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Open Week -- Ubuntu Translations -- David Planella -- Wed, May 5

EDT -5

(12:01:03 PM) ClassBot: Slides for Ubuntu Translations: http://people.ubuntu.com/~nhandler/slides/openweeklucid/UbuntuTranslations.pdf
(12:01:03 PM) sabdfl: bye all!
(12:01:22 PM) mode (-v sabdfl) by ChanServ
(12:01:28 PM) mode (+v dpm) by ChanServ
(12:01:39 PM) jcastro: dpm: it's all yours sir
(12:01:58 PM) dpm: jcastro, thanks!
(12:02:01 PM) akgraner: Up Next - Ubuntu Translations - David Planella
(12:02:24 PM) sabdfl left the room.
(12:02:26 PM) dpm: hey everyone
(12:02:29 PM) dpm: that was an interesting session indeed
(12:02:57 PM) dpm: now let's get started with Ubuntu translations
(12:03:00 PM) dpm: [SLIDE 1]
(12:03:21 PM) dpm: My name is David Planella, and I work as the Ubuntu Translations Coordinator in Canonical, in the Community team
(12:03:40 PM) dpm: there I have the pleasure to work with Ubuntu legends such as Jorge Castro, Daniel Holbach, and least but not last our fearless leader, Jono Bacon.
(12:03:57 PM) dpm: Be very welcome to this session on Ubuntu Translations, where we'll see
(12:04:17 PM) dpm: how Ubuntu can be translated into almost any language,
(12:04:26 PM) dpm: the work of our awesome translation teams,
(12:04:34 PM) Ursinha is now known as Ursinha-lunch
(12:04:37 PM) dpm: how Launchpad can be used to translate Ubuntu in a distributed manner,
(12:04:52 PM) dpm: and how to get started translating Ubuntu
(12:05:00 PM) dpm: So, without further ado...
(12:05:10 PM) dpm: [SLIDE 2]
(12:05:25 PM) dpm: Benvinguts, Willkommen, Bienvenidos, ようこそ, Welcome, 환영합니다, Bem-vindo, Ongietorri, স্বাগতম, Welkom, Mirë se erdhët, Bienllegáu, እንኳን ደህና መጡ, Вітаем, مرحبا, Dobro došli, Donedigezh vat, Добре дошли, 歡迎, Dobrodošli, 欢迎, Velkommen, Welkom, Bonvenon, Tere tulemast, Tervetuloa, Bienvenue, Wolkom, Benvido, Καλώς ήρθατε, ברוכים הבאים, Üdvözöljük, Ve
(12:05:26 PM) dpm: lkomin, Selamat Datang, Benvenuti, ಸುಸ್ವಾಗತ, Witôj, Қош келдіңіз, Esiet sveicināti, Sveiki, Selamat Datang, स्वागतम्, Velkomen, Benvenguda, Witamy, Bun venit, Добро пожаловать, Добродошли, Vitajte, Välkommen, நல்வரவு, ยินดีต้อนรับ, Hoşgeldiniz, Ласкаво просимо, خوش آمدید, Chào mừng, مەرھابا !!!
(12:05:42 PM) dpm: (if I've forgotten to welcome in your language, do write a big "welcome" in #ubuntu-classroom chat, and I'll include it here too :)
(12:06:07 PM) dpm: Ubuntu has a very diverse community, and one of the aspects this diversity is directly reflected is in the number of languages it is translated into,
(12:06:22 PM) dpm: and the communities built around them.
(12:06:46 PM) dpm: [SLIDE 3]
(12:07:00 PM) dpm: "Every computer user should be able to use their software in the language of their choice" lies at the very core of the Ubuntu philosophy
(12:07:13 PM) dpm: http://www.ubuntu.com/community/ubuntustory/philosophy
(12:07:35 PM) dpm: which is why we encourage the creation of translation communities and provide them resources to ease the process of translation into their own language
(12:07:59 PM) dpm: so that anyone, without requiring advanced technical skills, can start contributing from day one.
(12:08:12 PM) dpm: So let's try to answer some basic questions...
