Language selection -urgent!!!

So, for public usage (e.g. kiosk, library, cyber cafe, etc.), all distributions after GDM 2.20 is useless in international environments (tourist area).

Moreover, what is the sense to developing multi-language support for GNOME in GDM?

Explanation is simple. If user really need to have and know the password, PC is obvious for private (not for public) usage and if it is private PC, why would somebody switch the language after he is prompted for password??? It is logical how in private usage nobody (almost) ever switch language.

So, why you disabled language and keyboard choose in GDM startup screen (and enabled it in password screen)???

What distribution of Ubuntu do you use ?
I have both Karmic and Lucid installed with four different users with for each a different language (french, english, german and spanish).
Each user has its own language configuration (as I have a single keyboard, they all use french keyboard).
Be careful, at login if I remember, you have to have multiple users of different language to access to language and keyboard choice.

I don't use autologin. If you explain me quickly how it works, I can check at home the behavior.
Do you want to have for each user a predefined language ?

Karmic

Point is how all users have predefined language, but if some foreigner come, he should be able to switch before login his language.

It is cyber cafe configuration (almost all lock-down), but it is same for any public usage.

So, I have Internet user, Gamer user (it is about 2000 games what is not acceptable to be shown in Internet session), VoIP user (just Ekiga for international calls), etc., but it is same for e.g. hotels (the people in the finance department may only require to run a specific accounting package - lets to say in predefined Spanish, while guests would need access to almost all the applications installed in their computers, but in different languages). See Sabayon e.g.

It will be stupid now to upgrade to KDM (189 MB plus) just for this "small" inconvenience.

GDM developers should to think little bit before they switch from 2.20. They made GNOME useless for public usage (in international sense). It is more than clear how nobody (almost) don't have interest to switch language if he have and know his password, because it mean how it is not public PC, it is private or semi private (offices, etc.) PC.

Worst from all is to downgrade to 2.20, because you will lost splash (now xsplash), otherwise, it could be solution.

My first question was "What distribution of Ubuntu do you use ?".
Both versions behaves differently.
So I can not investigate to find a solution.

Hi

Please can you re-post this question in your favourite language. There are lots of people from all over the world and hopefully some of them might be able to communicate better in your own language.

To continue with this thread please can you copy&paste the output of this command

uname -a

so that we can see which version of Ubuntu you are using and which kernel.
We do appreciate the reasons why this is a problem and that there are serious implications so please let us know which version of Ubuntu you are using by giving us the output of "uname -a" and that would give Delance something to work with
Good luck and regards from
Tom :)

I read again and understand better the problem.
Yes, you are asked of your language (and keyboard) only if you have to log with a password.
Unfortunately, as now cyber cafes in some countries must register user identity and usage of computers on Internet, that means they have to provide an individual account for each user, and so can predefine users with different languages (if they do this effort...).

For what I understood, you must replace Gamer user by Gamer_fr, Gamer_en, Gamer_de, Gamer_sp, ...

If I misunderstood, can you explain more your current user management.

Tom - "Linux karmic-1-desktop 2.6.31-21-generic #59-Ubuntu SMP Wed Mar 24 07:28:56 UTC 2010 i686 GNU/Linux"

P.S. I will switch to 10.4 if thats easier.

delance - your comment about cyber cafes is in wrong way.

1) Thats (registration) solved with cyber cafe management software and it don't need to be problem of Linux (Ubuntu) and here is just about 100% pure issue of OS (e.g. Windows XP and above can switch language in login screen if you installed language packs), or more precise about DM (just GDM up to 2.20 was able to do it and KDM, Slim, etc. are not capable). So, it works how in GDM user make the choice of his environment (it could be named also profile, like in Sabayon), what is made via various users (more GNOME xsessions is bad idea) and he must be enabled to be logged immediately pass-wordless (what is not problem to make it). But before (logically) he must to be able to make the choice of his language and keyboard layout (less important because of keyboard indicator in GNOME xsession). Than he enter in GNOME xsession where is the "entrance door" - cyber cafe management software login screen (so, here is registration issue). But, I rerpeat - same scenario is for hotels, banks, kiosks, etc., except to registration.

