System Hacked, now in some foreign language [Solved]

[JimR]

Help! My sister's system was hacked and the culprit changed the language to something illegible. I am a new Linux user trying to help her remotely but I figured step 1 would be to change the language back to english before I try and fix things. I tried to install MX Linux 21 on my computer to learn but it is an Apple and apparently incompatible. I did look at the MX user manual and I did manage to get Linux Mint but the desktops don't seem the same so I can't walk her through it. She has a Windows based computer, that for now is not connected to the internet. So, how do I change the language back to english? Do I need to go through terminal and use dpkg-reconfigure locales? I tried it on Mint but nothing changed so I am confused.

Thanks for any advice, Jim

[Eadwine Rose]

If you are using MX, in the login screen top right, there are flags. You can select the correct language in there.

If she is using windows.. all I know is google.

Why is this in security, there is nothing wrong with the security of an MX system, is there?

[JimR]

She is using Linux MX 21. Someone seems to have hacked into her system remotely and changed the language, that's why I thought it belonged in security. I am new here so please direct if the question belongs somewhere else. Thanks.

[Adrian]

Don't explain something you don't understand by "somebody hacked my system". If you truly think somebody hacked your system there's no "solution", you need to format the drive and reinstall the OS.

Now you'd need to respond to these questions first before you do stuff.
1. is it truly hacked?
2. if it's hacked, how? Did you use "monkey123" as a password? Did you run any services that were available on the internet? How exactly was "hacked"?

If you cannot respond to these questions just reinstalling the system would probably lead to the same results.

[Stevo]

Far more likely that it was an inadvertent change with those locality flags on the login screen. Not a hacker at all, unless it was some other user like a kid that was allowed to use her system and messed with settings.

Have her try and set the language from the login screen.

[user-green]

It might be very probable that her family or her changed locale setting by mistake. If the system language is set for Arabian or some Asian languages, you cannot read characters for garbling, because such languages do not use alphabets.

Before she re-install MX Linux into her internal disc, she should test it as a Live USB.

Best regards,
Green

[JimR]

Thanks for the help. Hopefully as you say it's just a mistake.

[Huckleberry Finn]

Yes, it is. That happened before to some other users, too. i.e. Suddenly everything's in Arabic (as the top one on the list is "Arabic-Egypt", clicked accidentally on login screen top bar.)

Verdict: "Don't Worry, Be Happy" :)

[JimR]

Definitely want to be happy, I have spent the day trying to sort this out myself. I attached a screen capture just for fun...

[Adrian]

LOL, looks like Ukrainian. It's probably close to "US (English)" so it's most likely a mistake. (Actually, it's on top of UK (English) but in Xfce doesn't look like it's easy to select, so not sure what is going on).