Bug#312927: glibc: Please use UTF-8 as the default locale codeset

[GOTO Masanori <gotom@debian.or.jp>]

At Fri, 10 Jun 2005 21:45:00 +0100,
Roger Leigh wrote:
> The following patch
> reorders SUPPORTED when embedding the list in locales.config, so that
> UTF-8 locales are listed before all other locales, which are placed at
> the end of the list.

The concept of your patch seems fine for me.  I heard that
debian-installer BoF in debconf5 decided to switch UTF-8 as default
locale in installer.  So normal users who use just debian-installer
will move to UTF-8 in etch.

However, I don't know it's nice idea to put all UTF-8 locales at the
top.  Actually many users have not switched to UTF-8 yet, so they want
to select both UTF-8 and obsolete charsets at the same time.  So,
instead, I would like to change as follows:

  - The current order of SUPPORTED list (appeared at the first screen
    of dpkg-reconfigure locales) is for example:

	iw_IL ISO-8859-8
	iw_IL.UTF-8 UTF-8
	ja_JP.EUC-JP EUC-JP
	ja_JP.UTF-8 UTF-8

    But the new order of SUPPORTED list is for example:

	iw_IL.UTF-8 UTF-8
	iw_IL ISO-8859-8
	ja_JP.UTF-8 UTF-8
	ja_JP.EUC-JP EUC-JP

  - Selecting system standard locale (appeared at the second screen of
    dpkg-reconfigure locales) lists UTF-8 prior than other charmaps
    for example:

	iw_IL.UTF-8 UTF-8
	iw_IL ISO-8859-8
	ja_JP.UTF-8 UTF-8
	ja_JP.EUC-JP EUC-JP

I would like to put this version to locales package.  I welcome your
comments and patches.

>  I've also added a small note to the debconf
> template to make the user aware that UTF-8 locales are recommended, but
> the other locales are still available should they be needed.
>
> --- glibc-2.3.2.ds1.old/debian/debhelper.in/locales.templates	2005-06-10 11:04:53.000000000 +0100
> +++ glibc-2.3.2.ds1/debian/debhelper.in/locales.templates	2005-06-10 21:35:57.000000000 +0100
> @@ -8,6 +8,10 @@
>   Choose which locales to generate.  The selection will be saved to
>   `/etc/locale.gen', which you can also edit manually (you need to run
>   `locale-gen' afterwards).
> + .
> + UTF-8 locales are recommended.  Locales using old national character sets
> + are provided for backwards-compatibility, but should not be used unless
> + strictly required.

I don't know whether we should recommend use of UTF-8, because
selecting localedata via locales debconf depends on user's decision.
IMHO we have no authority to push the claim of "should not be used
unless strictly required".

Regards,
-- gotom