Translations

Revision 7 as of 2009-09-14 09:13:07

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Introduction

In the Ubuntu community we always need more translators. There are literally thousands of applications out there that need to be translated, and one of the major reasons why people choose Ubuntu is that there is a huge catalog of software that is ready to install and use in their own language. These thousands of applications are translated by a large and growing community of volunteers who help to localising these applications. As the number of applications grows though, we need more and more volunteers.

Generally if someone expresses an interest in packaging, we point them to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/TranslatingUbuntu/ and away they go. Another great way to get people up to speed is with... Translation Jams!

With a huge world-wide network of LoCoTeams, more and more teams are running Translation Jams - special events in which people meet up and a few instructors show the attendees how to get involved with translating Ubuntu. Not only are these events extremely valuable in attracting new translators, but they are huge fun! This page offers a simple guide to running a Translation Jam. Smile :)

Requirements

To run a Translation Jam, you need a few things:

  • Tutor(s) - Someone with experience in translation who can handle questions, accept/review translations and some of the unexpected likely to come up. (The tutor needs to have experience with Launchpad Translations and the Ubuntu translations process.) In order to be able to review and accept translations suggestions, he must be a member of the translation group for his/her language.

  • Decided Day - A day with some spare time. As an example, the Michigan LoCo went from noon until 8pm on a Saturday. Progress will be slower than you might expect, so provide plenty of time.

  • Venue - A meeting location with network connectivity, power for everyone, and some room to get comfy for a little bit.

You also want to provide some snacks and drinks to help people through their new translation journey.

Asking people to prepare for the Jam

  • The tutor or the translation team might want to agree on a list of applications to translate before the jam, and put this list in the LoCo or translation team's wiki.

Material

Holding the Session

Introduction Session

Some things the tutor can explain:

  • Basic introduction to the format of PO files and the gettext tools
  • Online/offline translation
  • Difference between User/Published upload
  • Color meanings in the translation statistics in Launchpad

Tasks

  • Translating higher priority (most used and most visible) applications (see suggestions above)

  • Identifying very visible untranslated strings by running the distro and translating them in Launchpad
  • Reporting translation bugs against the Ubuntu Translations project in Launchpad and even adding the 'i18n' or 'l10n' flags to them.

  • You can even try to solve, provide feedback or triage the existing translation bugs

Workflow

Tools & Helpful Information

Get help on #ubuntu-translators.


CategoryJam CategoryTranslations