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| -rw-r--r-- | doc/contributing.texi | 264 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | doc/guix.texi | 4 |
2 files changed, 266 insertions, 2 deletions
diff --git a/doc/contributing.texi b/doc/contributing.texi index 9a09de93e6..d5025dd189 100644 --- a/doc/contributing.texi +++ b/doc/contributing.texi @@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ choice. * Tracking Bugs and Patches:: Using Debbugs. * Commit Access:: Pushing to the official repository. * Updating the Guix Package:: Updating the Guix package definition. +* Translating Guix:: Make Guix speak your native language. @end menu @node Building from Git @@ -1429,3 +1430,266 @@ This check can be disabled, @emph{at your own peril}, by setting the @code{GUIX_ALLOW_ME_TO_USE_PRIVATE_COMMIT} environment variable. When this variable is set, the updated package source is also added to the store. This is used as part of the release process of Guix. + +@cindex translation +@cindex l10n +@cindex i18n +@cindex native language support +@node Translating Guix +@section Translating Guix + +Writing code and packages is not the only way to provide a meaningful +contribution to Guix. Translating to a language you speak is another +example of a valuable contribution you can make. This section is designed +to describe the translation process. It gives you advice on how you can +get involved, what can be translated, what mistakes you should avoid and +what we can do to help you! + +Guix is a big project that has multiple components that can be translated. +We coordinate the translation effort on a +@uref{https://translate.fedoraproject.org/projects/guix/,Weblate instance} +hosted by our friends at Fedora. You will need an account to submit +translations. + +Some of the software packaged in Guix also contain translations. We do not +host a translation platform for them. If you want to translate a package +provided by Guix, you should contact their developpers or find the information +on their website. As an example, you can find the homepage of the +@code{hello} package by typing @code{guix show hello}. On the ``homepage'' +line, you will see @url{https://www.gnu.org/software/hello/} as the homepage. + +Many GNU and non-GNU packages can be translated on the +@uref{https://translationproject.org,Translation Project}. Some projects +with multiple components have their own platform. For instance, GNOME has +its own platform, @uref{https://l10n.gnome.org/,Damned Lies}. + +Guix has five components hosted on Weblate. + +@itemize +@item @code{guix} contains all the strings from the Guix software (the + guided system installer, the package manager, etc), excluding packages. +@item @code{packages} contains the synopsis (single-sentence description + of a package) and description (longer description) of packages in Guix. +@item @code{website} contains the official Guix website, except for + blog posts and multimedia content. +@item @code{documentation-manual} corresponds to this manual. +@item @code{documentation-cookbook} is the component for the cookbook. +@end itemize + +@subsubheading General Directions + +Once you get an account, you should be able to select a component from +@uref{https://translate.fedoraproject.org/projects/guix/,the guix project}, +and select a language. If your language does not appear in the list, go +to the bottom and click on the ``Start new translation'' button. Select +the language you want to translate to from the list, to start your new +translation. + +Like lots of other free software packages, Guix uses +@uref{https://www.gnu.org/software/gettext,GNU Gettext} for its translations, +with which translatable strings are extracted from the source code to so-called +PO files. + +Even though PO files are text files, changes should not be made with a text +editor but with PO editing software. Weblate integrates PO editing +functionality. Alternatively, translators can use any of various +free-software tools for filling in translations, of which +@uref{https://poedit.net/,Poedit} is one example, and (after logging in) +@uref{https://docs.weblate.org/en/latest/user/files.html,upload} the changed +file. There is also a special +@uref{https://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/PoMode,PO editing mode} for users of GNU +Emacs. Over time translators find out what software they are happy with and +what features they need. + +On Weblate, you will find various links to the editor, that will show various +subsets (or all) of the strings. Have a look around and at the +@uref{https://docs.weblate.org/en/latest/,documentation} to familiarize +yourself with the platform. + +@subsubheading Translation Components + +In this section, we provide more detailed guidance on the translation +process, as well as details on what you should or should not do. When in +doubt, please contact us, we will be happy to help! + +@table @asis +@item guix +Guix is written in the Guile programming language, and some strings contain +special formating that is interpreted by Guile. These special formating +should be highlighted by Weblate. They start with @code{~} followed by one +or more characters. + +When printing the string, Guile replaces the special formating symbols with +actual values. For instance, the string @samp{ambiguous package specification +`~a'} would be substituted to contain said package specification instead of +@code{~a}. To properly translate this string, you must keep the formating +code in your translation, although you can place it where it makes sense in +your language. For instance, the French translation says @samp{spécification +du paquet « ~a » ambiguë} because the adjective needs to be placed in the +end of the sentence. + +If there are multiple formating symbols, make sure to respect the order. +Guile does not know in which order you intended the string to be read, so it +will substitute the symbols in the same order as the English sentence. + +As an example, you cannot translate @samp{package '~a' has been superseded by +'~a'} by @samp{'~a' superseeds package '~a'}, because the meaning would be +reversed. If foo is superseeded by bar, the translation would read +@samp{'foo' superseeds package 'bar'}. To work around this problem, it +is possible to use more advanced formating to select a given piece of data, +instead of following the default English order. @xref{Formatted Output,,, +guile, GNU Guile Reference Manual}, for more information on formating in Guile. + +@item packages + +Package descriptions occasionally contain Texinfo markup (@pxref{Synopses +and Descriptions}). Texinfo markup looks like @samp{@@code@{rm -rf@}}, +@samp{@@emph@{important@}}, etc. When translating, please leave markup as is. + +The characters after ``@@'' form the name of the markup, and the text between +``@{'' and ``@}'' is its content. In general, you should not translate the +content of markup like @code{@@code}, as it contains literal code that do not +change with language. You can translate the content of formating markup such +as @code{@@emph}, @code{@@i}, @code{@@itemize}, @code{@@item}. However, do +not translate the name of the markup, or it will not be recognized. Do +not translate the word after @code{@@end}, it is the name of the markup that +is closed at this position (e.g.@: @code{@@itemize ... @@end itemize}). + +@item documentation-manual and documentation-cookbook + +The first step to ensure a successful translation of the manual is to find +and translate the following strings @emph{first}: + +@itemize +@item @code{version.texi}: Translate this string as @code{version-xx.texi}, + where @code{xx} is your language code (the one shown in the URL on + weblate). +@item @code{contributing.texi}: Translate this string as + @code{contributing.xx.texi}, where @code{xx} is the same language code. +@item @code{Top}: Do not translate this string, it is important for Texinfo. + If you translate it, the document will be empty (missing a Top node). + Please look for it, and register @code{Top} as its translation. +@end itemize + +Translating these strings first ensure we can include your translation in +the guix repository without breaking the make process or the +@command{guix pull} machinery. + +The manual and the cookbook both use Texinfo. As for @code{packages}, please +keep Texinfo markup as is. There are more possible markup types in the manual +than in the package descriptions. In general, do not translate the content +of @code{@@code}, @code{@@file}, @code{@@var}, @code{@@value}, etc. You +should translate the content of formating markup such as @code{@@emph}, +@code{@@i}, etc. + +The manual contains sections that can be refered to by name by @code{@@ref}, +@code{@@xref} and @code{@@pxref}. We have a mechanism in place so you do +not have to translate their content. If you keep the English title, we will +automatically replace it with your translation of that title. This ensures +that Texinfo will always be able to find the node. If you decide to change +the translation of the title, the references will automatically be updated +and you will not have to update them all yourself. + +When translating references from the cookbook to the manual, you need to +replace the name of the manual and the name of the section. For instance, +to translate @code{@@pxref@{Defining Packages,,, guix, GNU Guix Reference +Manual@}}, you would replace @code{Defining Packages} with the title of that +section in the translated manual @emph{only} if that title is translated. +If the title is not translated in your language yet, do not translate it here, +or the link will be broken. Replace @code{guix} with @code{guix.xx} where +@code{xx} is your language code. @code{GNU Guix Reference Manual} is the +text of the link. You can translate it however you wish. + +@item website + +The website pages are written using SXML, an s-expression version of HTML, +the basic language of the web. We have a process to extract translatable +strings from the source, and replace complex s-expressions with a more familiar +XML markup, where each markup is numbered. Translators can arbitrarily change +the ordering, as in the following example. + +@example +#. TRANSLATORS: Defining Packages is a section name +#. in the English (en) manual. +#: apps/base/templates/about.scm:64 +msgid "Packages are <1>defined<1.1>en</1.1><1.2>Defining-Packages.html</1.2></1> as native <2>Guile</2> modules." +msgstr "Pakete werden als reine <2>Guile</2>-Module <1>definiert<1.1>de</1.1><1.2>Pakete-definieren.html</1.2></1>." +@end example + +Note that you need to include the same markups. You