Help to add support for your language in Skolelinux

Overview of helping with translation and localization of Skolelinux

One of the explicit goals of Skolelinux is to have everything on the installed system available in the local language. In order to achieve this goal, we need help from people familiar with those local languages. In your part of the world, that means you :-).

In order to help out with the localization and translation of Skolelinux you don't need much: only knowledge of your local language, English, and a bit of time. Remember that you don't need to do everything all by yourself (of course, nobody will stop you if you do), every little bit helps, and if enough people pitch in we'll get there eventually, no matter how small the individual contributions are.

• Hints:
• To avoid double work it is advisable to contact the coordinator for your language, and check the status page for your language.
• All translation is done using .po files (howto)
• To submit your work either mail it in (to the coordinator of your language, or the list), or commit it to cvs (instructions on acessing cvs)

Basic support for a localization

Having basic support for a localization means that you can install Skolelinux in your language, have Skolelinux set up everything on your system to use your language when possible, and that all Skolelinux-specific software is translated into your language.

Outdated information

the information below is outdated, and should be removed. It's kept here for reference when cleaning up this page. Once that is done, please remove it.

Installation in your local language and setup of the correct locale:

• Translate the questions asked by the installer (templates.pot)

• Make sure that the locale-config package has support for your locale. If not, you'll have to specify answers to the following questions to the maintainer:
  • Which ispell-dictionary should be used by default?
  • Which keymap should be used by default for the keyboard(i.e. what kind of keyboard is normal)?
  • Which timezones are used in this locale?
  • Which language is spoken in this locale, and what are the fallback languages (i.e. if the local language has no written form, what should be used intead)?
  • Which charset is usually used for this locale?

• Make sure all the packages needed to support your locale (dictionaries, translation-packages, ...) are included in Skolelinux by adding them to task-skolelinux-workstation.txt.

Translation of Skolelinux-specific administration tools:

• ldap-skolelinux webmin module (en.pot, templates.pot )

• ldap-netgroups webmin module (en.pot)

• ltsp webmin module (en.pot)

• kschoolmenu (kschoolmenu.pot)

Translating the documentation

• The architecture document(en.pot)

• The ICT Manual(en.pot)

• The Netgroups webmin module manual(en.pot, network-arch_en.dia)

• The requirements specification(en.pot)

Translating the website

If you want to help with translating the website you need to to register an account on the website and request write priviliges (by mailing the www-int list). If your language hasn't been set up, yet, you can start by translating the labels of the pictures that decorate the front page (What? How? Why? Who? Help and Documentation. First steps. Join us). Please send the results to AlexB, UTF8-encoding should be your choice.

Translating the School Database

If you want to add more languages to the web interface of DebianEdu ?ReferenceSchools, please submit a localised copy of strings_en_GB.xml (renamed to your locale) to SVN (or to the www-int ?MailingList). At the moment, there is translations to German, French, and Norwegian.

Making sure everything on the system is translated

This means getting involved with the translation teams of the projects that Skolelinux builds on:

• Debian Proper (new installer, questions asked on package installation, documentation)

• Webmin (module i18n, mailinglist, po-webmin scripts used by Skolelinux to translate webmin using the usual po-files)

• KDE (translator center)

• Openoffice (l10n and i18n project)

• Tux Paint (see Translating Tux Paint about halfway down that page)

• The various other educational software included in Skolelinux

CategoryLocalization