Ubuntu Wiki

Ubuntu Open Week - Docs Day - Translating Documentation - MatthewEast / AdiRoiban - Tue, Apr 28th, 2009

(03:05:15 PM) adiroiban: ok
(03:05:42 PM) adiroiban: My name is Adi Roiban, and I am here as a member of Ubuntu Translation Community.
(03:05:42 PM) adiroiban: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/AdiRoiban
(03:05:53 PM) adiroiban: I will do this session together with Matthew East (mdke), who is coordinating Ubuntu Docs.
(03:05:59 PM) mdke: hi everyone
(03:06:10 PM) adiroiban: We will start with a short presentation, followed by a question and answer session.
(03:06:36 PM) adiroiban: Beside this session, feel free to contact us for any question related to Ubuntu Docs Translation Process.
(03:06:46 PM) adiroiban: In the following session, when I mention Ubuntu Docs I will refer to all Ubuntu/Kubuntu/Xubuntu/Edubuntu Docs
(03:07:03 PM) adiroiban: First off all I will do a short introduction to Ubuntu Localization Teams and Translation process, as you can not translate the Ubuntu Docs without being aware of these things.
(03:07:22 PM) adiroiban: Ubuntu Documentation is translated using the Launchpad Translations web tools
(03:07:36 PM) adiroiban: Rosetta is the codename for Launchpad Translations
(03:07:50 PM) adiroiban: You can find out more about using Launchpad Translations by reading the Launchpad help pages:
(03:07:50 PM) adiroiban: https://help.launchpad.net/Translations
(03:08:04 PM) jcastro has changed the topic to: Welcome to Open Week || Session: 1900 UTC: Translating Documentation  || https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuOpenWeek || All questions to #ubuntu-classroom-chat
(03:08:11 PM) adiroiban: Everyone is free to help translating Ubuntu and Ubuntu Docs into his/her language.
(03:08:30 PM) bencrisford1 left the room (quit: "Leaving.").
(03:08:36 PM) adiroiban: You can start translating Ubuntu/Kubuntu/Xubuntu/Edubuntu docs by following one of these links :
(03:08:44 PM) adiroiban: https://translations.edge.launchpad.net/ubuntu/jaunty/+source/ubuntu-docs
(03:08:44 PM) adiroiban: https://translations.edge.launchpad.net/ubuntu/jaunty/+source/kubuntu-docs
(03:08:44 PM) adiroiban: https://translations.edge.launchpad.net/ubuntu/jaunty/+source/xubuntu-docs
(03:08:44 PM) adiroiban: https://translations.edge.launchpad.net/ubuntu/jaunty/+source/edubuntu-docs
(03:09:07 PM) adiroiban: When I said that everyone is free to help translating Ubuntu and Ubuntu Docs into his/her language, I mean that everyone can add suggestion / possible translations for an original text
(03:09:31 PM) adiroiban: In Ubuntu, we have Ubuntu Localization teams, that act as Translation Quality Assurance Team.
(03:09:45 PM) adiroiban: They will review and approve suggestions.
(03:09:57 PM) adiroiban: If you are an active translator and you are doing a great translation job you can request to join the Ubuntu .
(03:10:30 PM) adiroiban: In the following list, you can find the group appointed for your language:
(03:10:30 PM) adiroiban: https://translations.edge.launchpad.net/+groups/ubuntu-translators
(03:11:02 PM) adiroiban: For any questions related to the translations of Ubuntu docs into your language, please contact the team appointed to your language,
(03:11:35 PM) adiroiban: Also freel free to join the general Ubuntu Translation mailinglist https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-translators
(03:11:48 PM) adiroiban: and #ubuntu-translators and #ubuntu-doc channel
(03:12:43 PM) adiroiban: Like I said, please consult the Launchpad Translations help pages, to find out how you can use it
(03:12:44 PM) adiroiban: https://help.launchpad.net/Translations
(03:13:09 PM) adiroiban: Now let's go back to things specific to translating Ubuntu Docs.
(03:13:22 PM) adiroiban: First of all you should know that Ubuntu-Docs are developed using the DocBook format (an xml based format).
(03:13:38 PM) adiroiban: We have a script for converting from XML to PO files.
(03:14:04 PM) adiroiban: we do this, because Launchpad Translation does not support direct translations of XML files
(03:14:36 PM) adiroiban: After generating the POT files, they are imported in Launchpad Translations
(03:14:56 PM) adiroiban: by doing that, they will be available to translation
(03:15:19 PM) adiroiban: and people from around the word will be translating Ubuntu Docs into their language.
