Translation Tutorials: how to start translating Ubuntu

I talk often about the Ubuntu translations community, and one of the things I get asked many times is how to actually get started translating Ubuntu.

Because of this, and because I want to show everyone how easy it can be, I've decided to kick off a series of articles covering the different aspects of translations, starting with the basics.

So here it is: how to start translating Ubuntu, in 3 easy steps.

What You'll Need

One  of the key values in Ubuntu is the low entry barrier for contribution,  so that participating in improving Ubuntu can be both easy and fun.  Therefore you won't need much to start translating from day one: there  is no need to install special tools and no previous technical knowledge  is required. You'll be using Launchpad, an easy to use yet powerful online translation tool.

Here are the minimum requirements to start translating Ubuntu:

• Internet:  a device with Internet connection. This can be from home, a café, a  public access point... - basically anywhere you can connect to the  Internet from
• E-mail: a stable e-mail address that Launchpad can use to contact you
• Language knowledge:  it's important that you know English and the language you are going to  translate into. English will always be the source language for  translations
• Spare time:  some time to dedicate to the translation of Free Software. You decide  how much you want to get involved - from some spare minutes to some  hours a week
• Be collaborative: be keen to work collaboratively and be part of the awesome Ubuntu translation teams!

Step 1: Create a Launchpad Account

The  first thing you'll need is a Launchpad account. This will allow you to  translate Ubuntu online using an intuitive web interface, and will also  give you access to all of the free tools from the Launchpad software  collaboration platform.

To create a new Launchpad account, simply go to the account sign-up page, click on the Create a new account link and follow the instructions.

Tell Launchpad About Your Preferred Languages

Once  you've set up your account, you'll only need to log in and tell  Launchpad which languages you're interested in translating into.

To set your preferred languages in Launchpad, go to the Launchpad Translations page and click on the Change your preferred languages link. Once you've done that, you'll be ready to start translating.

Step 2: Start Translating

At  this point you've got a Launchpad account and you're all set and  hopefully eager to start translating. What we need to do now is to find  the Ubuntu applications we want to translate, get familiar with the  interface and submit the first translation suggestions.

We'll start by going to the main Launchpad Translations page. There you'll see that Launchpad allows you to translate two categories of software: Operating Systems and Projects.

We're  interested in translating Ubuntu as a collection of integrated  applications, so we'll go to the Operating Systems category and we'll  click on the latest Ubuntu version.

From there you'll find your way to the Ubuntu applications and their translatable messages. They are just a couple of clicks away and I won't explain it here in detail. However, if you want to know more, you can find out in the Ubuntu Translations Quickstart Guide.

The translatable messages look like the one above:  they are pairs consisting of original messages in English and  translations in your language. In the web UI, English is the original to  translate from, Current is the currently used translation, and New  suggestion is where you can submit your translation.

Try  this: find a message you think you can translate and enter your  translation in the text box. Once you've done that, scroll down to the  bottom of the page and click on the Save button.

You've now submitted your first translation suggestion.  Congratulations!

You'll  find that the interface is very intuitive and self-explanatory, so try  to get a bit more familiar with it before submitting more suggestions.

Tip: If you already know the Ubuntu application you'd like to translate, you  can use a quicker way to go to its translation page.  Try this: start  the application and then go to Help Translate this application...,  which will open a browser for you and take you directly to the  translation

Step 3: Join a Translation Team

Translating  Ubuntu is a rewarding experience: it allows you to bring a localized  system in your language to potentially millions of people.  This also  carries a degree of responsibility: we want to provide the best  applications with the best translations around, which is why we put an  emphasis on their quality.

Everyone  with a Launchpad account can submit translation suggestions. While this  is great for collaboration and for lowering the barrier to  contribution, it is necessary to have some kind of peer reviewing  mechanism to make sure these suggestions are correct and that the final  user will understand them when using Ubuntu.

The  role of translation teams is to have a set of members who are  experienced translators review these suggestions, accept them if  appropriate and come back to the submitter for feedback. They also take  care of helping new translators get their bearings on their journey to  becoming full-fledged Ubuntu translators.

Even  if you don't want to join them, it is always recommended  to get in touch with the translation team when you've finished submitting some  suggestions, so that they are aware of them and they can review them.

To join a translation team you can go to the global Ubuntu translation teams list, and click on the team for your language. On their home page in Launchpad you'll then find instructions on how to get it touch with them and contribute to translating Ubuntu in your language.

That was it! :)

You now know all you need to become a full-fledged Ubuntu translator  or to occasionally submit translations. If you are interested in getting  more involved in the translations community, you can also learn more.

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