oem-config allows end users to select a language even if the appropriate language pack is not installed

[dr.spock]

Binary package hint: oem-config

After the four steps for the final user configuration, (where I have chosen Catalan language in the first step), I click forward an it goes inmediately to GDM, but with an undefined language (it shows in English).

If I directly log on Gnome without specifying the session language, Gnome shows half-translated (It shows "Applications", "Places" and "System" instead of "Aplicacions", "Llocs" and "Sistema"), and many submenu entries are untranslated too. If I go to gnome-language-selector, default language for GDM and new users appears empty.

Choosing correct language on GDM it shows Gnome correctly translated, although gnome-language-selector shows an empty option selected under default language, so GDM keeps showing in english.

Summarizing: oem-config should set the GDM and new users default language to that chosen by the first user to avoid confusion and further configuration needs by the new (and maybe newbie) user.

Another interesting point would be that the first user assistant was shown in the language selected when running oem-config-prepare.

[Colin Watson (cjwatson)]

Does installing the appropriate language pack (language-pack-ca in your case) fix this?

The best workaround for the time being is probably for the OEM to preinstall any language packs you believe are likely to be used. I realise this isn't ideal.

[Torsten Spindler (tspindler)]

Installation of the language pack before running preparation for shipment worked for me with Hardy daily live CD from 2007-02-08. I've added support for German and this worked fine.

[Ara Pulido (ara)]

I can confirm that this is also happening in Intrepid (http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/daily/20081028/intrepid-alternate-i386.iso)

Installing the language pack prior to shipment works, but how can the OEM vendor know which language is their users going to install?

[Colin Watson (cjwatson)]

OEMs are usually in a rather better position to know than the OS vendor is. I did already acknowledge that this is not ideal and is a bug, though.

[Gaetan Nadon (memsize)]

dr.spock,

Thanks for the instructions. I was able to reproduce the problem. I have chosen French as the installation language in the Alternate CD. Upon reboot, in the 4-step wizard, I chose Italian. The wizard showed up in Italian, the desktop was partially translated in Italian and applications were all in English.

Given the problem is reproducible and the bug report is complete, I must mark the report as Confirmed. Development will later decide if this bug is invalid, wish list, won't fix or otherwise.

As a personal opinion, I think it's up to the OEM to decide what languages they support. This seems to be already in motion if you read [Feature Request] bug 315644:

"When performing a factory installation, multiple language packs may be installed on the system since it's destination may be unknown. Normally, the user will select their language when OEM config is first launched.
After a fresh Intrepid install, there are roughly 715 updates available because of so many language packs being updated after Intrepid's launch."...
"I think an option should be added to the end of the OEM config wizard to remove extra language support."

BugSquad

[Brian Pitts (bpitts)]

Is it possible to make either of these two changes?

1) oem-config only lists a language as an option if the corresponding language pack is installed on the system
2) when a language is selected in oem-config, it installs the appropriate language pack if it isn't already installed

[Marcus Tomlinson (marcustomlinson)]

This release of Ubuntu is no longer receiving maintenance updates. If this is still an issue on a maintained version of Ubuntu please let us know.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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