Language should be represented by additional LC_* variables

[Gunnar Hjalmarsson]

Binary package hint: language-selector

The LC_* environment variables (except for LC_ALL) inherit their values from LANG when not set explicitly. LANG is in Ubuntu dedicated to represent various region specific formats, and when a selected language is represented by some other locale than the LANG value, LC_MESSAGES is set explicitly. However, there are two more LC_* variables - LC_CTYPE and LC_COLLATE - that have little to do with regional formats, and it would make more sense if they were treated in the same way as LC_MESSAGES. To achieve that, changes to the language-selector and gdm packages are needed.

Such changes were suggested by Colin Watson when he sponsored this change to the im-switch package:
https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/im-switch/1.20ubuntu4
Even if Colin approved the change, we agreed that it is a short-term workaround. Consequently, once the above changes to language-selector and gdm are in place, the changes in version 1.20ubuntu4 of im-switch should be reversed.

[Gunnar Hjalmarsson (gunnarhj)]

@Colin
@Martin

Would appreciate your confirmation that the changes suggested in this bug report are ok.

[Martin Pitt (pitti)]

I agree that CTYPE and COLLATE are really belonging to the "language" aspect, not the "location" one. So +1 from me on this update. Thanks!

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

This bug was fixed in the package im-switch - 1.20ubuntu5

---------------
im-switch (1.20ubuntu5) oneiric; urgency=low

  * 80im-switch and im-switch.in:
    - Reverse of changes in version 1.20ubuntu4. This is not a
      functional change, considering other related changes in gdm and
      language-selector (LP: #786986).
 -- Gunnar Hjalmarsson <email address hidden> Tue, 07 Jun 2011 07:37:16 +0200

[Martin Pitt (pitti)]

I merged Gunnar's gdm fix, but uploading this will still take a bit as gdm 3 is a major new version.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

This bug was fixed in the package language-selector - 0.39

---------------
language-selector (0.39) oneiric; urgency=low

  * help/C/language-selector.xml:
    Clarification of the input method system section and modifications
    due to new treatment of LC_CTYPE and LC_COLLATE.
  * Set LC_CTYPE and LC_COLLATE to the same locale name as LC_MESSAGES
    (LP: #786986).
  * LanguageSelector/gtk/GtkLanguageSelector.py:
    Show "none" instead of an empty string as the input method system
    when there is no explicit value for the current language.
  * "none" option in the input method drop-down list selector made
    translatable (LP: #531801).
 -- Gunnar Hjalmarsson <email address hidden> Tue, 07 Jun 2011 07:43:20 +0200

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

This bug was fixed in the package gdm - 3.0.4-0ubuntu1

---------------
gdm (3.0.4-0ubuntu1) oneiric; urgency=low

  [ Sebastien Bacher ]
  * New upstream version 3.0.0
  * Start cleaning for the GNOME3 update
  * debian/patches/00git_passwordless_login_crash.patch,
    debian/patches/17_use_timed_login_after_autologin.patch,
    debian/patches/19_no_greeter_for_autologin.patch,
    debian/patches/37_disable_resize_grip.patch,
    debian/patches/38_user_chooser_focus.patch,
    debian/patches/43_translate_cancel_button.patch:
    - those are fixed is in the new version
  * debian/patches/08_use_polkit_for_settings.patch,
    debian/patches/09_gdmsetup.patch:
    - drop gdmsetup, the options should be integrated in gnome-control-center
      (the autologin one is in the user account configuration for example)
  * debian/patches/09_gdmserver_gconf_settings.patch:
    - the gconf hack to turn on and off login sounds, that should be
      rewritten use gsettings if wanted, lightdm should also make that easier
  * debian/patches/10_xsplash.patch:
    - xsplash was a one cycle hack and has been deprecated since
  * debian/patches/24_respect_system_minuid.patch:
    - deprecated with the accountsservice use
  * debian/patches/25_update_gconf_directories.patch:
    - the new version use gsettings and that was useful for the
      gdmsetup configuration only
  * debian/patches/34_disable_a11y_default.patch:
    - the change was not appropriate for a sru but is fine early
      during the cycle
  * debian/%gconf-tree.xml:
    - tweaks to the default layout, those will need to be revisited with the
      new ui and gsettings if needed (no needed if lightdm is the default?)
  * Resynchronize some of the files on Debian to lower the difference

  [ Gunnar Hjalmarsson ]
  * debian/patches/36_language_environment_settings.patch:
    Set LC_CTYPE and LC_COLLATE to the same locale name as LC_MESSAGES
    (LP: #786986).
  * Patches adapted to gdm-3.0.0:
    - 15_default_session.patch
    - 30_don_t_save_failsafe_session.patch
    - 32-hide-mouse-cursor.patch
    - 45_time_display_on_greeter.patch
    - 90_register-bin-true-as-URI-scheme-handler-for-several-schemes.patch
  * debian/patches/45_time_display_on_greeter.patch:
    Display time on the greeter in a proper format also when
    /etc/default/locale assigns different locales to LANG respective
    LC_MESSAGES (LP: #777264).
  * debian/gdm.upstart:
    Export LC_MESSAGES so the weekday gets displayed in the system
    language on the greeter.
  * debian/patches/41_pt_time_format.patch:
    Patch deleted (superseded by 45_time_display_on_greeter.patch).

  [ Robert Ancell ]
  * debian/patches/42_no_ecryptfs_autologin.patch:
    - Only stop autologin if full home directory encryption is used
      (LP: #753707)

  [ Martin Pitt ]
  * New upstream version 3.0.4.
  * debian/control.in: Require accountsservice 0.6.12.
  * Drop 90_register-bin-true-as-URI-scheme-handler-for-several-schemes.patch:
    Fixed upstream in a different way.
  * debian/gdm.install: install the dummy desktop handler and the
    mimeapps.list to /usr/share/gdm/applications.
  * debian/rules: Drop installation of bonobo .server for FUSA,...