Public bug reported:
Binary package hint: gdm
Using Intrepid Ibex, but I would guess this bug is common to all flavors
of Ubuntu. gdm (2.20.8-0ubuntu3) does not properly localize its
language selections.
Established world example: Next time you use an ATM or point-of-sale
credit card reader that allows for multiple languages, take a look at
how the language options are listed. Here in the USA, we often see
support for both English and Spanish. But we don't see the options as
English and Spanish, or as Ingles and Espanol. We see them as English
and Espanol (apologies if I'm leaving out critical pronunciation marks).
My point is, if you want your user to understand you, you need to print
in the language that they understand. If you want your interface to be
accessible to Spanish speaking users, you list Espanol, not Spanish as
the language. For those of us who speak English, its not Ingles to us.
So, this needs to apply in our login screens also. I'm currently
setting up a PC capable of working in either Spanish or English. But
the bug is, if GDM is currently in English mode, then the language
selector shows Spanish and English options, but if its currently in
Spanish mode, it shows English, Ingles, Spanish, and Espanol options
(not sure why it can't decide how to spell the languages).
In reality, each language should be listed in the native tongue of
whoever would speak the language. So, regardless of what language mode
GDM is currently in, all Spanish language options should be listed as
Espanol, with the appropriate name of the country as its known to the
natives of that country. Similarly, English should always be listed as
English, with the country names being the names as they would be known
to the locals.
Once I make my language selection, a message screen pops up asking
whether I want to make this the default, or just use the language for
this one session. Again, this is a throw-back to the language mode that
GDM is currently in. If GDM is in Spanish mode, and I just chose an
English language option, the verification message still shows in
Spanish. That should not be. I've just indicated the strong
possibility that I don't understand the current language mode. So, once
I've chosen a new language, the verification text needs to come up in
the language that I've just chosen, making sure that the cancel button
also includes the established Linux symbol for cancel -- so I know which
one to pick if I can't read the message that popped up.
This is how the world already works, this is how Linux needs to "just
work" in order to be multi-lingual.
** Affects: gdm (Ubuntu)
Importance: Undecided
Status: New
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GDM Language Selection not listed properly
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/316617
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