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#43 How to change language?

v1.5
open
nobody
None
5
2021-01-20
2020-10-07
poisonborz
No

I'm very puzzled that I seemingly can't find this, but I can't find any menu option to change the language of the application. There is also nothing about this in the manual. Is it possible to change the default language at all?

Discussion

  • Rob Norris

    Rob Norris - 2020-10-08

    Viking (like many GNOME + GNU programs uses https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gettext) detects the host environment and automatically applies the language setting. So Viking itself does not offer a way to change the language.

    If using Linux you should be able to run via the command line to force a particular language (providing that language itself is enabled on your system - check the output of the command 'locale -a').

    e.g. for the German version:

    LANG=de-DE.utf8 viking
    

    Web searches for "linux running a program in a different locale" should help.

    For Windows version I don't know the equivalent to force the language.

    NB The translations used in Viking are primarily handled at:
    https://translations.launchpad.net/viking

    And are in constant need of update.

    Although any contributions, also optionally via sourceforge or github or manual poedit updates are of course most welcome.

     
  • marcus w

    marcus w - 2020-12-01

    Sorry, same question again. Living in a German speaking region - host PC is Win 10, configured for English UI. Any idea how to change language of Viking GPS from German to English ?

     
  • poisonborz

    poisonborz - 2020-12-01

    I'd be really surprised if there wouldn't be a way to force Gettext to use a specific language from within the app - or at least I haven't seen a multilanguage app where the language wasn't configurable...

     
  • Rob Norris

    Rob Norris - 2020-12-01

    As far as I can tell for gettext it is set outside the main program.

    https://www.gnu.org/software/gettext/manual/gettext.html#Setting-the-GUI-Locale

    There's also the unfamiliarity of the Windows runtime environment (compared to my usage on Linux).
    The langauge translations are installed.

    So I'm afraid it's beyond my knowledge. Any specific examples of open source programs that do this are welcome, as then I might be able to decipher how they acheive it.

    For programs I typically use, I haven't knowingly encountered such features. But then I'm English, so I don't tend to need to go looking for such options anyway

     
  • Rob Norris

    Rob Norris - 2021-01-20

    Something I've just noticed is that Viking under Windows might be installing the localization files in the wrong place.

    Please try moving the 'locale' directory into the 'share' directory (in the Viking install directory):

    C:\Program Files\Viking\locale -->
    C:\Program Files\Viking\share\locale

    i.e. just drag and drop locale into share.

    Maybe then re-running Viking, it would then pick up the default locale.

    Please report back if this is successful.

     

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