Bug 113072 – Handbook is missing an example of setting the system-wide locale (LANG and LC_ALL variables)

• Product: [OLD] Docs-user
• Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX

[Description Wiktor Wandachowicz 2005-11-20 04:38:04 UTC]

On all installations I do, I create a simple file which sets the default system
locale. It's simple and straightforward. I just create a /etc/env.d/00locale
file with the following contents:

----- BEGIN EXAMPLE -----
# /etc/env.d/00locale:
# Define default system locale

LANG="pl_PL"
LC_ALL="pl_PL"
----- END EXAMPLE -----

Could there be a section in the Gentoo Handbook with such an example?
I'm sure that some people would love that setting to be described.
Especially not native English speakers :-)

Note:
I'm not sure if 00locale is the best name, but I want all of the services
to use that settings. So far I've never encountered any problem with it,
but if this is known to break something, then silly me... ;-)

So, if there is a better sequence number for putting such file in
/etc/env.d, I'd be delighted to know!


Reproducible: Always
Steps to Reproduce:
1. See the 8th chapter of the Handbook, section "8.c. System Information"
   There it would fit perfectly.

http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/handbook/handbook-amd64.xml?part=1&chap=8#doc_chap3
Actual Results:  
There's no information in the Handbook about setting system-wide locale.


Expected Results:  
To see a subsection in the Handbook describing how to set system-wide locale.


There is an open Bug #9988, which is in part related to the LANG/locale
settings, but in the end it ends with considerations about enhancing
ebuild files and merging process.

However, my original intent is much simpler and quite easy to implement.
OTOH maybe this should be accompanied with creation of such a file
(/etc/env.d/00locale) and adding it to a new version of baselayout?

[Comment 1 SpanKY 2005-11-20 04:46:41 UTC]

all UTF8 stuff is covered in the UTF8 guide ... no point in duplicating info

http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/utf-8.xml

[Comment 2 Sven Vermeulen (RETIRED) 2005-11-20 05:56:28 UTC]

Rather the Gentoo Localization guide for the respective language

[Comment 3 Wiktor Wandachowicz 2005-11-20 08:27:27 UTC]

Hmm. Indeed, both document are correct. The first one:

"Gentoo Linux Localization Guide"
http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/guide-localization.xml#doc_chap3

is very detailed and jusifies setting both LANG and LC_ALL variables.
(I read this once, but there was no mention of /etc/env.d/02locale
file IIRC, or maybe I just forgot about it)

The second one:

"Using UTF-8 with Gentoo"
http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/utf-8.xml#doc_chap2

also mentions /etc/env.d/02locale file. That's good, because it's consistent.
The UTF-8 Guide at the same time skips the LANG variable setting/discussion
and doesn't contain any link to Localization Guide.

This solves one of my questions, that is what should be the name of 02locale
file. Big thank for it!

And after you've motivated me enough, I checked the whole Handbook and finally
I've found a link to the "Localization Guide" it the chapter 12...
So it looks like I raised the alarm too early. The only thing that justifies
me is that I got only to the chapter 9 before I started to post Handbook
enhancement requests...

// Now the system works and a looong night of compilation is ahead. :-)

Thanks again!