Here come in point also your comment - delance - "For what I understood, you must replace Gamer user by Gamer_fr, Gamer_en, Gamer_de, Gamer_sp, ..." - correct.

Now imagine if some cyber (hotel, etc.) have at least 3 public profiles (internet, gamer and sip phone), it mean with (e.g.) 36 languages = 100> users (some languages have more entrances, like English and Spanish) on GDM login screen. Thats out of mind to make it.

2) Registration is not issue also because (first at all), here is about PC for public usage (hotels, etc.) and not specifically for cyber.

delance - "If I misunderstood, can you explain more your current user management.".

I think how above I explained. Here, I will just make some comment.

It is interesting how indeed (I'm 99% sure), somebody is put soewhere the script how language, keyboard and session selectors are hidden until - "password box" not appear.

Reason is how they are not in gdm.conf like Accessibility icon, time, etc. So, e.g. it is possible to show and hide Accessibility icon in gdm.conf, but there is nothing about language, keyboards and sessions, despite how everything above listed appear in panel.

Here is also question(s)

- Why somebody complicated GDM and excluded that from simple solution like Accessibility icon, time, etc.?

- Why it is simply not part of gdm.conf for every scenario (password and pass-wordless login), like Accessibility icon, etc? Thats how its worked in 2.20.

Goal

It (for all 3 - language, keyboard and session) should to be done like Accessibility icon and administrator should to be able to set it like true and false (like for Accessibility icon). So, options should to be available to choose all the time of GDM appereance (like Accessibility icon). Than also if somebody (e.g. developers) want to switch language in GDM (and they have profile with password), he can do it in any time and not just in moment of password entering.

It is also out of GDM consistence if some xsession options can be selected all the time (Accessibility icon) of GDM appereance and some not, despite how all of them equally affect xsession look&feel (and functionality).

I hope so how I was clear.

And finally, it is not small bug (it is not bug at all), it is big issue of entire OS functionality.

I don't see what I can do for you.
As you are asking going back to previous functionality, it has not to be posted in "Question" part of Launchpad, where you will talk only with people working with current software, but in "Bug" part of Launchpad as an "Improvement request" which will be seen by people who develop software (and sometime make things too automatic and hidden).

Hi :)

I think there are still a lot of us that use 9.10 (Karmic) daily and often Answerers remember dealing with 9.10 or put a lot of effort into going back into 9.10 in a Vm or dual-boot. Since 9.10 & 8.04 still have a years worth of support left people are willing to make a lot of effort sometimes in answering specific questions about them.

Sorry i don't have an answer & all i can really suggest is posting this as a bug-report now. Also perhaps re-post this question in your own language and see if anyone does answer. Hopefully we do have enough people from enough places that someone can help you

Good luck and regards from
Tom :)

I'm bit of disappointed.

1) Do you tried to make several users with auto login? If you do, you can see how ugly it (panel) appear when login "jump" over the "password box". It is visible how panel is changed with language, keyboard and session selector. So, it is the bug.

2) "As you are asking going back to previous functionality". it is not about previous, present and/or future functionality. It is about the functionality. Don't try to put problem under the carpet with phrase's.

If nobody don't want to make GDM functional for PUBLIC MULTILINGUAL USAGE, than OK, but name it with right name, don't try to hide problem with phrase's (sorry, but it is truth, not offense).

From the begin, I write just about the problem how GDM is not for PUBLIC MULTILINGUAL USAGE (moreover, have weired logic to offer language selector for users on private PC (???) - personal users v. public users) and thats the FACT.

But here is also about something else. GDM developers know very well how for PUBLIC MULTILINGUAL USAGE, most PC will be set (logically) for English like default language. Approach what GDM developers have to hide language selector is clearly targeted to discriminate other languages, despite of the fact how huge majority of the world population don't speak English. Is it contribution for better tomorrow?