(12:08:19 PM) dpm: [SLIDE 4]
(12:08:31 PM) dpm: = Who translates Ubuntu? =
(12:08:53 PM) dpm: That's an easy one: Ubuntu Translators.
(12:09:03 PM) dpm: They are volunteers who organise themselves in translation teams, appointed to be responsible for the translation of a given language.
(12:09:19 PM) dpm: And they just rock
(12:09:35 PM) dpm: You can see the full list of Ubuntu translation teams here:
(12:09:45 PM) dpm: https://translations.launchpad.net/+groups/ubuntu-translators
(12:10:08 PM) dpm: We've currently got about 140, of about 220 registered languages for Ubuntu in Launchpad, our translation tool
(12:10:23 PM) dpm: So if there isn't an Ubuntu translation team for your language, now is the chance to create one :)
(12:10:42 PM) dpm: More on that later
(12:10:48 PM) dpm: Also very important to mention is the work of upstream translators, whose effort Ubuntu benefits greatly from.
(12:11:01 PM) dpm: Ubuntu includes the best-of-breed Open Source software of the many independent projects available, which is what we call upstream.
(12:11:28 PM) dpm: Translations are no exception, and if these upstream projects are translated outside of Ubuntu, we import and use the awesome work of upstream translators
(12:11:50 PM) dpm: Let's see some numbers about our amazing translations community:
(12:12:05 PM) dpm: nearly 18.000 translators who've submitted at least one translation,
(12:12:13 PM) dpm: coming from more than 240 countries.
(12:12:32 PM) dpm: A default Ubuntu installation contains about 160.000 translatable messages,
(12:12:45 PM) dpm: which can go up to 475.000 when adding non-default apps such as GIMP, Inkscape, etc.
(12:13:08 PM) dpm: And here's an overview of how well translated Ubuntu Lucid is in each language: http://people.ubuntu.com/~dpm/ubuntu-10.04-translation-stats.html
(12:13:35 PM) dpm: So you see that there's a lot of work to do, and _you_ can help in making Ubuntu better supported in your language.
(12:13:44 PM) dpm: Let's see how...
(12:13:59 PM) dpm: [SLIDE 5]
(12:14:04 PM) dpm: = How is Ubuntu translated? =
(12:14:27 PM) dpm: We use our very own translations tool: Launchpad Translations
(12:14:51 PM) dpm: Launchpad Translations allows you to easily translate projects online
(12:15:04 PM) dpm: and seamlessly build and organise translation communities around them.
(12:15:18 PM) dpm: It also allows translating Operating Systems, Ubuntu being the most evident example.
(12:15:34 PM) dpm: You can start translating Ubuntu here:
(12:15:41 PM) dpm:     https://translations.launchpad.net/ubuntu
(12:16:09 PM) dpm: There you'll see a list of translatable applications and documentation, ordered by priority and ready to translate
(12:16:23 PM) dpm: [SLIDE 6]
(12:16:35 PM) dpm: Alternatively, you can go directly to translatable applications in Launchpad from your desktop.
(12:17:07 PM) dpm: If you open an application and go to Help > Translate this application...,
(12:17:15 PM) dpm: your browser will be started and it will take you to the Launchpad Translations page for that application.
(12:17:20 PM) dpm: Which is pretty neat
(12:17:42 PM) dpm: You can try this: open Gedit, go to "Help > Translate this application..." and see it for yourself.
(12:17:48 PM) exalt_ is now known as exalt
(12:17:54 PM) dpm: On the browser window that opens you can start submitting translation suggestions from day one.
(12:18:49 PM) dpm: This will take you to the translation page in your preferred language
(12:19:26 PM) yofel_ is now known as yofel
(12:19:29 PM) dpm: which you can then click on and you'll see the list of translatable applications for
(12:20:03 PM) dpm: in Launchpad, using the standard translations terminology, these are called templates
(12:21:08 PM) dpm: and are the translatable units translators work with
(12:21:41 PM) dpm: I think as we're talking about Launchpad and the next question is related, I'll just take it now
(12:22:10 PM) ClassBot: IdleLernid asked: Could you please give links to tools that I could use to make translating easier?
(12:23:00 PM) dpm: I'd recommend you to try to using Launchpad for online translation
(12:23:07 PM) dpm: it is really easy and flexible
(12:23:47 PM) dpm: and it allows saving your work, even before it is reviewed, facilitating the QA work
(12:24:33 PM) dpm: that said, if you prefer translating offline, Launchpad Translations is flexible enough to let you download PO files (text files used for translations)
(12:24:42 PM) dpm: to be used in offline translation tools
(12:25:02 PM) dpm: These files are standard, so you can use any PO file editor available out there:
(12:25:28 PM) dpm: Virtaal, POEdit, Lokalize, Gtranslator, ... there are quite a few out there
(12:25:54 PM) ClassBot: IdleLernid asked: Are there any offline translation tools that intergrate with Launchpad Translations?
(12:26:13 PM) dpm: so I think the last comment answers that one :)
(12:26:18 PM) dpm: yes
(12:27:03 PM) dpm: ok, let's move on...
(12:27:19 PM) dpm: [SLIDE 7]
(12:27:33 PM) dpm: = How can I contribute? =
(12:27:59 PM) dpm: As in any Open Source project, the important thing is communication.
(12:28:19 PM) dpm: While everyone can submit translation suggestions in Launchpad,
(12:28:33 PM) dpm: they will need to be reviewed by Ubuntu translation teams before being used.
(12:28:54 PM) dpm: We do not only want to provide the best translated OS, but also the best quality of translations.
(12:30:25 PM) dpm: So we also encourage translation teams to communicate through any means appropriate
(12:30:37 PM) dpm: most teams use a mailing list
(12:30:52 PM) dpm: but others also forums, IRC, etc.
(12:31:14 PM) dpm: and most of them have also got a wiki page in the Ubuntu namespace
(12:31:22 PM) dpm: where they coordinate their work
(12:31:54 PM) dpm: So the next step in contributing to Ubuntu Translations is to get in touch with the translation team for your language,
(12:32:18 PM) dpm: and tell them you'd like to contribute.
(12:32:35 PM) dpm: It's easy: you can just find them on
(12:32:45 PM) dpm:     https://translations.launchpad.net/+groups/ubuntu-translators
(12:34:03 PM) dpm: On that page, you can just click on the links under the "Team/Supervisor" column and they will take you to the Launchpad page for the team
(12:34:32 PM) dpm: You see that finding the language is easy, it's on the column on the left
(12:34:39 PM) dpm: and most translation teams are named
(12:34:52 PM) dpm: "Ubuntu <language> translators"
(12:35:11 PM) dpm: where <language> is the name of the language they translate into
(12:35:46 PM) dpm: on their Launchpad page you'll find all the info you'll need to get in touch with them
(12:36:02 PM) dpm: If there isn't a team for your language yet, you should definitely start one
(12:36:18 PM) dpm: You can do it by following these simple steps:
(12:36:28 PM) dpm:     https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Translations/KnowledgeBase/StartingTeam
(12:37:02 PM) dpm: it is a one-off step, which shouldn't take long
(12:37:31 PM) dpm: and after the new team has been appointed, you can start translating in Launchpad straight away
(12:37:50 PM) dpm: If that step gets too technical for you, do not worry
(12:38:28 PM) dpm: You can always get in touch with the global translations community and ask for help or advice, which is always a good idea
(12:38:51 PM) dpm: Also if you want to start any discussion on Ubuntu Translations
(12:39:22 PM) dpm: In true Ubuntu spirit, everyone is welcome there, and you'll get to know lots of interesting people from all over the globe :)
(12:39:46 PM) dpm: Here's how to get in touch with the global translations community:
(12:39:48 PM) dpm:     https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Translations/Contact
(12:40:19 PM) dpm: [SLIDE 8]
(12:40:22 PM) dpm: = Q&A =
(12:40:44 PM) dpm: So I hope that that gave you a taste of how translation works in Ubuntu and how you can join our awesome translators.
(12:41:07 PM) dpm: Now feel free to ask any questions about anything related to translations.
(12:41:18 PM) dpm: Bring them on!
(12:42:12 PM) dpm: gepatino asked: " Can you use launchpad translation tools to translate projects outside ubuntu? what about projects that are not open sourced?"
