Use of .mo and .po files for localization

For efforts in internationalising Puppy and solving problems in this area
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gw
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Use of .mo and .po files for localization

#1 Post by gw »

Hello,

I've found on the page http://www.debian.org/international/l10 ... nk.fr.html some .po files for applications integrated in Puppy.
After conversion (with poEdit) in .mo files, I've put them in /usr/share/locale/fr/LC_MESSAGES/ (gftp.mo, gimp.mo, sweep.mo, etc...), but I've observed there were some I had to put in /usr/local/share/locale/fr/LC_MESSAGES/ (sylpheed.mo, chemtool.mo, dia.mo, gparted.mo, etc...)
So, It's OK, I choose the correct locale (for me fr_FR), and I try my .mo files in the two repositories to see which is the good one, but I don't understand why.

Another question is to know how to create a po.file for an application in Puppy. Is it possible to create a .po file for mtPaint, or InkscapeLite, for example, and if yes, how to do that? Is there a list of applications integrated in Puppy and which can be translated by this method ?

Thank you for your help

--
gw

GuestToo
Puppy Master
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Joined: Wed 04 May 2005, 18:11

#2 Post by GuestToo »

each program looks for the .mo files in the location it expects it to be ... usually this is /usr/share/locale or /usr/local/share/locale ... this can be changed when the program is compiled

so it is the program that decides where to look for the .mo file

there might be ways to always use one location, like symlinks and environmental variables, but it is probably better just to put the files where they are supposed to go

usually, an application is written in C or C++ and the source will include .po files that can be translated ... so if you want to translate a program, download the source, and translate the .po file ... the .po file will already be in the source ... many programs may already be translated in your languge already

the .mo language files are usually not small ... often, they are as big as the entire package without any language files ... so the language files are often left out of Puppy ... they can be installed after, simply by putting the .mo in the correct place ... and .mo files can be added to the file system if you remaster Puppy, so they will be included on the CD

for example, Rox Filer 2.5
http://www.murga.org/~puppy/viewtopic.php?t=10263
i made a separate package for the language files

for example, mtPaint
http://www.murga.org/~puppy/viewtopic.php?t=5334
i included the language files in this package
this is not the latest version of mtPaint

gw
Posts: 89
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Location: Suisse
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#3 Post by gw »

Hello GuestTwo ,

I learned much with your answer, thank you very much

A+
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gw

wow
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#4 Post by wow »

If you want to edit .po files you'll need a template(pot), templates and .po can be found in the sources.
I'm uploading .mo files at ftp://puppy:linux@ftp.servage.net/Local ... ct/locale/
Currently I've uploaded .mo files for gftp, and .gmo for the rox version of Puppy, just extract the tarball in the / directory. To change language use menu>setup/chooselocale country localization to set the LANG variable.
Alternative, to change ROX language via 'Options' menu and look for yours or choose 'Use LANG variable'

List updated: see http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=12629

If you get more international files please upload to that ftp site donated.
Last edited by wow on Tue 21 Nov 2006, 01:26, edited 1 time in total.

gw
Posts: 89
Joined: Sat 22 Apr 2006, 20:19
Location: Suisse
Contact:

#5 Post by gw »

Hello,

Thank you "Wow" (I had not seen your message, sorry) for your work in the Loalization project.
Nice to see we are always more to be intersted to make Puppy available in many different languages.
A+
--
gw

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