Reliable and reversible way to switch system language fully on KDE [Solved]

[noesnada]

Hello,

I have not searched the forum for this post as I think I'll find many posts discussing the problems with switching languages in KDE, which is something I've dealt with for a long time, even before coming to MX.

My question is simple. Does MX KDE have a solid and completely reversible method to switch the system language?

I've used KDE Plasma for a long time now and my experience, and apparently that of many other users, is that KDE does not make it easy. The norm seems to be that you end up with a whole mess of mixed up languages in plasma itself, and applications. I've experienced this and no amount of forum posting and home folder searching and deleting fixed the problem. To fully get rid of an unwanted language I have twice had to completely nuke my home folder.

I have vowed to never again add two languages to my system, or fully switch languages, until KDE Plasma changes the way it deals with languages, but I thought I'd ask in case MX has another of these ingenious tools that I've found elsewhere in the OS.

[fehlix]

Does MX KDE have a solid and completely reversible method to switch the system language?

Yes, the simplest methode would be: Do not touch/use the regional settings to change/adjust locale(=language) provide by KDE/Plasma,
but use only the tool provided "MX Locale" found in the menu or in "MX Tools"
to change system language/locale.
A more advanced method after having "played" around with regional settings and you suddenly got stuck
with plasma local incompatibilities, and you want to revert back to get it fixed, would be:
Remove user locale setting made by plasma in with

Code: Select all

rm ~/.config/plasmarc.locale 

and logout/login or reboot.
The issue is "simple": KDE/plasma offers quite much more locale definitions to be able to select from,
which are not available within the Debian locales provided system wide,
and you may endup with a locale issue.

Bottom line: To keep it simple some advises:
* When going to install MX Linux KDE/Plasma, do select your system language at the Live Boot Menu
->next if this was missed
* When installing Kde/Plasm do select preferred system locale within the installer
-> Next if still the need for locale chhange exists:
* Do change system locale only with mx-locale, avoid using users regional settiings to change locale.
That's it, no more Plasma locale confusion.
HTH
++EDIT+++
2add: When using MX Locale to select/add locale/language do choose only UTF-8, best simply ignore any non UTF-8.
KDE/Plasma is made with the intention to use only UTF-8.

[noesnada]

Thanks. I believe I just tried what you advised.

This system was installed in English and has always been in English, with no other language ever installed, because just before installing MX KDE I totally cleaned my home folder to clean up the language mess.

I just used ONLY the mx locale tool in mxtools to switch the system locale to Spanish, and rebooted.

The login screen had changed to Spanish, but plasma, like always, was not affected.

The only way I could ever provoke a full system language change on kde was be manually editing

/home/user/.config/plasma-localerc
and
/etc/locale.conf

But when trying to reverse it, typically I had problems, as kde seems to create other entries that I could never find, and therefore, could never edit or delete.

I am far from an expert with linux. I'm just a user who like linux, so maybe I'm missing something, but kde plasma seems to be really badly put together for language changes.

[fehlix]

/home/user/.config/plasma-localerc

thats probaly the issue, you somehow adjusted the user related locale settings, which creates confusion.
Not sure how this was done without using regional settings. Maybe it remembers at the login screen the old locale?

/etc/locale.conf

This is not used in MX, the system wide setup is in /etc/default/locale.

[noesnada]

/home/user/.config/plasma-localerc

thats probaly the issue, you somehow adjusted the user related locale settings, which creates confusion.
Not sure how this was done without using regional settings. Maybe it remembers at the login screen the old locale?

/etc/locale.conf

This is not used in MX, the system wide setup is in /etc/default/locale.

Sorry. I should have clarified that last post of mine. The only way I could ever make the change in plasma using other distros (not mxlinux) was with these files. I have never messed with languages in mxlinux kde as I've had my fingers burned doing it in every other distro with the kde desktop that I have ever used, so I decided not to damage mx too.

But I just changed locale in mx with only the locale tool in mxtools and it made no difference to plasma. Is that what you would expect?

[fehlix]

But I just changed locale in mx with only the locale tool in mxtools and it made no difference to plasma. Is that what you would expect?

As long as you not use any other locale changer incl- Plasma regional settings. that would do it. The issue I was pointing out is about the plasma-localrc, which can create even more issue, by selection a non-existing locale with plasma regional settigns.
You can even remove all other locale with MX Locale and keep only es_ES Spanish locale.
So let us know if anymore issues show up, best with reproducible instructions, so we may find a way to fix it, if possible.

[fehlix]

So for now either remove ~/.config/plasma-localerc or use regional settigins and select the new system locale as language,
otherwise ~/.config/plasma-localerc may include the old..

[noesnada]

So for now either remove ~/.config/plasma-localerc or use regional settigins and select the new system locale as language,
otherwise ~/.config/plasma-localerc may include the old..

Thanks for your replies on this, but I do not think I am going to go any further.

This is how it always starts. The one click method built into the distro does not change the language in kde plasma, so then you start messing with config files, and later when you try to reverse the change, nobody in the entire internet can tell you where that config file is that's maintaining the old language in parts of your system, as kde plasma scatters it's config files all over your home folder.

I love plasma, but I wish they would do what xfce do - put all the config files in one easy to find / backup / delete folder.

[noesnada]

So for now either remove ~/.config/plasma-localerc or use regional settigins and select the new system locale as language,
otherwise ~/.config/plasma-localerc may include the old..

I told myself I would not do this, but I could not resist trying it.

I changed the language using only the mx tools locale tool. Then deleted /home/me/.config/plasma-localerc

And it worked. Everything is in Spanish, so that's good.

But you think this will be reversible (full system back to English), if I just do the same two steps in reverse?

[fehlix]

Maybe I was to over-complex in my answers, perhaps a simplified approach:

To change "language" in KDE Plasma:
First some clarifcations; we have "system language" and "sessions language"
and further some translation need for tools like firefox, libreroffice etc.
In order to have a common "language" we set both system and session language to be identical:
* system language: With MX Locale set the new system locale(language)
* session language : Within Plasma regional setting select the identical language as the one for system language,
but only do select the the "Language", no other categories need to be changed.
With having both identical, tools which look for the system locale would display within the same language
as the Plasma UI and most of kde tools using session locale.
Next to get also some apps enhanced by the new language open "MX Package Installer" , "Manage populare packages" tab and look under Language, or search for the language (E.g type "spanish" into the search field), where you find a couple of entries, for firefox, thunderbird, Libreoffice and also general language additions needed for the new locale.
HTH