Final Year Project Presentation

INFO 4999

Kedidi Emas Project-Localization (l10n) of K Desktop Environment,

Name: Muhammad Najmi Ahmad ZabidiMatric no: 9929667Supervisor: Dr Ahmed Zaki

-Localization (l10n) of K Desktop Environment, KDE to Malay (ms_MY)

Overview

• This project is an Open Source Software project.

• The project code name is Kedidi Emas, a localization of KDE,K Desktop Enviroment to Malay (ms_MY)

• Using Linux as a main platform of development, and Windows as intermediary.

• Free of charge, no payment received.

• Take almost exactly a year to attain the stage for presentation

What is open source software?

• Free to use, free to modify, free to distribute.

• The meaning of free is not like free of nasi lemak for given away,but freedomlemak for given away,but freedom

• Open Source Software must not necessarily free

Unix? What is Linux ? What is KDE?

• Linux is a kernel written by Linux Trovalds, an being said as a hobby for the first time

• As the open source idea concerned, it receive warm acceptance, enhancement receive warm acceptance, enhancement from testers and developers, voluntarily from all over the globe.

• The complete operating system used in distros is GNU/Linux

Distros

• A commercial/non commercial packaging of Linux kernel with softwares.

• GNU (Gnu Not Unix) is in almost every open source operating systems, including open source operating systems, including BSDs (FreeBSD,OpenBSD,NetBSD), and Linux itself.

KDE-On top of Operating Systems

• Desktop Environment is the Graphical User Interface (GUI) way of managing operating systems.

• KDE, K Desktop Environment which born • KDE, K Desktop Environment which born in Germany is one of them

• Like any other, it also an open source software, and provide many free softwares.

Who use KDE?

• KDE being included in almost every major distros of Linux and BSD .

• -RedHat ,Mandrake (which I used to), Slackware, Knoppix (by default)Slackware, Knoppix (by default)

• KDE by default is in English, as lingua franca.

• My effort is to localize-(not only translating) KDE to Malay

Internationalization (i18n) and Localization (l10n)

• I18n –(i+the sum of characters in ‘nternationalizatio’+n) is the effort to make a software become international. Say from English developers, to Arabic, Japan, Malay.

• L10n-(l+ i+the sum of characters in ‘ocalizatio’ • L10n-(l+ i+the sum of characters in ‘ocalizatio’ +n) is the effort to localize an internationalized softwares.

• KDE using gettext (POT-Portable Object Template,PO-Portable Object,MO-Machine Object)

Kedidi Emas Project (KDE ms_MY)

• Encoding, UTF-8 (enable Roman and non Roman characters) refer http://lcweb.loc.gov/standards/iso639-2/englangn.html

• Identification : [langcode]_[countryname]• From ISO

– ms is Malay– ms is Malay– MY is Malaysia

• KediDi EMaS-KDE ms_MY –chosen as Kedidi is the appropriate form near to KDE and EMAS can portray ms-Malay code; Kedidi is a bird, Emas is gold

• Link: http://kde-ms.sourceforge.net (formerly http://kedidiemas.sourceforge.net before account hijacked/defaced)

• Mailing list : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kedidiemas

Benefit of Kedidi Emas Project

• To provide KDE in Malay language and local monetary, date alignment, and flavour.

• Way to introduce computers and *nix for non English speakers, specifically for rural are. Open Source, is a chance-free of license.

• Learn new technology

• Proud of own nation

• Way of contributing to open source project in affordable way

Target of Project-In term of Final Year Project Duration

• Learn to use SSH (Secure Socket Host)– Grooming the skill of Command Line Interface (CLI) usage– Public/private key use: trusted computing

• Managing and participating virtual team– Open source software (OSS) developers

• Learn to use CVS (Concurrent Version Systems) – Qualify to be KDE CVS committers

• Knows inter-operatibality– Cross platform, using putty from Windows to access Unix, using

Tortoise CVS on Windows to access CVS server

• Learn and involve in big software engineering proce ss– HEAD and branch– Commit reverse

Project Mileage1-Announce

to Volunteer

*register to KDE i18n mailing list

(end of 2002)

3-create webpage-create local mailing list

-create forum*engined by php

and mysql

2-Register with

sourceforge.net (place for

open source software development)

(end of 2002)

-Play around with sf.net CVS

-start translating kdelibs.po

(+-3100 strings)(March 2003)

Get a CVS account*qualify to be

KDE CVS Committers

mnajem@cvs.kde.org-after almost ¾ year.

