I already mentioned here and there that the xorg package debconf
templates do not follow the recommendations given in the developer's
reference, which are mostly aimed at achieving overall writing style
consistency in questions seen by users.
Attached to this mail is a rewrite of the two .templates files
currently used in xorg's SVN.
I included a diff file for both and both individual files. All
compressed for size reasons....sorry if that make quoting a little
more complicated for some of you.
I've just subscribed to debian-x to follow the discussion in case
comments are made (and I hope there'll be some!).
As those of you who know me well can guess, I also propose to handle
the translation update round that will follow if these changes (or
even some of them) are applied...
Rationale, change by change (similar changes are explained only once):
--- xserver-xorg.templates 2006-04-30 11:06:31.871744456 +0200
+++ xserver-xorg.templates.rewritten 2006-05-09 23:06:37.290466048 +0200
@@ -2,48 +2,50 @@
Type: boolean
Default: true
_Description: Attempt to autodetect video hardware?
- Accept this option if you would like to attempt to autodetect the recommended
- X server and driver module for your video card. If autodetection fails, you
+ You should choose this option if you would like to attempt to autodetect the recommended
+ X server and driver module for your video card. If the autodetection fails, you
Change "Accept this option" to "choose this option" to fit the most
recent widely used writing style (see a recent report by a user
explaining that Accept/Decline is confusing).
Add "the" which seems to make better English to me (?)
will be asked to specify the desired X server and/or driver module. If
- autodetection succeeds, further debconf questions about your video hardware
+ it succeeds, further configuration questions about your video hardware
Avoid repetition.
will be pre-answered.
.
- If you would rather select the X server and driver module yourself, decline
+ If you would rather select the X server and driver module yourself, do not choose
Decline->writing style consistency
Type: note
-_Description: No X server known for your video hardware.
- Either you have no video hardware installed on this machine (serial console
- only?), or the "discover" program was unable to determine which X server is
- appropriate for your video hardware. This could be due to incomplete
- information in discover's hardware database, or it could be that your video
- hardware is simply not supported by any available X servers.
+_Description: No X server known for your video hardware
Dev. Ref.: short descriptions for notes should be treated as "titles"
and are thus not sentences (no final dot)
+ There is either no video hardware installed on this machine (e.g. serial console
+ only), or the "discover" program was unable to determine which X server is
+ appropriate for the video hardware. This could be due to incomplete
+ information in discover's hardware database, or because your video
+ hardware is not supported by the available X servers.
Remove "you have" and most "possessive" formulation to a more neutral
writing style
Multiple video cards have been detected, and different X servers are required
to support the various devices. It is thus not possible to automatically
- select a default X server. Please configure the device that will serve as
- your computer's "primary head"; this is generally the video card and monitor
- to which the computer displays when it first boots.
+ select a default X server.
+ .
+ Please configure the device that will serve as
+ this computer's "primary head"; this is generally the video card and monitor
+ used for display when the computer is booted up.
Split a sentence in a separate paragraph to ease the translator's work
(this sentence is used twice)
.
- At the present time, only a single-headed setup is supported by debconf;
- however, the X server configuration files can be edited to support a
+ The configuration process currently only supports single-headed setups;
+ however, the X server configuration files can be edited later to support a
No specific reference to debconf.
Add "later" to be clearer about when the changes can be made.
multi-head configuration.
Template: shared/default-x-server
Type: select
Choices: ${choices}
-_Description: Select the desired default X server.
- The X server is the hardware interface of the X Window System. Its job is to
- communicate with video display and input devices, providing a foundation for
+_Description: Desired default X server:
Implement Dev. Ref: Select questions should be "prompts"
+ The X server is the hardware interface of the X Window System. It
+ communicates with the video display and input devices, providing a foundation for
Be factual. The server communicates so let's say this simply..:-)
the chosen Graphical User Interface (GUI).
.
Several X servers may be available; the default is selected via the
- /etc/X11/X symbolic link. Some X servers may not work with your particular
+ /etc/X11/X symbolic link. Some X servers may not work with some particular
Remove possessive.
- is for advanced users. In most cases, you should enable it.
+ is recommended to experimented users only. In most cases, it should be enabled.
I personnally prefer "experimented" over "advanced" because "advanced"
is negative towards other users.
I also don't like "is for"....Personal taste.
Avoid referring to users specific actions when possible so use the passive form.
.
- Disable this option if you want to write your own "Files" section into the
- X.Org server configuration file. You may wish to do this if you need to
+ Disable this option if you want to maintain a custom "Files" section into the
+ X.Org server configuration file. This may be needed to
Pesonal taste. The user will not only write it but (s)he will also
have to maintain it..:-)
Avoid reference to users actions and use passive form.