cannot skip any. +@end table + +In case you make a mistake, the component might fail to build properly with your +language, or even make guix pull fail. To prevent that, we have a process +in place to check the content of the files before pushing to our repository. +We will not be able to update the translation for your language in Guix, so +we will notify you (through weblate and/or by email) so you get a chance to +fix the issue. + +@subsubheading Outside of Weblate + +Currently, some parts of Guix cannot be translated on Weblate, help wanted! + +@itemize +@item @command{guix pull} news can be translated in @file{news.scm}, but is not + available from Weblate. If you want to provide a translation, you + can prepare a patch as described above, or simply send us your + translation with the name of the news entry you translated and your + language. @xref{Writing Channel News}, for more information about + channel news. +@item Guix blog posts cannot currently be translated. +@item The installer script (for foreign distributions) is entirely in English. +@item Some of the libraries Guix uses cannot be translated or are translated + outside of the Guix project. Guile itself is not internationalized. +@item Other manuals linked from this manual or the cookbook might not be + translated. +@end itemize + +@subsubheading Translation Infrastructure + +Weblate is backed by a git repository from which it discovers new strings to +translate and pushes new and updated translations. Normally, it would be +enough to give it commit access to our repositories. However, we decided +to use a separate repository for two reasons. First, we would have to give +Weblate commit access and authorize its signing key, but we do not trust it +in the same way we trust guix developpers, especially since we do not manage +the instance ourselves. Second, if translators mess something up, it can +break the generation of the website and/or guix pull for all our users, +independently of their language. + +For these reasons, we use a dedicated repository to host translations, and we +synchronize it with our guix and artworks repositories after checking no issue +was introduced in the translation. + +Developpers can download the latest PO files from weblate in the Guix +repository by runnig the @command{make download-po} target. It will +automatically download the latest files from weblate, reformat them to a +canonical form, and check they do not contain issues. The manual needs to be +built again to check for additional issues that might crash Texinfo. + +Before pushing new translation files, developpers should add them to the +make machinery so the translations are actually available. The process +differs for the various components. + +@itemize +@item New po files for the @code{guix} and @code{packages} components must + be registered by adding the new language to @file{po/guix/LINGUAS} or + @file{po/packages/LINGUAS}. +@item New po files for the @code{documentation-manual} component must be + registered by adding the file name to @code{DOC_PO_FILES} in + @file{po/doc/local.mk}, the generated @file{%D%/guix.xx.texi} manual to + @code{info_TEXINFOS} in @file{doc/local.mk} and the generated + @file{%D%/guix.xx.texi} and @file{%D%/contributing.xx.texi} to + @code{TRANSLATED_INFO} also in @file{doc/local.mk}. +@item New po files for the @code{documentation-cookbook} component must be + registered by adding the file name to @code{DOC_COOKBOOK_PO_FILES} in + @file{po/doc/local.mk}, the generated @file{%D%/guix-cookbook.xx.texi} + manual to @code{info_TEXINFOS} in @file{doc/local.mk} and the generated + @file{%D%/guix-cookbook.xx.texi} to @code{TRANSLATED_INFO} also + in @file{doc/local.mk}. +@item New po files for the @code{website} component must be added to the + @code{guix-artwork} repository, in @file{website/po/}. + @file{website/po/LINGUAS} and @file{website/po/ietf-tags.scm} must + be updated accordingly (see @file{website/i18n-howto.txt} for more + information on the process). +@end itemize diff --git a/doc/guix.texi b/doc/guix.texi index 14e502da84..988edb3521 100644 --- a/doc/guix.texi +++ b/doc/guix.texi @@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ Copyright @copyright{} 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 Efraim Flashner@* Copyright @copyright{} 2016 John Darrington@* Copyright @copyright{} 2016, 2017 Nikita Gillmann@* Copyright @copyright{} 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 Jan Nieuwenhuizen@* -Copyright @copyright{} 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 Julien Lepiller@* +Copyright @copyright{} 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 Julien Lepiller@* Copyright @copyright{} 2016 Alex ter Weele@* Copyright @copyright{} 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 Christopher Baines@* Copyright @copyright{} 2017, 2018, 2019 Clément Lassieur@* @@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ Spanish (@pxref{Top,,, guix.es, Manual de referencia de GNU Guix}), and Russian (@pxref{Top,,, guix.ru, Руководство GNU Guix}). If you would like to translate it in your native language, consider joining @uref{https://translate.fedoraproject.org/projects/guix/documentation-manual, -Weblate}. +Weblate} (@pxref{Translating Guix}). @menu * Introduction:: What is Guix about? |