Ask/install locales in installation time (Re: How many people need locales?)
Hi,
At Mon, 3 Sep 2001 09:58:31 +0200,
Radovan Garabik <garabik@melkor.dnp.fmph.uniba.sk> wrote:
> that is the point. You need to use 8-bit chars, not locales.
> Unfortunately, i18n (flawed) approach is to use locale to
> allow 8-bit chars.
I hope you don't forget about multibyte encodings.
Anyway, setting locale in installation time is very useful but
may be dangerous. For example, if you set Japanese locale and
don't work out Japanese-displayable console/terminal, you will
find completely unreadable message displayed. The message could
be a serious alert message... You may understand the feeling
by seeing:
http://www.debian.or.jp/~kubota/mojibake/xterm.png
And, I think it is too difficult for b-f to configure the console
to enable displaying Japanese text. Thus, I think it is not a
good idea for b-f to configure users' locale automatically.
(Or, even if b-f asks the locale, it should alert "User of
complex languages such as CJK, Thai, and so on should not specify
your language now; you should configure by yourself by knowing
what you are doing. language-env package may help you.")
However, I think it is a good idea for b-f to ask locale and
generate /etc/locale.gen so that installation of "locales" package
can automatically build necessary locales. Also, installing
"locales" package automatically in the 2nd stage of Debian
installation process is a good idea.
---
Tomohiro KUBOTA <kubota@debian.org>
http://www.debian.or.jp/~kubota/
"Introduction to I18N" http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/intro-i18n/
Reply to: