See more up-to-date information at:

• LocalizedImages

• https://blueprints.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+spec/community-p-localized-iso-community-growth

The idea of this page is to act as a place for brainstorming on aspects related to how we do the testing and rollout of the new localized ISO images, as drafted on the desktop-o-cd-localization spec.

Contact persons for initial tests

We would like to test the initial prototypes for a set of languages, and thus we would like to have a contact person or owner for each of these languages, with the idea of adding them to the dedicated page for localized ISO testing.

Please add yourself to the list if you'd like to contribute to your language's ISO. Thanks a lot for your help!

Feedback

• I used the tools to create 2 ISOs: one shipping the Catalan language pack and setting the default keyboard and locale for Catalan (language code ca). The other one was exactly identical, except for setting the default locale to the Valencian variant of the language (ca@valencia). The modifications to the default template package can be seen here. The tools worked well, both on local packages and on remote packages on a PPA. The only issue was that setting ca@valencia as a default locale did not work on the second ISO. The default was set to English instead, but I'm not sure if it was an issue with the underlying tools not supporting @-locales or the ca@valencia not being present in ubiquity (I would have expected it to fall back to ca) -- dpm 2011-11-03 20:28:31

• Tried the tools, created the packages, but didn't have oppurtunity to create the final ISOs. Currently we use UCK to provide Estobuntu remix, the Estonian customization of Ubuntu, and since we change much more than "the aspects of the images that can be localized" (as described on this page), the ubuntu-defaults system didn't seem very appropriate. However, we discussed modifying the ubuntu-defaults to provide our remix, but decided to stick to UCK for the current release. We have to change not just localization but other aspects to make the system appetitive for general user (local ID card support, custom speller, advertisements blocker etc). If ubuntu-defaults is meant to be not just an utility for just plain localizing official images, but for general use of creating remixes, we would need 1) initrd customization, 2) full customization of settings for default programs (up to Firefox extensions, for example), 3) changing themes, 4) providing /etc/skel etc. Otherwise people still would use UCK or RemasterSys for remixes although they could hack ubuntu-defaults to do the work. Meaningful way of debugging chroot (or initrd) scripts would be good too (this requires defining independent stages for creating ISO). Also, to make localizations more meaningful, custom additions to Ubiquity pre-install dialog would be really helpful (besides restricted codecs there could be ticks to install national ID card/digital signing software or other things mentioned above). There wouldn't be need for some of the remixes, if this were possible. It is one way to make people put more effort in ubuntu-defaults tools. Clarifying the status of remix/localization and ways of distributing these would help a lot too. -- boamaod 2011-11-04 09:25:31

FAQ

(Note: This Q/A is still incomplete, feel free to add your questions here and we'll answer them as well as we can)

Which aspects of the images can be localized?

As of the current state of the spec, the following areas can be localized at the technical level:

• Keyboard layout
• Default applications file association
• Rhythmbox/Banshee radio stations
• Installation of additional packages
• Internationalization support (languages and keyboard layout)
• Default desktop session in login managers (LightDM and GDM)
• Additional icons

With additional restrictions applying to these items:

• Web browser bookmarks (Firefox): TBD
• Web browser default search engine: TBD

• Web browser start page: please use only the provided start pages, we use an affiliate code in our start page to generate revenue. Learn more about the provided web browser start pages.

• Desktop background image: please do not change the background image, as this is part of Ubuntu's trade dress.
• Additional Unity launchers: please feel free to add new launchers can be, but do not remove the launchers shipped by default.

What is the workflow for creating a localized image?

Right now we've just started to write documentation how to build localized images, which will be shortly available in a wiki page.

In the meantime, documentation can be found in the build scripts' man pages, but roughly, here is a high-level overview of the workflow to create a localized image:

1. Create a defaults package with all the customizations for your language and upload it to a PPA. Use the ubuntu-defaults-template scripts for that.

2. Run the build script (ubuntu-defaults-image in the ubuntu-defaults-builder package) to create the image.

3. Upload the image on a public location for everyone to download and test

Will these images be considered as official Ubuntu images, or rather as a remix?

TBD

This is going to be in part dependent on the level of QA and signoff on the images, as well as what has changed. Once we are able to define the testing, and scope of changes, we'll know better how these images should be labeled.

Where will these images be published?

At least for the first iteration, we're relying on LoCo and translation teams to use the standard toolset we're providing to create and host their own images. That does not mean that in the future, and given enough testing, we could not publish the images on e.g. cdimages.ubuntu.com

Are there going to be any changes in the main ISO?

The only change will be that we no longer will be shipping language packs in the main ISO, as we're now providing standard tools to create localized images. This change will only affect the few languages that were previously included in the main ISO, which will now have to create their own localized versions. For the majority of languages, there will be no change, other than now having a much easier way to roll out localized versions.

There will be no changes with regards to translations in the installer. The installer will remain localized in the main ISO and when an Internet connection is present, install the language packs for the chosen locale as usual.

Will the images need to be tested on each milestone during the development cycle?

Testing during the development cycle will be at the discretion of the image contact and test contact. Testing can happen on milestone images, which is useful for finding and getting bugs fixed before the final release. Widespread distribution of a localized image should only be based on the official final release images.

How will the testing of the localized images be done?

This is still being brainstormed.

Ideally once a base release image is available, the translation team contact for that language, should signoff that the right langpacks have been pulled into the build of localized candidate image.

Then the image should go through a series of standard tests, to check that the basic functionality and translations are appropriate. The set of test (manual and automated) is still TBD (help welcome).

We're investigating being able to make the iso tracker available, and have a set of defined manditory tests to be run to verify the expected languages and customizations are in place, so that community participation in the testing can occur, and folks using the images know there has been some QA checking.

How can I translate the browser start page?

Please use only the provided browser start pages, which Canonical uses with an affiliate code to generate revenue for the Ubuntu project. You can:

• Translate the browser start page

• Report bugs in the browser start page