OpenSUSE Localization Guide

Şuraya atla: kullan, ara

In this page find information about localization (L10N, LCN) of software components of openSUSE, formerly known as SUSE Linux. It applies for programs like YaST or SaX or the menu system of the desktop. Information about localizing the openSUSE wiki is provided in the OpenSUSE Translation Guide.

Adding a new language

If your language is already included in the OpenSUSE Localization Teams table, a team for your language exists. Find Information about joining a team in Joining a Existing Team. If there is no team for your language, proceed as follows:

  1. Create a Novell account. If you have the Novell Bugzilla account, you shall use it for localization project as well.
  2. Send a mail to opensuse-translation@opensuse.org. You should provide information about: new language name, your full name, your Novell login, your contact mail.
  3. Wait to approval of new language project and creating subversion (SVN) access for you.
  4. Add your language to the table of localization teams. You should also fill the coordinator (the coordinator is a person with Subversion access) and location of your project pages, see Language Project Page.
  5. Start with localization. If you are not familiar with open source localization process, usage of the SVN and PO files, read Starting Work before you start.

Joining an Existing Team

If a language team exists for your language, contact coordinator of the team.

Starting Work

All files to translation are stored in our subversion. Basic information about SVN access you find at [1]. Download files from subversion can all members via anonymous access. The commit is allowed only to coordinators of teams.

You should change only files of your language team. If your activity in SVN damage work of other teams, your SVN access can be blocked.

The Most Important Files

If you are at the beginning of localization, you should start with the most important files. These files belong to the most visible applications of SUSE Linux distribution, like installation or YaST Control Centrum. The most important files are:

  • yast/your_language/installation.your_lang_code.po
  • yast/your_language/base.your_lang_code.po
  • and all files started with 'package' in yast/your_lang_code/

Minimal Translation

We have no percentual limits for including localization to distribution.

SVN Structure

The PO files for you are stored in 'yast' and 'lcn' directories in the 'trunk' directory. The yast directory includes po files of YaST and the lcn directory includes PO files of other applications. All PO files should have the name in the format application_name.your_language_code.po.

-- trunk
   |-- doc
   |-- lcn
   |   |-- 50-etc
   |   |-- 50-memory
   |   |-- 50-pot
   |   |-- Makefile.am
   |   |-- README
   |   |-- configure.ac
   |   |-- cs
   |   |-- cy
   |   |-- ...other language directories    
   |-- www
   |-- yast
       |-- 50-pot
       |-- ar
       |-- bg
       |--...other language directories

You do not have to download whole directories. Both directories contains subdirectories named by language codes. Find the code of your language and download only the directory with the code of your language. For example, if you want download Polish localization, use:

svn checkout https://forgesvn1.novell.com/svn/suse-i18n/trunk/yast/pl
svn checkout https://forgesvn1.novell.com/svn/suse-i18n/trunk/lcn/pl

It can happens that some po file of an application is missing. In this situation start translation from the template and add it to your language directory. Templates for YaST are stored in the yast/50-pot directory and templates for other applications are stored in the lcn/50-pot directory. All templates have prefix .pot.

All directories starts with '50-' are special directories. They contain the templates and scripts for automatic merging. Please do not change the content of these directories.

In the 'trunk' directory is also 'www' directory, where are stored pages of the portal. Please do not change the content of this directory.

About PO and POT Files

Original English text in the PO file is not possible to change. You can change only translation. If you find an error in the original English text, please use Bugzilla to report it. All wrong texts must be fixed in the source code of the application first and then will be generated a new POT file and automatically merge with your files. After it, the changed string will be marked as fuzzy.

If you do not know, what is the PO and POT file, please read article Work with PO Files.

Statistics

Information about state of your localization work you find in statistics. If your language is not included, please send mail to the opensuse-translation mailing list.

Language Team Pages

If you work in the large team, you should have your own team page in your native language. To create one, use openSUSE wiki in your language and add the link to the [OpenSUSE_Localization_Teams|table of localization teams]. If there is no openSUSE wiki translated into your language, create team page in the English wiki page with name your_language_code Language_name Localization Team.


Translation Tools

Do you use a tool, which is not mentioned? Add it to the list!

  • KBabel - KBabel is the part of the package kdesdk3-translate

Links