Live DVD filesystem could accomodate full localization, but doesn't

[Michael Kofler]

I know that on a live CD some localization packages are missing due to space
constraints

however, things got worse in 5.10: now ALMOST ALL localization packages are
missing; apart from some menu entries, *nothing* is localized (in 5.04 the
situation was better; at least most Gnome applications were localized)

if you use a *Ubuntu DVD* to start the live system, the situation is absurd: all
localization packages actually are available at the DVD! but the live system is
unable to use them; this really should be changed in 6.04

experienced live DVD users can use the localization packages:

- in a console: sudo apt-cdrom add
- System|System configuration|Language Selection: activate your language ...
- System|Log out (--> automatic re-login)

PS: I did my tests in German with the Ubuntu DVD from 2005-10-08

[Colin Watson (cjwatson)]

So, there are two obvious solutions to this. Either we build a separate live
filesystem for the DVD with more stuff in it (which consumes more buildd
resources) or we get casper to install the language packs just before pivoting
into the live environment (which is slower at run-time). I'm ambivalent. Matt?

[Matt Zimmerman (mdz)]

The long-term solution will be to build a more comprehensive live filesystem for
use on the DVD. I don't think installing the langpacks at runtime is practical;
this would be very slow, consume more memory, and require some additional
complexity to locate the langpacks on the CD.

[Tollef Fog Heen (tfheen)]

An option would be to add modules to casper, so it'll look for a set of squashfs filesystems in /casper/ and mount those (either in ASCII order or based on the contents of a file). This would allow us to make a German langpack squashfs, a French langpack squashfs and so on and make the system quite easy to customise for people who want to do that.

[Mantas Kriaučiūnas (mantas)]

Tollef Fog Heen at 2006-02-13 wrote:
> An option would be to add modules to casper, so it'll look for a set of squashfs filesystems in /casper/ and mount those (either in ASCII order or based on the contents of a file).

Yea, I vote for the making Ubuntu Live CD framework to use modules - 2 years ago I used Morphix modular Live CD framework and I can tell, that using small modules together with main compressed image is really very practical, fast and comfortable solution.

[Colin Watson (cjwatson)]

Steve Langasek implemented this in Ubuntu 8.04; the DVD live filesystem now contains all available language packs.

[Mantas Kriaučiūnas (mantas)]

Colin Watson wrote on 2008-07-15:
> Steve Langasek implemented this in Ubuntu 8.04; the DVD live filesystem now contains all available language packs.

Because of this Ubuntu installation from live DVD takes a lot of time and requires 2 x more disk space comparing with installation from live CD (because all unneeded languages files from live filesystem are at first copied to hard disk and only then removed) :(
To solve these problems we should use modules to casper, so it'll look for a set of squashfs filesystems in /casper/ and mount those with unionfs, like Tollef Fog Heen suggested at comment #3
There are already several distros, based on Ubuntu or Debian, which use this technology, look for example at http://pud-linux.sourceforge.net/opt.en.html (http://code.google.com/p/opt-get/)
Should I report another bug about use of modules or reopen this bug ?

Btw, Kubuntu and Edubuntu DVD images still doesn't contain all available language packs, only Ubuntu DVD image has all language packs... Also, I've noticed, that Edubuntu 8.04.1 filesystem.squashfs actualy is Ubuntu 8.04RC filesystem, dated 21 April :(

[Colin Watson (cjwatson)]

No, to solve this problem we'll teach the installer to only copy files in packages that are going to remain installed; as indeed we have done in later releases. Please do not reopen this bug.