(03:15:35 PM) adiroiban: From time to time, someone , manualy export those translations from Rosetta and run another script for converting from PO back to XML.
(03:16:08 PM) adiroiban: Now from each POT file, we will have a new XML file for each language.
(03:16:27 PM) adiroiban: In Launchpad Translation, POT files are called "templates"
(03:16:55 PM) adiroiban: https://translations.edge.launchpad.net/ubuntu/jaunty/+source/xubuntu-docs/+pots/about-xubuntu
(03:17:09 PM) adiroiban: this would be the about-xubuntu template in Launchpad
(03:17:31 PM) adiroiban: also when translating Ubuntu Docs in Launchpad you will have to check the version
(03:17:47 PM) adiroiban: of the ubuntu-docs
(03:18:04 PM) adiroiban: in the example above the about-xubuntu template, is translated for Jaunty
(03:18:22 PM) adiroiban: each Ubuntu version , has a new set of Ubuntu Docs
(03:18:47 PM) adiroiban: From time to time, someone , manualy export those translations from Rosetta and run another script for converting from PO back to XML. Now we will have a new XML file for each language.
(03:19:15 PM) adiroiban: When we have the XML files, Matt (mdke) use them for creating an update to the ubuntu-docs packages.
(03:19:35 PM) adiroiban: They are then pushed to the Ubuntu repositories and users will be able to install into their computers.
(03:20:12 PM) adiroiban: While translating Ubuntu Docs you will need to take care of various things, specific to translating xml files.
(03:20:25 PM) adiroiban: I tried to create a Guide for helping you with translating Ubuntu Docs. You can find it here: https://help.launchpad.net/Translations/Guide
(03:20:51 PM) adiroiban: Before you start translating Ubuntu Docs, please read this guide.
(03:21:25 PM) adiroiban: While translating Ubuntu Docs, there is a great chance of making mistakes that will generate in a bad xml file.
(03:21:54 PM) adiroiban: Launchpad Translations is not able to detect the translations errors from XML files
(03:22:11 PM) adiroiban: To help validate the Ubuntu Docs translations I'm maintaining a webpage dedicated to Ubuntu Docs errors.
(03:22:26 PM) adiroiban: From time to time I'm exporting the translations from Launchpad and generated the XML files in order to find errors.
(03:22:41 PM) adiroiban: I'm announcing the updated on the Ubuntu Translators Mailinglist
(03:22:41 PM) adiroiban: https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-translators
(03:23:00 PM) adiroiban: For example this is the Ubuntu Docs Jaunty report page:
(03:23:00 PM) adiroiban: http://l10n.ubuntu.tla.ro/ubuntu-docs-jaunty/
(03:23:28 PM) adiroiban: While translating Ubuntu Docs you may find errors in the original text.
(03:23:49 PM) adiroiban: Please report those errors here:
(03:23:49 PM) adiroiban: http://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubuntu-docs
(03:23:49 PM) adiroiban: http://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/kubuntu-docs
(03:23:49 PM) adiroiban: http://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/xubuntu-docs
(03:23:49 PM) adiroiban: http://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/edubuntu-docs
(03:24:54 PM) adiroiban: Please remember that the Launchpad Translation Guide is your friend
(03:24:56 PM) adiroiban: https://help.launchpad.net/Translations/Guide
(03:25:09 PM) adiroiban: :)
(03:25:44 PM) adiroiban: Beside generating XML files, you can use translation for creating HTML files. You can use the HTML file for providing a translated version of http://help.ubuntu.com
(03:26:01 PM) adiroiban: There is a dedicated Wiki page talking about how to work with the Ubuntu Docs translations:
(03:26:01 PM) adiroiban: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/DocumentationTeam/Translation
(03:26:21 PM) adiroiban: There you can find all steps for generating Ubuntu docs on your computer and how you can customize Ubuntu Docs for your needs.
(03:26:49 PM) adiroiban: Beside the Ubuntu Documentation, you can consider translating Ubuntu Desktop Course intro your language.
(03:27:06 PM) adiroiban: Unfortunately the translation of Ubuntu Desktop Course is not yet available using Launchpad Translations.
(03:27:17 PM) adiroiban: You can find out more about the Ubuntu Desktop Course by visiting the dedicated wiki page:
(03:27:17 PM) adiroiban: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Training
(03:27:43 PM) adiroiban: I am working at making Ubuntu Training text available using Rosetta and you can contact me or talk to the other translators via the Ubuntu Translators Mailinglist.