-_Description: Select the X.Org server modules that should be loaded by default.
- It is possible to customize (or completely omit) the list of modules that the
- X server loads by default. This option is for advanced users. In most
+_Description: X.Org server modules that should be loaded by default:
+ This option is recommended to experimented users only. In most
cases, all of these modules should be enabled.
.
- The glx module enables support for OpenGL rendering. The dri module enables
- support in the X server for Direct Rendering Infrastructure (DRI). Note that
- support for DRI must also exist in the kernel, the video card, and the
- installed version of the Mesa libraries for hardware-accelerated 3D
- operations using DRI to work. Otherwise, the server falls back to software
- rendering.
- .
- The vbe and ddc modules enable support for VESA BIOS Extensions and Data
- Display Channel, respectively. These modules are used to query monitor
- capabilties via the video card. The int10 module is a real-mode x86 emulator
- that is used to softboot secondary VGA cards. Note that the vbe module
- depends on the int10 module, so if you wish to enable vbe, enable int10 as
- well.
- .
- The dbe module enables the double-buffering extension in the server, and is
- useful for animation and video operations.
- .
- The extmod module enables many traditional and commonly used extensions, such
- as shaped windows, shared memory, video mode switching, DGA, and Xv. The
- record module implements the RECORD extension, commonly used in server
- testing.
- .
- The bitmap, freetype, and type1 modules are all font rasterizers.
+ - glx : support for OpenGL rendering;
+ - dri : support in the X server for DRI (Direct Rendering Infrastructure);
+ - vbe : support for VESA BIOS Extensions. Allows to query
+ the monitor capabilities via the video card;
+ - ddc : support for Data Display Channel, respectively. Allows to query
+ the monitor capabilties via the video card;
+ - int10 : real-mode x86 emulator used to softboot secondary VGA cards.
+ Should be enabled if vbe is enabled;
+ - dbe : enables the double-buffering extension in the server.
+ Useful for animation and video operations;
+ - extmod: enables many traditional and commonly used extensions, such as
+ shaped windows, shared memory, video mode switching, DGA, and Xv;
+ - record: implements the RECORD extension, often used in server testing;
+ - bitmap: font rasterizer (so are freetype, and type1 modules).
Huge rewrite. Rationale: be shorter. This template is way too long. I
would even be tempted to shorten it more.
Shortening the template is an attempt to make it fit in a 80x25 screen
(which it probably doesn't yet)
.
For further information about these modules, please consult the X.Org
documentation.
- .
- If you unsure what to do, leave all of the modules enabled. Advanced users
- may wish to disable all modules -- in which case no Modules section will be
- written to the X server configuration file -- and add their own Modules
- section to the file manually.
Shorten the whole stuff.....
-_Description: Please enter the video card's bus identifier.
+#flag:!translate:4
+_Description: Video card's bus identifier:
Dev. Ref. : turn into a prompt
Also use a new capability of po-debconf (from 1.0) to avoid marking a
specific paragraph as translatable.
Type: note
-_Description: Please enter a bus identifier in the proper format.
- The BusID entered was not in a recognized format.
+_Description: Incorrect format for the bus identifier
Long description derundant with short. Merge both in a short one
- It is perfectly acceptable to leave this parameter blank; only if your video
- card lacks RAM, or if the X server has trouble autodetecting the amount, is
- it necessary to specify the amount of video RAM.
+ This parameter should usually be left blank and specified only if the video
+ card lacks RAM, or if the X server has trouble autodetecting the RAM size.
Avoid possessive form
Simplify the sentence
- If you don't know what rule set to use, enter "xorg".
+ When in doubt, this value should be set to "xorg".
Avoid referring to user's actions
entered. Available models depend on which XKB rule set is in use.
.
- The "pc101" keyboard is a traditional IBM PC/AT style keyboard with 101 keys,
- historically common in the United States. It does not have the "logo" or
- "menu" keys.
- .
- The "pc104" keyboard is like the pc101 model, with additional keys. These
- keys are usually engraved with a "logo" symbol (there is typically a pair of
- these, between each set of control and alt keys), and a "menu" key.
- .
- The "pc102" and "pc105" models are versions of the pc101 and pc104 keyboards,
- respectively, often found in Europe. If your keyboard has a "< >" key (a
- single key engraved with both the less-than and greater-than symbols), you
- likely have a "pc102" or "pc105" model; if you choose "pc101" or "pc104"
- instead, your "< >" key might not work.
- .
- The "macintosh" model is for Macintosh keyboards where the kernel and console
- tools use the new input layer which uses Linux keycodes; "macintosh_old" is
- for Macintosh keyboard users who are not using the new input layer.
- .
