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Adding New Locales for FF 4, Five African Languages Among the Group
The beta release cycle for Firefox 4 is a perfect time for us to add new locales. This week, we added eight more localizations, all of whom are working toward a completed version so they can be included for the upcoming final release. This new group of volunteers has endured a long wait to be included in this process, so many thanks to them for their patience and sticktoitiveness. Perhaps most noteworthy, we added five new African languages, expanding our presence to new highs on the continent. The entire batch of new locales includes Akan, Breton, Bosnian, South African English, Armenian, Luganda, Northern Sotho, and Songhay.
If all the new locales close out their outstanding bugs and perform some testing in time for FF 4′s final release, they will go out as official and final. If they do not complete all the tasks required to fully localize their version, they will be released in beta and keep working to close any open issues. In the very least, they need to translate all strings by the release date.
Here is a pretty rough HTML table for you to see all the new locales. The table shows the locale name, the tracking bug that lists all tasks, and where any users can download language packs or nightly builds. Please click on the tracking bugs to see everything a new locale has to do. Or, download and test some of the builds. These builds use our “l10n-merge” technology that supplants untranslated pieces in the user interface with English strings. It’s never too early to test, so please help if you can.
Lastly, I’ll mention it quickly now and blog more later, but we also added two new locales for the release of Firefox 3.6.9. For that release, you will see Asturian and Scottish Gaelic in beta.
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Northern Sotho
Northern Sotho is an official language of South Africa, and you’ve probably guessed why I am blogging about it. Thanks to the folks at Translate.org.za, Firefox is now available for use in this language (by way of an AMO Collection).
Since one of our localization community leaders, Dwayne Bailey, posted the following message via Facebook, I thought I would repost it on my blog. Sorry for lifting the email and reposting if you’ve already read this note, but I’m hoping to provide maximum coverage.
“Are you a Sepedi speaker, Firefox user or able to help test a Pedi version of Firefox? Yes that probably means all of you
“This work is soon to be part of the African Network for Localisation (ANLoc) (http://www.africanlocalisation.net/) activities where we’ll be localising Firefox into a number of African languages. So your help here can help change the way Africans view the internet, create content, etc, etc. You’re about to change the world!
“OK testers here we go:
- Make sure you have Mozilla Firefox. Visit http://www.mozilla.com and install Firefox if needed.
- Start Firefox
- Visit the Northern Sotho collection https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/collection/northern-sotho
- Install both the Northern Sotho language pack and the Locale Switcher
- Restart Firefox
- Change your user interface language by selecting: Tools -> Languages -> Northern Sotho
- Restart Firefox
“Enjoy Firefox in Northern Sotho! Whenever we update the translations you should get new copies. Please provide any feedback on the Translate.org.za Facebook wall (or on Seth’s blog).
“If you would like to get involved in the actual translation or in fixing errors then please contact Dwayne via Facebook (or Seth’s Blog). If your interested we could have a Northern Sotho Firefox bug day at our offices and work at fixing any errors. But most of all HAVE FUN!”
community website