(03:28:19 PM) adiroiban: Ubuntu Desktop Course is part of Ubuntu Training
(03:28:28 PM) adiroiban: and it's also based on XML files
(03:28:46 PM) adiroiban: so translating them is similar with Ubuntu Docs
(03:29:45 PM) adiroiban: also you can contact dinda for questions regarding Ubuntu Training
(03:30:41 PM) adiroiban: When translating Ubuntu Docs, sometimes you will have to translated documentation for user interfaces that are not translated yet
(03:31:00 PM) adiroiban: my advise is to translate firs the user interface
(03:31:14 PM) adiroiban: and where you are done, come back and continue with translating the documentation
(03:31:33 PM) adiroiban: so, alway translate the user interface first
(03:31:57 PM) adiroiban: and while translating the documentation, always check the way user interface is translated
(03:32:10 PM) adiroiban: in this way you can improve the consistency
(03:32:31 PM) adiroiban: and will avoid the situation when documentation is translated using some words
(03:32:41 PM) adiroiban: and the user interface using other words
(03:33:08 PM) adiroiban: novice user, the one who need the translation and documentation, are always confused
(03:33:20 PM) adiroiban: even of a small invariance
(03:33:40 PM) adiroiban: ok
(03:33:55 PM) adiroiban: that were my tips for translationg Ubuntu Docs
(03:34:08 PM) adiroiban: we can continue with the questions and answers part
(03:34:19 PM) adiroiban: mdke ?
(03:34:22 PM) adiroiban: it this ok?
(03:34:26 PM) adiroiban: is this ok?
(03:34:46 PM) mdke: absolutely, I was thinking that I would like to chip in with some comments, but you have been absolutely exhaustive! Thanks adiroiban
(03:34:56 PM) mdke: let's take some questions now
(03:35:12 PM) mdke: yeager> QUESTION: when will it be possible to list and submit translated screenshots for ubuntu-docs?
(03:35:45 PM) mdke: ANSWER: the ubuntu-docs project doesn't currently use screenshots. Translation of screenshots is generally done manually in documentation, as far as I know, but fortunately we haven't had to deal with that issue!
(03:36:23 PM) mdke: < dinda> QUESTION:  Do you have any tips for making the Desktop course easier to translate?
(03:36:41 PM) mdke: I'm not really familiar with the format of the course, but adiroiban may know more
(03:36:58 PM) adiroiban: We should try to find ways of including Desktop course in Rosetta
(03:36:58 PM) mdke: I'd recommend the use of the xml2po program over other similar toolchains though, in my experience it works the best
(03:37:45 PM) adiroiban: dinda: we should see some improvement in Rosetta that will help us improve the way we do translations
(03:37:51 PM) mdke: dinda: you may find some tips on the process we use here though: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/DocumentationTeam/Translation
(03:38:37 PM) adiroiban: after the next relase of Launchpad I will contact you for enabling the translations of Ubuntu Training materials
(03:39:19 PM) adiroiban: QUESTION: adiroiban do you have the Desktop course in PO format?
(03:39:33 PM) adiroiban: yes. but it's not updated.
(03:39:52 PM) adiroiban: in the next days I will update them and announce them via the ubuntu-translators mailing list
(03:40:03 PM) adiroiban: and planet.ubuntu.com :)
(03:40:41 PM) adiroiban: tpfennig: QUESTION: How well is cooperation working with upstream projects like GNOME? Any plans to work together more tightly?
(03:41:10 PM) adiroiban: ubuntu-docs are only covering ubuntu specific things
(03:41:24 PM) adiroiban: and gnome-user-docs is part of ubuntu-docs
(03:42:01 PM) mdke: we reuse entirely upstream translations for gnome-user-docs, but it's up to Ubuntu translators to send translations upstream if they work on them in Launchpad
(03:42:11 PM) adiroiban: i don't know if there are plans to work more tightly, from my point of view both team are doing a great job
(03:42:51 PM) adiroiban: and ubuntu-docs are integrated nicely with gnome-docs
(03:43:54 PM) adiroiban: my advice is to do gnome translations upstream: http://l10n.gnome.org/module/gnome-user-docs/
(03:44:42 PM) adiroiban: ok. any other questions ?
(03:45:37 PM) adiroiban: ok. thank you very much for your attention
(03:45:58 PM) adiroiban: you can always get in touch with us via the #ubuntu-doc  IRC channel
(03:46:11 PM) adiroiban: and ubuntu-doc mailing list