(25 August 03)

-Practical training*assigned in programming

team*learn to use CVS

(March-May 03)

-start committing translated

files(Aug-now)

-checkout-update

-diff-add

-commit-tag

-managing HEAD--merge aging files

Handle conflicted filesAttain 10, 000strings for FYP

(attained 17 Sept 2003)

How are POT and PO files look ?

• POT – the raw untranslated file

• PO –translated file

• MO-compiled and computer readable

Tools1) Very stable internet connection

➔2)Translation process:

✔Unix:

➔KbabelKbabel

➔Gnometranslator

➔poedit

✔Windows:

➔poedit

OR any text editors (syntax highligting is very helpful)

Tools ...cntdCVS (Concurrent Version Systems) client:

Unix:

➔CVS on command line interface

➔LinCVS➔LinCVS

Windows:

➔TortoiseCVS

➔WinCVS

Considerations….• Accelerator keys

– Past&e

– L&ekat

• Plural form• 0 for Malay

• Check syntax before commit– msgfmt –statistics <filename>

• Realizing HEAD and merge

• Check the suitability and interface

Problems and constraints●Lack of Linux PC

●Problem when when to commit and doing CVS activities

●Very unstable internet connection

●Need to do CVS activites●Need to do CVS activites●Expertise

●Not many local people involved in Open Source area

●Firewall●Bottleneck. Almost months just to figure out why.

CVS route

Mercumaya.net,Myloca,

Cyberjaya

-Port 22 (ssh)-Port 2401 (pserver)

•Checkout

•Update

•diff

•Add/import

•Remove

•commit

•Tag

CVS activities:

Private key here

A

B

From IIUM Gombak

-or anywhere using putty FIREWALL

Port 22 (ssh)

Port 22 (ssh) Port 22 (ssh)

Private key here. Public key here

B

CD

KDE CVS server,

Tunbigen,Germany

Other similar/almost similar projects

• Gabai project http://gabai.sourceforge.net

– Localization of Gnome desktop environment– Hasbullah bin Pit

• Meksom project http://ikhlas.com/meksom

– Localization of Mozilla web browser– Hasbullah bin Pit

• Munsyi project http://munsyi.sourceforge.net

– Localization of GNU Softwares– Sharuzzaman Ahmat Raslan

….ctnd

• Singa Emas project http://oo-l10n-my.sf.net

– Localization of Open Office

– Bustamam Harun

• Red Hat

– Hasbullah bin Pit

– Sharuzzaman Ahmat Raslan– Sharuzzaman Ahmat Raslan

• Mandrake

– Sharuzzaman Ahmat Raslan

– Yuzaimie

– Muhammad Najmi

• Debian

– Sharuzzaman Ahmat Raslan

– Muhammad Najmi

– Hasbullah bin Pit

Many thanks!

• Dr Ahmed Zaki – For supervising me

• Bro Adli Abdul Wahid– My former supervisor

• Mercumaya.net • Mercumaya.net – Saufi and Yusmizan for server

• Bytecraft Sendirian Berhad– For localization slot in Linuxworld 2003,PWTC

• MIMOS Berhad– For localization slot in FOSSCON 2003,Subang and working paper presentation chance.

At Linuxworld 2003 PWTC (with ByteCraft staffs(beside is GNU softwares translator coordinator-Sharuzzaman-slot for localization PC

With John 'Maddog' Hall and GnomeTranslator-Hasbullah-FOSSCON 2003, Subang

• KDE Team– Thomas Diehl (KDE Germany)

– Claudiu Costin (KDE Romania)

– Dirk Mueller

Thanks for big help and responses!

– Dirk Mueller

– Bastin

– Stephen Kulow

The End

• md_najmi@yahoo.com