gnome-shell spams the journal with `Failed to parse translated string '„24h“' for key 'clock-format' in schema 'org.gnome.desktop.interface': 0:expected value` multiple times every second for users using the lt_LT , ru_RU, Indonesian (id) and maybe other locales

[Marius Gedminas]

After upgrading to Ubuntu 24.04 LTS I ran journalctl -f and noticed that gnome-shell was spamming errors at the rate of 12 lines every second:

geg. 02 18:29:19 blynas gnome-shell[3980]: Failed to parse translated string '„24h“' for key 'clock-format' in schema 'org.gnome.desktop.interface': 0:expected value
geg. 02 18:29:19 blynas gnome-shell[3980]: Using untranslated default instead.
geg. 02 18:29:20 blynas gnome-shell[3980]: Failed to parse translated string '„24h“' for key 'clock-format' in schema 'org.gnome.desktop.interface': 0:expected value
geg. 02 18:29:20 blynas gnome-shell[3980]: Using untranslated default instead.
geg. 02 18:29:20 blynas gnome-shell[3980]: Failed to parse translated string '„24h“' for key 'clock-format' in schema 'org.gnome.desktop.interface': 0:expected value
geg. 02 18:29:20 blynas gnome-shell[3980]: Using untranslated default instead.
geg. 02 18:29:20 blynas gnome-shell[3980]: Failed to parse translated string '„24h“' for key 'clock-format' in schema 'org.gnome.desktop.interface': 0:expected value
geg. 02 18:29:20 blynas gnome-shell[3980]: Using untranslated default instead.
geg. 02 18:29:20 blynas gnome-shell[3980]: Failed to parse translated string '„24h“' for key 'clock-format' in schema 'org.gnome.desktop.interface': 0:expected value
geg. 02 18:29:20 blynas gnome-shell[3980]: Using untranslated default instead.
geg. 02 18:29:20 blynas gnome-shell[3980]: Failed to parse translated string '„24h“' for key 'clock-format' in schema 'org.gnome.desktop.interface': 0:expected value
geg. 02 18:29:20 blynas gnome-shell[3980]: Using untranslated default instead.
geg. 02 18:29:20 blynas gnome-shell[3980]: Failed to parse translated string '„24h“' for key 'clock-format' in schema 'org.gnome.desktop.interface': 0:expected value
geg. 02 18:29:20 blynas gnome-shell[3980]: Using untranslated default instead.

My locale is lt_LT.UTF-8, but this issue appears also in ru_RU, id (Indonesian) and maybe other locales.

This is caused by a mistaken translation of the quote characters in "'24h'" which is used as the default value for a particular gsettings key. Specifically, this translation: https://translations.launchpad.net/ubuntu/noble/+source/gsettings-desktop-schemas/+pots/gsettings-desktop-schemas/lt/232/+translate
https://translations.launchpad.net/ubuntu/noble/+source/gsettings-desktop-schemas/+pots/gsettings-desktop-schemas/ru/232/+translate
https://translations.launchpad.net/ubuntu/noble/+source/gsettings-desktop-schemas/+pots/gsettings-desktop-schemas/id/232/+translate

Since I'm a member of the Lithuanian translators team, I've fixed the translation error for Lithuanian language in translations.launchpad.net, but I can't fix for other languages, also gnome-shell will continue to spam multiple errors every second until an updated language-pack-gnome-lt-base (and for other languages) is released.

(I've also submitted a fixed Lithuanian translation upstream to l10n.gnome.org , but not for other languages)

Workaround: run dconf-editor, find /org/gnome/desktop/interface/clock-format, uncheck Use default value, click Apply.
System-wide workaround for Lithuanian language:
msgunfmt /usr/share/locale-langpack/lt/LC_MESSAGES/gsettings-desktop-schemas.mo -o /tmp/gsettings-desktop-schemas.po && sed -i "s/„24h“/'24h'/g" /tmp/gsettings-desktop-schemas.po && msgfmt gsettings-desktop-schemas.po -o /usr/share/locale-langpack/lt/LC_MESSAGES/gsettings-desktop-schemas.mo

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 24.04
Package: gnome-shell 46.0-0ubuntu5
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 6.8.0-31.31-generic 6.8.1
Uname: Linux 6.8.0-31-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.28.1-0ubuntu2
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Thu May 2 18:25:59 2024
DisplayManager: gdm3
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
InstallationDate: Installed on 2019-06-12 (1786 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 19.04 "Disco Dingo" - Release amd64 (20190416)
RelatedPackageVersions: mutter-common 46.0-1ubuntu9
SourcePackage: gnome-shell
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to noble on 2024-05-02 (0 days ago)

[bl (blagopoluchie)]