(12:42:31 PM) dpm: Sure, translation in Launchpad is not limited to Ubuntu
(12:42:57 PM) dpm: if you go to http://translations.launchpad.net/
(12:43:40 PM) dpm: you'll see that there are two main categories of things you can translate:
(12:44:02 PM) dpm: * Operating Systems: the category where Ubuntu falls
(12:45:02 PM) dpm: * Projects: where things like the Ubuntu Manuak, Getting Things GNOME!, Miro and lots of other projects can be translated
(12:45:15 PM) dpm: the external projects do not need to be related with Ubuntu
(12:45:22 PM) dpm: or even hosted in Launchpad
(12:45:40 PM) dpm: although hosting them there will give them the benefits of full integration
(12:46:05 PM) dpm: Launchpad also allows translating projects with different licenses
(12:46:17 PM) dpm: and with different permissions
(12:47:04 PM) ClassBot: IdleLernid asked: What about translation of Ubuntu wiki pages. I am thinking of a side by side type view of a wiki page that you can click a submit button and it then creates the new translated page if it doesn't already exist
(12:47:39 PM) dpm: That's a very cool idea.
(12:48:28 PM) dpm: Unfortunately that's not supported by Launchpad. Launchpad Translations standardizes on the most widely used translation format in the open source world: gettext
(12:48:52 PM) dpm: that means that everything fed to Launchpad needs to be converted to gettext first
(12:49:29 PM) dpm: so you'd need some kind of intermediate conversion to wiki (e.g. MoinMoin) -> gettext, and then the other way round
(12:50:01 PM) dpm: That said, Launchpad is Open Source, and the sky is the limit :)
(12:51:01 PM) dpm: Launchpad Translations developers will be more than happy to mentor anyone wanting to implement new features, as they are currently focusing on developing other really cool stuff: better upstream integration
(12:51:13 PM) dpm: https://dev.launchpad.net/
(12:51:29 PM) ClassBot: vocx asked: translations are very country- or language-specific, so what does the "global translation community" do?
(12:52:38 PM) dpm: Generally the global translation community has representatives from all translation teams, and the local translation coordinators for each language are requested to be subscribed to the global mailing list
(12:52:52 PM) dpm: There we discuss the issues that affect all teams
(12:53:02 PM) dpm: and also post announcements
(12:53:55 PM) dpm: it's the best place to be kept up-to-date of the latest developments on Ubuntu Translations and where new cool stuff and building a global community are discussed
(12:54:14 PM) dpm: For those of you familiar with LoCo teams
(12:54:40 PM) dpm: the ubuntu-translators mailing list, which is the main communication channel for the Ubuntu Translations community
(12:54:51 PM) dpm: is a bit like the loco-contacts mailing list
(12:55:17 PM) ClassBot: MaPo asked: It's possible to get economic support to power some native language translations? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miskito
(12:55:50 PM) dpm: I'm not sure I understand the question, economic support from Canonical?
(12:56:21 PM) dpm: I think it's best to leave volunteer communities around translations to organise themselves and not become dependent
(12:57:00 PM) dpm: They can get the best free support the translations community can provide in getting a translation project started
(12:57:32 PM) dpm: I'd encourage you to let them know that, and that they can get in touch with us at
(12:57:45 PM) dpm: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Translations/Contact/
(12:57:51 PM) dpm: (or contact me directly)
(12:58:14 PM) dpm: watercool asked "Exist some api for Ubuntu Translations??"
(12:59:17 PM) dpm: No, there isn't one yet, although as I say, developer community contributions are always welcome. We've got a community project ongoing to provide part of the API
(12:59:22 PM) dpm: A reporting API
(12:59:44 PM) dpm: Check out the discussion at UDS: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Translations/UDS
(12:59:58 PM) dpm: and the spec https://dev.launchpad.net/Translations/Specs/ReportingAPI
(01:00:04 PM) dpm: ok, I think that was all
(01:00:12 PM) dpm: Thank you everyone for coming
(01:00:38 PM) dpm: and I'll now let you in the expert hands of Stéphane Graber, our Edubuntu hero
(01:00:41 PM) akgraner: Thanks dpm!