] [] | |
| nano_1_0 | [] [] [] [] [] | |
| opcodes | [] [] | |
| parted | [] [] [] | |
| ptx | [] [] [] [] [] | |
| python | | |
| recode | [] [] [] | |
| sed | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | |
| sh-utils | [] [] [] | |
| sharutils | [] [] [] | |
| sketch | () | |
| soundtracker | [] [] | |
| sp | | |
| tar | [] [] [] [] [] [] | |
| texinfo | [] [] [] | |
| textutils | [] [] [] [] | |
| util-linux | () [] | |
| vorbis-tools | [] | |
| wastesedge | | |
| wdiff | [] [] [] | |
| wget | [] [] [] [] [] [] | |
| +-------------------------------------+ |
| gl he hr hu id it ja ko lv nb nl nn |
| 23 9 12 19 16 13 26 9 1 7 19 3 |
| |
| no pl pt pt_BR ru sk sl sv tr uk zh_CN zh_TW |
| +----------------------------------------------+ |
| a2ps | () () () [] [] [] [] [] | 10 |
| ap-utils | () | 0 |
| bash | [] | 6 |
| bfd | [] [] | 5 |
| binutils | [] [] | 5 |
| bison | [] [] [] [] | 12 |
| clisp | | 0 |
| clisp | | 5 |
| clisplow | | 0 |
| cpio | [] [] [] [] | 12 |
| darkstat | [] [] () () | 2 |
| diffutils | [] [] [] [] [] [] | 17 |
| enscript | [] [] [] [] | 8 |
| error | [] [] [] | 7 |
| fetchmail | () () [] | 6 |
| fileutils | [] [] [] [] [] [] | 14 |
| findutils | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 21 |
| flex | [] [] [] | 9 |
| gas | [] | 3 |
| gawk | [] [] | 6 |
| gcal | [] [] | 4 |
| gcc | [] | 4 |
| gettext | [] [] [] [] [] [] | 13 |
| gnupg | [] [] [] | 14 |
| gprof | [] [] | 5 |
| gpsdrive | [] [] | 3 |
| grep | [] [] [] [] [] | 20 |
| gretl | | 1 |
| gthumb | () () [] | 1 |
| hello | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 28 |
| id-utils | [] [] [] [] | 9 |
| indent | [] [] [] [] [] | 14 |
| jpilot | () () [] [] | 5 |
| jwhois | [] () () [] [] | 7 |
| kbd | [] [] | 5 |
| ld | [] [] | 4 |
| libc | [] [] [] [] [] [] | 18 |
| libiconv | [] [] [] [] [] | 12 |
| lifelines | [] | 1 |
| lilypond | [] | 4 |
| lingoteach | [] [] | 5 |
| lingoteach_lessons| () | 0 |
| lynx | [] [] [] [] | 13 |
| m4 | [] [] [] [] | 13 |
| make | [] [] [] [] [] | 15 |
| man-db | | 3 |
| mysecretdiary | [] [] [] | 7 |
| nano | [] [] [] [] | 13 |
| nano_1_0 | [] [] [] [] | 14 |
| opcodes | [] [] [] | 8 |
| parted | [] [] [] [] | 12 |
| ptx | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 19 |
| python | | 0 |
| recode | [] [] [] [] [] [] | 15 |
| sed | [] [] [] [] [] [] | 24 |
| sh-utils | [] [] | 9 |
| sharutils | [] [] [] [] | 14 |
| sketch | [] () [] | 4 |
| soundtracker | [] | 6 |
| sp | | 1 |
| tar | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 19 |
| texinfo | [] [] | 10 |
| textutils | [] [] [] [] [] | 14 |
| util-linux | [] [] [] | 10 |
| vorbis-tools | [] | 3 |
| wastesedge | | 0 |
| wdiff | [] [] [] [] [] | 14 |
| wget | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 24 |
| +----------------------------------------------+ |
| 37 teams no pl pt pt_BR ru sk sl sv tr uk zh_CN zh_TW |
| 68 domains 4 15 2 28 28 12 10 49 43 4 1 9 609 |
| |
| Some counters in the preceding matrix are higher than the number of |
| visible blocks let us expect. This is because a few extra PO files are |
| used for implementing regional variants of languages, or language |
| dialects. |
| |
| For a PO file in the matrix above to be effective, the package to |
| which it applies should also have been internationalized and |
| distributed as such by its maintainer. There might be an observable |
| lag between the mere existence a PO file and its wide availability in a |
| distribution. |
| |
| If August 2002 seems to be old, you may fetch a more recent copy of |
| this `ABOUT-NLS' file on most GNU archive sites. The most up-to-date |
| matrix with full percentage details can be found at |
| `http://www.iro.umontreal.ca/contrib/po/HTML/matrix.html'. |
| |
| Using `gettext' in new packages |
| =============================== |
| |
| If you are writing a freely available program and want to |
| internationalize it you are welcome to use GNU `gettext' in your |
| package. Of course you have to respect the GNU Library General Public |
| License which covers the use of the GNU `gettext' library. This means |
| in particular that even non-free programs can use `libintl' as a shared |
| library, whereas only free software can use `libintl' as a static |
| library or use modified versions of `libintl'. |
| |
| Once the sources are changed appropriately and the setup can handle |
| to use of `gettext' the only thing missing are the translations. The |
| Free Translation Project is also available for packages which are not |
| developed inside the GNU project. Therefore the information given above |
| applies also for every other Free Software Project. Contact |
| `translation@iro.umontreal.ca' to make the `.pot' files available to |
| the translation teams. |
| |