Locale settings
Contents
- 1 Start Knoppix in other languages
- 2 The complete list of lang cheatcodes
- 3 My cheatcode was accepted, but menus are still in English.
- 4 I get a funny symbol instead of "="
- 5 Select a keyboard layout at boot time
- 6 Add additional languages which are not on DVD
- 7 Do I have to set locale every session?
Start Knoppix in other languages
At the boot prompt, enter a suitable cheatcode. The lang cheatcode changes the locale, which includes the language, keyboard, xkeyboard, timezone and other local settings. For example, if you type lang=fr, Knoppix will boot in French language, with the French keyboard layout and set the French timezone, among other things. You may recognise the cheatcode as the top-level domain country code on the internet.
The complete list of lang cheatcodes
At the boot prompt, press F3 to view a list of lang cheatcodes:
knoppix lang=us|cs|da|de|es|fr|it|nl|pl|ru|sk|...
There is also a list on the DVD at /KNOPPIX/knoppix-cheatcodes.txt. Note that the above lists are not complete. By looking within '/etc/init.d/knoppix-autoconfig' at position "localize()" you can see which additional lang cheatcodes Knoppix will actually accept
Knoppix includes locale files for many places, but only a small number of language packs (which provide the text for the kde menus). For example, if you enter the cheatcode lang=cn, Knoppix will start with all the locale settings for China but menus will still be in English.
I get a funny symbol instead of "="
Most likely you are using a different keyboard from what Knoppix is expecting. At boot time the German Knoppix version expects a German keyboard, the English version expects a US keyboard. See keyboard layouts for information on different keyboard layouts. Note where the characters you want are on your keyboard and then press the matching key.
Select a keyboard layout at boot time
If you use the lang cheatcode, the keyboard will be changed to match the country or locale you selected. If you want a different keyboard setting use the keyboard and xkeyboard cheatcode, for example:
knoppix lang=us keyboard=de xkeyboard=de
Add additional languages which are not on DVD
First ensure that the locale you want has been generated. Do:
dpkg-reconfigure locales
Scroll down the list and ensure the locale you want has been checked.
For example: pt_PT.UTF-8 UTF8 Select OK. Knoppix may take a while to generate all the selected locales.
Next, you need to download KDE the internationalization file for the language you want from a Debian repository. These files are named kde-i10n-*, for example kde-i10n-pt is Portugese. You can do this by launching Synaptic Package Manager. Reload the repository information, then search for "kde-i10n" to view a list of available kde-i10n files. Mark the wanted file for installation and click "Apply".
Do I have to set locale every session?
If you have a → flash disk install or a → poor man's install with persistent memory, you can use → Micro-Remastering. In case of → full HD install append your cheatcodes within '/boot/grub/menu.lst' at the end of the line "kernel ....".