Ubuntu 24.04

$ journalctl /usr/bin/gnome-shell

июн 03 18:22:00 pc gnome-shell[9118]: Translated default ''24h'' for key 'clock-format' in schema 'org.gnome.desktop.interface' is outside of valid range
июн 03 18:22:00 pc gnome-shell[9118]: Translated default ''24h'' for key 'clock-format' in schema 'org.gnome.desktop.interface' is outside of valid range
июн 03 18:23:00 pc gnome-shell[9118]: Translated default ''24h'' for key 'clock-format' in schema 'org.gnome.desktop.interface' is outside of valid range
июн 03 18:23:00 pc gnome-shell[9118]: Translated default ''24h'' for key 'clock-format' in schema 'org.gnome.desktop.interface' is outside of valid range
июн 03 18:23:00 pc gnome-shell[9118]: Translated default ''24h'' for key 'clock-format' in schema 'org.gnome.desktop.interface' is outside of valid range
июн 03 18:24:00 pc gnome-shell[9118]: Translated default ''24h'' for key 'clock-format' in schema 'org.gnome.desktop.interface' is outside of valid range
июн 03 18:24:00 pc gnome-shell[9118]: Translated default ''24h'' for key 'clock-format' in schema 'org.gnome.desktop.interface' is outside of valid range
июн 03 18:24:00 pc gnome-shell[9118]: Translated default ''24h'' for key 'clock-format' in schema 'org.gnome.desktop.interface' is outside of valid range
июн 03 18:25:00 pc gnome-shell[9118]: Translated default ''24h'' for key 'clock-format' in schema 'org.gnome.desktop.interface' is outside of valid range
июн 03 18:25:00 pc gnome-shell[9118]: Translated default ''24h'' for key 'clock-format' in schema 'org.gnome.desktop.interface' is outside of valid range
июн 03 18:25:00 pc gnome-shell[9118]: Translated default ''24h'' for key 'clock-format' in schema 'org.gnome.desktop.interface' is outside of valid range
июн 03 18:26:00 pc gnome-shell[9118]: Translated default ''24h'' for key 'clock-format' in schema 'org.gnome.desktop.interface' is outside of valid range
июн 03 18:26:00 pc gnome-shell[9118]: Translated default ''24h'' for key 'clock-format' in schema 'org.gnome.desktop.interface' is outside of valid range
июн 03 18:26:00 pc gnome-shell[9118]: Translated default ''24h'' for key 'clock-format' in schema 'org.gnome.desktop.interface' is outside of valid range
июн 03 18:27:00 pc gnome-shell[9118]: Translated default ''24h'' for key 'clock-format' in schema 'org.gnome.desktop.interface' is outside of valid range
июн 03 18:27:00 pc gnome-shell[9118]: Translated default ''24h'' for key 'clock-format' in schema 'org.gnome.desktop.interface' is outside of valid range
июн 03 18:27:00 pc gnome-shell[9118]: Translated default ''24h'' for key 'clock-format' in schema 'org.gnome.desktop.interface' is outside of valid range
июн 03 18:28:00 pc gnome-shell[9118]: Translated default ''24h'' for key 'clock-format' in schema 'org.gnome.desktop.interface' is outside of valid range
июн 03 18:28:00 pc gnome-shell[9118]: Translated default ''24h'' for key 'clock-format' in schema 'org.gnome.desktop.interface' is outside of valid range
июн 03 18:28:00 pc gnome-shell[9118]: Translated default ''24h'' for key 'clock-format' in schema 'org.gnome.desktop.interface' is outside of valid range
июн 03 18:29:00 pc gnome-shell[9118]: Translated default ''24h'' for ke...

[Mantas Kriaučiūnas (mantas)]

It would be nice if weekly language packs builds in ppa:ubuntu-langpack/ppa would be available for Ubuntu Jammy and Noble (24.04), see https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-langpack/+archive/ubuntu/ppa

Then we could test if this bug is fixed. I've reported separate issue for missing weekly language packs , see https://launchpad.net/langpack-o-matic/+bug/2068501

[Mantas Kriaučiūnas (mantas)]

@mgedmin I think this is not only translation issue - system log should't be spammed with lots of messages if someone incorrectly translated some string, maybe we should report this issue to GNOME upstream?

[Marius Gedminas (mgedmin)]

Yeah, that makes sense.

(Of course constant spamming is more likely to result in a translation fix ;)

[bl (blagopoluchie)]

My locale is ru_RU.UTF-8. Could you also correct it and change the title.

[Mantas Kriaučiūnas (mantas)]

@bl @igor.zubarev
I can't fix this issue for Russian translation because I'm not a member of Russian Ubuntu translators (https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-l10n-ru )

Everyone from Russian translators team can fix this issue by simply changing translation to '24h' at
https://translations.launchpad.net/ubuntu/noble/+source/gsettings-desktop-schemas/+pots/gsettings-desktop-schemas/ru/232/+translate

See for example German translation: https://translations.launchpad.net/ubuntu/noble/+source/gsettings-desktop-schemas/+pots/gsettings-desktop-schemas/de/232/+translate

[Dmitry Shachnev (mitya57)]

Updated Russian translation.

[Marius Gedminas (mgedmin)]

> Everyone from Russian translators team can fix this issue by simply changing translation to '24h' at https://translations.launchpad.net/

It would also be a good idea to fix the upstream translations as well, at https://l10n.gnome.org/.

(I've done so for the Lithuanian translation.)