Joining a l10n project

If you can donate some of your free time and would like to contribute to the Georgian localization process of Mandrake Linux, one of the friendliest GNU/Linux operating systems in the world, please read on the detailed instructions.

There are practically no requirements other than understanding IT English or German terminology, a personal computer and desire to support the Georgian users. Your help will be greatly appreciated!

Subscribing to the ka mailing list

First you should subscribe to ka mailing list and announce the project you would like to join. It would be nice if you could directly include the following information: The languages you speak/understand; your experience with computers; your current operating system; yhe average time you could spare in a week for translations; if you have any experience with localizations or translations and if you have ever used GNU/Linux operating system. Of course, you don't have to include all the information, it would just make the explanation process shorter :-)

Downloading the transalated modules for the TM

After you have sent me mail, you should already start downloading the already translated PO files and extracting them in one directory (you will have to rename ka.po files to corresponding package names, i.e. ka.po from indexhtml-ka.bz2 package should become indexhtml-ka.po).

Creating l10n environment and building Georgian TM

After you have extracted, renamed and placed all the Georgian PO files in one directory, you will have to choose the translation tool and preferably build a Translation Memory based on the translated PO files. Building Translation Memory is important, as it simplifies and speeds up the translation process, as well as enables team memebrs to use same termonology within the project.

If you are on Unix-like operating system (like GNU/Linux, FreeBSD etc.) and use X Window System, I recommend either KBabel or PoEdit. Theese are the tools that fully support utf-8, PO files and TM. If you do not have any graphical environment and are on console, GNU/Emacs' PO mode would probably be the best choice (for using TM with GNU/Emacs, see Karl Eichwalder's post). You can also try to use your favorite editor for modifying PO files and then check the syntax with GNU Gettext tools. You will need to set up proper Georgian Unicode console font and keyboard input script, though. See the related artice Georgian on Linux

On MS Windows, no free tool compares to PoEdit ;-).

On Mac OS X, you could try PoEdit, though you will need to set up proper Unicode Georgian font and input method first. See the related artice Georgian on Mac OS X

NOTE: I have not described the use of commercial CAT tools (which are widely available for MS Windows and Mac OS platforms), as using them requires caquiring commercial license. If you already own a professional, commercial CAT tool and would like to use when participating in our projects, feel free to contact me and I will try to send you the information on using the tool for PO environment. The majority of commercial CAT tools today support PO (or XLIFF at least) as well as using TMs.

I also do not mention one very nice commercial CAT tool, which is available on many platforms and whose representative has expressed generous wish to support our non-commercial l10n projects. Check back soon to find out if the tool is available for use in theese projects.

Starting the actual translation

After you're all set up, have a look at the translated PO files and become familiar with the terminology.

Now have a look at the status page of the project in question and decide which module you would like to translate. It is best to choose the module that has not been translated yet, as unfinished modules should already have a translation author. After that just let me know which module you are going to translate, to make sure no one else is translating the same module. When you're done, submit the translated file to me directly and I will commit it to CVS.

Good luck and hope you join us soon!