Finally, Microsoft is retrograde, but they at least don't have discrimination approach (I guess how they have interest to sell more copies of Windows and GDM developers do it for fun).

"Small thinks make huge difference."

Than we are wondering why Linux cant step faster on the market.

Please read (I'm not Arab) http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/files/26047/12041267483EGYPTE.pdf/EGYPTE.pdf

Also http://langtech.jrc.it/DGT-TM.html

Maybe after this you will be able to realizing how my request can be all, but not "going back".

Finally look at Internet statistic and YOU WILL BE SHOCKED.

See http://www.slideshare.net/dinisguarda/global-internet-localisation-multilingual-3064593 and

http://www.slideshare.net/anilopez/seo-for-multilanguage-international-projects

3) Tom - what you mean with 9.10 and 10.4? It is problem of GDM globally and don't depend of distribution.

I don't put things under the carpet.
As a French and an old software engineer, I'm conscious the problem of localization.
And you are lucky not to have known how it was 30 years ago.
All system was conceived at start for English speaker, and localization was only added after for ROW (Rest Of World, it's how IBM called world outside North America).
For GDM, I think its more related to the facts they think to one person PC, and not shared computer as it was before with Unix.
There are few multinational environment, and if I work today for a european company, they solved problem by imposing english for document and e-mail, and imposing the localization of local PC for employees of others countries.
Same problem with screen. At start, Unix managed well multiple screens, but functionality was lost, and has to be written again with dual screen fashion!

About Tom remarks. Yes, there is a peak of problems each time there is a new Ubuntu, and we are today in such a peak...

It is nothing to compare with multiple screen s vs. functionality. Like "old software engineer" ( I'm 50), please explain to me isn't more simple (and functional) to add language_button to be represented entire life cycle of GDM, instead to make script s which will make it visible just in the case (and stage) when password box appear?

It is nothing with new Ubuntu, but you are right with "For GDM, I think its more related to the facts they think to one person PC, and not shared computer as it was before with Unix.".

As you made exact and excellence precise definition of problem, I guess how further discussion don't have any sense.

Now just one question (we should to be pragmatic):

Is it there anybody who want to solve this problem of "shared computer", or not?

Just one more question:

As it is possible to add additional applications to GDM (panel or dock - e.g. Cairo), question is next:

- What is the command for GDM language chooser (to create launcher in dock, panel, or GDM desktop)?

P.S. New GDM redesigned (compiz, etc.) looks great (now just answer on question above)! I added help materials (PDF and movie tutorials how to use OS).

Hi :)

Any application in the menus can be added to the panel or desktop quite easily. Just right-click on the menu item and choose "Add this item to panel" (or desktop). You can even then drag that link to somewhere you feel might be better, such as the Documents folder or something. I have a feeling the panel is probably the best place?

If you have just moved to 10.04 and want to move the window buttons back to the Windows side (right) rather than the Mac side (left) then this command can do that

gconftool-2 --set "/apps/metacity/general/button_layout" --type string "menu:minimize,maximize,close"

where "-l" is a lower-case "-L" and sudo doesn't give any stars as you type your normal user password (don't try your SuperUser/Root one)

Also every new install or upgrade to a new version of Ubuntu will need someone to work through the medibuntu page
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Medibuntu
to sort the multimedia issues & then perhaps install "flash player". Since i just copy&paste the stuff from the coding brackets in there and don't bother to read the stuff on the white background it takes me about 5mins at the most. In my country it is ok to keep the non-free components, i think the trouble with the non-free stuff is mainly if you live in USA :)

Regards from
Tom :)

Do you read what I wrote?

To get back to the original problem:

If the PC is a public PC, a simple (although not very technical) solution would be to put somewhere nearby the computer a small sheet with instructions such as : 1) the login name they can use, 2) the choices among the following languages that are supported on this computer, and 3) remind the customer that this is a public account so they shouldn't save their passwords (from web mail boxes etc.). Alternatively, you could stick a note with login name+passwd and the lists of languages supported (or the possibility to choose among a set of languages at the bottom of the screen).

Hope that helps