- All of the above models use the "xorg" rule set.
- .
- The "type4" and "type5" models are for Sun Type4 and Type5 keyboards,
- respectively. These models can only be used if the "sun" XKB rule set is in
- use.
+ With the "xorg" rule set:
+ - pc101: traditional IBM PC/AT style keyboard with 101 keys, common in
+ the United States. Has no "logo" or "menu" keys;
+ - pc104: similar to pc101 model, with additional keys, usually engraved
+ with a "logo" symbol and a "menu" symbol;
+ - pc102: similar to pc101 and often found in Europe. Includes a "< >" key;
+ - pc105: similar to pc104 and often found in Europe. Includes a "< >" key;
+ - macintosh: Macintosh keyboards using the new input layer with Linux
+ keycodes;
+ - macintosh_old: Macintosh keyboards not using the new input layer.
+ With the "sun" rule set:
+ - type4: Sun Type4 keyboards;
+ - type5: Sun Type4 keyboards.
Big rewrite to shorten things down. I'm aware of possible
oversimplification. Please comment. I think that the template want to
say too much stuff here.
@@ -287,46 +270,44 @@
prefer to use your Windows or logo keys as Meta keys, you may enter
"altwin:meta_win".
.
- You can combine options by separating them with a comma; for example, if you
- wish the Caps Lock key to behave as an additional Control key and you would
- like to use your Windows or logo keys as Meta keys, you may enter
+ You can combine options by separating them with a comma, for instance
"ctrl:nocaps,altwin:meta_win".
Simplify wording, we don't need to explain everything.
Template: xserver-xorg/autodetect_mouse
Type: boolean
Default: true
_Description: Attempt mouse device autodetection?
- If you have a mouse attached to the computer, an attempt to detect it can be
- made; it may help to move the mouse while detection is attempted (also, the
- gpm program should not be running). If you would like to attach a PS/2 or
- bus/inport mouse to your computer, you should shut down the system, turn off
- the computer's power, connect the mouse, turn the computer back on, and
- reboot. If you wish to select a mouse type manually, decline this option.
- .
- If you accept this option and autodetection fails, you will be asked this
- question again. You may attempt autodetection as many times as desired. If
- autodetection succeeds, further debconf questions about your mouse will be
+ If a mouse is attached to the computer, autodetection can be attempted;
+ it may help to move the mouse while detection is attempted (the
+ gpm program should be stopped if it is used). Plugging a PS/2 or
+ bus/inport mouse now requires rebooting.
+ .
+ Do not choose this option if you wish to select a mouse type manually.
+ .
+ If you choose it and autodetection fails, you will be asked this
+ question again. Autodetection can be attempted as many times as desired. If
+ it succeeds, further configuration questions about the mouse will be
pre-answered.
Complete rewrite to avoid many possessive forms, use a more neutral
wording and replace accept/decline.
- For the "simple" option, you need only know the monitor's physical size; this
+ The "simple" option will prompt about the monitor's physical size; this
Simplify.
Template: xserver-xorg/config/monitor/range_input_error
Type: note
-_Description: Please enter a comma-separated list of ranges or values.
+_Description: Incorrect values entered
The valid syntax is a comma-separated list of discrete values, or a pair of
values separated by a dash.
Note short description==title
-_Description: Select the video modes you would like the X server to use.
- If there are some resolutions you would not like the X server to use even if
- your hardware is capable of them, remove them from the list below. Removing
- all of them is effectively the same as removing none, since in both cases the
+_Description: Video modes to be used by the X server:
+ Please keep only the resolutions you would like the X server to use. Removing
+ all of them is the same as removing none, since in both cases the
X server will attempt to use the highest possible resolution.
Simplify the wording. I find it currently confusing.
.
- (So-called "32-bit color" is actually 24 bits of color information plus 8
+ So-called "32-bit color" is actually 24 bits of color information plus 8
bits of alpha channel or simple zero padding; the X Window System can handle
- both. If you want either, select 24 bits.)
+ both. If you want either, select 24 bits.
So not put a whole paragraph in parentheses. This seems to be
incorrect typography to me.
-_Description: Please enter a value for the entry.
- A null entry is not permitted.
+_Description: Empty value
+ A null entry is not permitted for this value.
Note short description==title
Template: x11-common/xwrapper/nice_value
Type: string
-_Description: Enter the desired nice value for the X server to use.
+_Description: Nice value for the X server:
When using operating system kernels with a particular scheduling strategy,
it has been widely noted that the X server's performance improves when it
is run at a higher process priority than the default; a process's priority
- is known as its "nice" value. They range from -20 (extremely high
+ is known as its "nice" value. These values range from -20 (extremely high
Neutral wording.
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