Unable to select added languages

[Kev Bowring]

Installed system with English.

Later added Italian, French and German.

While they all appear to install correctly none of the 3 added languages are selectable using the Language Support tool.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.04
Package: language-selector-gnome 0.152
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.3.0-5.16-generic 4.3.3
Uname: Linux 4.3.0-5-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
ApportVersion: 2.19.3-0ubuntu2
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: XFCE
Date: Fri Dec 25 11:17:51 2015
InstallationDate: Installed on 2015-10-29 (56 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Xubuntu 16.04 LTS "Xenial Xerus" - Alpha amd64 (20151029)
PackageArchitecture: all
SourcePackage: language-selector
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Gunnar Hjalmarsson (gunnarhj)]

What did you do to determine that they are not selectable?

[Kev Bowring (flocculant)]

click on them ... nothing happens

try and drag a new one to the top - nothing happens

logout/login - have another go - nothing happens

I'd wait for someone who's really got an issue with this to turn up - which they should. I don't have a need for any language other than English.

I was responding to their support request, tried to add and use another language - couldn't so reported this for them to follow up with.

[Enrico (enricobe)]

I have this problem.

I 've installed Ubuntu in English by mistake. I want to switch to Italian but I can't do that because of this bug.

You can find attached to this comment a short video that shows the problem. The same behaviour occurs with more languages installed.

[Gunnar Hjalmarsson (gunnarhj)]

On 2015-12-25 14:28, flocculant wrote:
> click on them ... nothing happens

As expected.

> try and drag a new one to the top - nothing happens

The one you want to use should stay at the top of the list. You may need to try a couple of times, and it may take a second or two before the window refreshes with the new settings, so please don't be impatient.

> logout/login - have another go - nothing happens

Once you have switched the top language, you need to relogin.

On 2015-12-25 17:17, Enrico wrote:
> I 've installed Ubuntu in English by mistake. I want to switch to
> Italian but I can't do that because of this bug.

English must be present for this control to work, so you need to reinstall English.

[Enrico (enricobe)]

>> English must be present for this control to work, so you need to reinstall English.

Hi, I have reinstalled English and now it works. It's strange because before I tried to remove English, the same behaviour didn't work. So I've tried to remove English and now I've installed it again.

Anyway, as English MUST be present for this control to work why can we remove it? It would be better if gnome-language-selector does not allow to remove English.

[Gunnar Hjalmarsson (gunnarhj)]

On 2015-12-25 21:36, Enrico wrote:
> Anyway, as English MUST be present for this control to work why can
> we remove it? It would be better if gnome-language-selector does not
> allow to remove English.

Good point - I'll think about it. Thanks!

@flocculant: If you also make it work when reattempting, I'll close this bug report. Please let us know.

[Enrico (enricobe)]

I didn't know that you are one of language-selector developers. Thank YOU for your help here and for your work :-)

[Kev Bowring (flocculant)]

@gunnar - thanks for your comments

Seems a bit half-baked to allow removal of a language that breaks the functionality, one of those 'this is why Linux will never be the desktop' issues in my opinion.

I'd happily check that English is uninstallable at some point in the future if that ever happens. Given that the bug is in the way the software works and enricobe knows now where the bug lies seems pointless in me doing more.

I do actually read changelogs of things I 'watch' I'll just add *language* to the list and see if anything turns up in the future.

Maybe rather than close it. Re-word the title to 'Stop removal of English from Language Support' and mark it wishlist.

Thanks again :)

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for language-selector (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]