Enabling Georgian language support on Mandrake Linux
Enabling Georgian language support on any GNU/Linux distribution consists of three steps: Installing Georgian locale; installing Georgian unicode font; Configuring keyboard input method.
If you are installing Mandrake Linux 10.1 (or newer) and select Georgia as your location during installation, all theese steps will be carried out automatically. Otherwise, please follow the instructions below.
- Installing Georgian locale
- Pablo Saratxaga is the author of forst Georgian locale for open-source systems.
- If you haven't already done so, you may install the locales-ka package (i.e. Georgian locale) from the installations CDs of your distribution. You can also download locales-ka-2.3.3-7mdk.i586.rpm, the latest Georgian locale packaged for Mandrake Linux (10.1). The very same locale is also included on Mandrake Linux 10.1 installation CD 1.
- Installing Georgian unicode font
- Even though you may already have some bitmap fonts with Georgian glyphs installed on your system, it is very important to install nice scalable Georgian fonts. The best Georgian scalable unicode fonts are: BPG Glaho (proportionally spaced, fixed-width font), BPG Chveulebrivi (proportionally spaced, variable-width font) and BPG Courier (fixed-width, typewriter-like font).
- The fonts are in TrueType format. Mandrake Linux has been supporting TrueType fonts since very eraly versions and currently almost all the GNU/Linux distributions do. Just download the fonts from the links below, extract and install them using DrakFont in "Configure your System" Menu item (on Mandrake Linux) or KDE Control Center.
- 1. BPG_Glaho.ttf.gz
2. BPG_Chveulebrivi.ttf.gz
3. BPG_Courier.ttf.gz
- NOTE: Thanks to BPG Info-Tech, theese fonts will be included in the nect release of Mandrake Linux and will default for the Georgian language fonts.
- You can also download number of nice Georian unicode fonts from BPG Info-Tech website (http://bpg.sytes.net)
- Configuring keyboard input method
- If you would like to type in Georgian, you will need to configure the xkb, which is responsible for typing in various languages on X Environment. Mandrake Linux 10.1 already comes with the correct Georgian keyboard input script. You just need to add Georgian keyboard input during installation or later in Mandrake Control Center.
- If you are using earlier versions of Mandrake Linux or any other distribution, you will need to download the Georgian xkb input script from the link below and copy/overwrite it to the appropriate directory on your system.
- Download xkb Georgian keyboard input script ge_la.gz and put it in /usr/X11R/lib/X11/xkb/symbols/ and /usr/X11R/lib/X11/xkb/symbols/pc/ge_la (overwrite the existing ge_la file if present).
- After that, you can add the Georgian keyboard layout in Mandrake Control Center or KDE Control Center, or just, if you are not using Mandrake Linux, just type setxkbmap "ge_la" -option "grp:shift_toggle" if you are have X version 4.2, otherwise setxkbmap "us,ge_la" -option "grp:shift_toggle" if you are using X verison 4.3.
That's it. You should now be able to read and write in Georgian without problems. Don't hesitate to contact me should you have any questions
(change _AT_ with @ symbol).