System locale

[Oceanwatcher]

A little funny observation

A PC that will be used by a couple of people. I have a login on it as "admin" and I set the system locale as it should be. I kinda expected this to be set as the default for all users (they should of course be allowed to change it), but all new users default to USA as locale. This is a bit strange... All new users have to go to the locale settings to get the currency, time etc. correct. Would it not be better to set this as a default and then let people change it if they need?

Especially on a stationary PC, this will not change too much...

What is the logic behind forcing all users to set this?

[Teunis]

Re: System locale

I can't answer your question but in the ubuntu newsgroup there was a person mentioning that even desktops install laptop specific stuff.
And laptops typically travel.

[kevinc]

Re: System locale

Interesting. I would have expected a system set up in a particular language and region to retain that as default for all users, allowing each user to change to their preferences. As a native English speaker, I usually set up computers in English with options for other users in other languages when needed.

Maybe when you add the users there are some options that allow you to set the locale for them, I don't know, but it may be worth a look.

I also happen to like Dvorak keyboards, and that causes problems for others when they want to use my computer, sometimes, as I usually don't both installing a Qwerty keyboard as I don't use it. Recently I needed one and it installed intuitively without any problems in a few seconds without an internet connection.

[Teunis]

Re: System locale

Hey kevinc, With all that flexibility it sounds like you don't run Windows on your computer

[kevinc]

Re: System locale

You are absolutely correct. I'm dual booting Intrepid and Jaunty now, but I'm also downloading sidux ouranos using wget and Ubuntu Jaunty by bittorrent and will be trying them out once I can burn a CD.

I learned about Dvorak keyboards when I had an Amiga (in the 80's) and bought a program to learn how to type, never looked back since then.

[toad]

Re: System locale

GUI is one thing, did you try

sudo dpkg-reconfigure locales

[Oceanwatcher]

Re: System locale

I can't answer your question but in the ubuntu newsgroup there was a person mentioning that even desktops install laptop specific stuff.
And laptops typically travel.

It could be just me, but seems like that logic does not work too well. Yes, a laptop travel, but it does not travel alone. A laptop, more than a desktop, is usually a one person system with the occasional loan to a family member to do a little surfing. And the keyboard does not change no matter how much a laptop travels. My keyboard will always be Norwegian with Norwegian characters until I physically remove those keys and replace them with something else. Then I need to change the keyboard setting. For all users.

Language also do not change when laptop travels. I will always use English. But my system settings are Brazilian (not the language, but measures, currency etc.) and I think this should be a part of the installation - What will be your default system locale, what will be your default language. For most users, this would be correct from the beginning. Most people here in Brazil want Brazilian as system locale, no matter if it is a desktop or a laptop. As it is now, the default is US, and that HAS to be wrong? I mean, for the majority of people in the world, this is not the correct setting. :-) And a BIG majority, that is.

So somewhere in there, it should be possible to affect the default system locale in an easy way.

[Oceanwatcher]

Re: System locale

GUI is one thing, did you try

sudo dpkg-reconfigure locales

No, as I do not know what that command do :-) Does it affect all existing locales? Or just the default locale that a new user gets? Will it ask if it should change for every user setting, or will it blindly change all?

I know that the "workaround" right now is to go to the settings for each new user and change this. But this must be something for the usability people. Just because you create a new user on the pc does not mean that the PC magically jumped to another country with another currency and time/date format?

For me this is just one of those things that make me wonder about what the logic behind the system is. Things are easier to accept when you get the logic behind it - at least for me.

[flarson]

Re: System locale

dpkg-reconfigure locales

will allow you to set the system default locale and to select which locales are installed. The actual setting takes place by writing /etc/default/locale. You could change it by editing that file.