diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'ABOUT-NLS')
| -rw-r--r-- | ABOUT-NLS | 226 |
1 files changed, 0 insertions, 226 deletions
diff --git a/ABOUT-NLS b/ABOUT-NLS deleted file mode 100644 index 28d38c76fd..0000000000 --- a/ABOUT-NLS +++ /dev/null @@ -1,226 +0,0 @@ -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. - -One advise in advance -===================== - - 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 or message inheritance) 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 provides -usable `catgets' (if using this is selected by the installer) or -`gettext' functions. If neither is available, 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 --with-catgets - ./configure --disable-nls - -will respectively bypass any pre-existing `catgets' or `gettext' to use -the internationalizing routines provided within this package, enable -the use of the `catgets' functions (if found on the locale system), 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. - - By default the configuration process will not test for the `catgets' -function and therefore they will not be used. The reasons are already -given above: the emulation on top of `catgets' cannot provide all the -extensions provided by the GNU `gettext' library. If you nevertheless -want to use the `catgets' functions use - - ./configure --with-catgets - -to enable the test for `catgets' (this causes no harm if `catgets' is -not available on your system). If you really select this option we -would like to hear about the reasons because we cannot think of any -good one ourself. - - 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 -ISO 639 `LL' two-letter code prior to using the programs in the -package. For example, let's suppose that you speak German. At the -shell prompt, merely execute `setenv LANG de' (in `csh'), -`export LANG; LANG=de' (in `sh') or `export LANG=de' (in `bash'). This -can be done from your `.login' or `.profile' file, once and for all. - - An operating system might already offer message localization for -many of its programs, while other programs have been installed locally -with the full capabilities of GNU `gettext'. Just using `gettext' -extended syntax for `LANG' would break proper localization of already -available operating system programs. In this case, users should set -both `LANGUAGE' and `LANG' variables in their environment, as programs -using GNU `gettext' give preference to `LANGUAGE'. For example, some -Swedish users would rather read translations in German than English for -when Swedish is not available. This is easily accomplished by setting -`LANGUAGE' to `sv:de' while leaving `LANG' to `sv'. - -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, courtesy of Linux -International. You may reach your translation team at the address -`LL@li.org', replacing LL by the two-letter ISO 639 code for your -language. Language codes are *not* the same as the country codes given -in ISO 3166. The following translation teams exist, as of December -1997: - - Chinese `zh', Czech `cs', Danish `da', Dutch `nl', English `en', - Esperanto `eo', Finnish `fi', French `fr', German `de', Hungarian - `hu', Irish `ga', Italian `it', Indonesian `id', Japanese `ja', - Korean `ko', Latin `la', Norwegian `no', Persian `fa', Polish - `pl', Portuguese `pt', Russian `ru', Slovenian `sl', Spanish `es', - Swedish `sv', and Turkish `tr'. - -For example, you may reach the Chinese translation team by writing to -`zh@li.org'. - - 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 December -1997. The matrix shows, in regard of each package, for which languages -PO files have been submitted to translation coordination. - - Ready PO files cs da de en es fi fr it ja ko nl no pl pt ru sl sv - .----------------------------------------------------. - bash | [] [] [] | 3 - bison | [] [] [] | 3 - clisp | [] [] [] [] | 4 - cpio | [] [] [] [] [] [] | 6 - diffutils | [] [] [] [] [] | 5 - enscript | [] [] [] [] [] [] | 6 - fileutils | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 10 - findutils | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 9 - flex | [] [] [] [] | 4 - gcal | [] [] [] [] [] | 5 - gettext | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 12 - grep | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 10 - hello | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 11 - id-utils | [] [] [] | 3 - indent | [] [] [] [] [] | 5 - libc | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 7 - m4 | [] [] [] [] [] [] | 6 - make | [] [] [] [] [] [] | 6 - music | [] [] | 2 - ptx | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 8 - recode | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 9 - sh-utils | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 8 - sharutils | [] [] [] [] [] [] | 6 - tar | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 11 - texinfo | [] [] [] | 3 - textutils | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 9 - wdiff | [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] | 8 - `----------------------------------------------------' - 17 languages cs da de en es fi fr it ja ko nl no pl pt ru sl sv - 27 packages 6 4 25 1 18 1 26 2 1 12 20 9 19 7 4 7 17 179 - - 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 December 1997 seems to be old, you may fetch a more recent copy -of this `ABOUT-NLS' file on most GNU archive sites. - |