[solved] GNOME doesn't display German menus

[Onsemeliot]

On a ThinkPad S440 I have installed Debian Buster and the person using it now wants to have a German desktop. Which I figure in principle shouldn't be a problem. In GNOME's "Region & Language" settings everything is set to German but the GNOME user interface still won't show up in German, which is reflected if I follow the Debian wiki:

Code: Select all

$ env | grep LANG
LANGUAGE=en_GB:en
GDM_LANG=de_AT.UTF-8
LANG=de_AT.UTF-8

I can temporarily change the first variable by using: "export LANGUAGE=de_AT.UTF-8". But when I run: "/usr/sbin/dpkg-reconfigure locales" everything seems already set properly. Nevertheless, I finish the routine and do a reboot as recommended in the wiki. But unfortunately the "LANGUAGE" variable always returns back to "en_GB:en". What am I missing?

[sickpig]

Use

Code: Select all

localectl

make language changes persistent

[Onsemeliot]

Thank you very much. Unfortunately, I still don't get it:

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$ localectl
   System Locale: LANG=de_AT.UTF-8
       VC Keymap: n/a
      X11 Layout: de
       X11 Model: pc105
$ export LANGUAGE=de_AT.UTF-8
$ env | grep LANG
LANGUAGE=de_AT.UTF-8
GDM_LANG=de_AT.UTF-8
LANG=de_AT.UTF-8
$ localectl
   System Locale: LANG=de_AT.UTF-8
                  LANGUAGE=en_GB:en
       VC Keymap: n/a
      X11 Layout: de
       X11 Model: pc105
$ localectl set-locale LANGUAGE=de_AT.UTF-8
$ localectl
   System Locale: LANG=de_AT.UTF-8
       VC Keymap: n/a
      X11 Layout: de
       X11 Model: pc105
$ localectl set-locale LANG=de_AT.UTF-8
user@debian:~$ localectl
   System Locale: LANG=de_AT.UTF-8
                  LANGUAGE=en_GB:en
       VC Keymap: n/a
      X11 Layout: de
       X11 Model: pc105
$ localectl set-locale de_AT.UTF-8
$ localectl
   System Locale: LANG=de_AT.UTF-8
                  LANGUAGE=en_GB:en
       VC Keymap: n/a
      X11 Layout: de
       X11 Model: pc105
$ localectl set-locale LANGUAGE=de_AT.UTF-8
$ localectl
   System Locale: LANG=de_AT.UTF-8
       VC Keymap: n/a
      X11 Layout: de
       X11 Model: pc105

Even after a reboot the LANGUAGE variable still won't change ... and of course the menus stay always English. Is it likely that I messed up the configuration somehow and that I should just make a clean install instead?

[sickpig]

try as root

[Onsemeliot]

That doesn't seem to change anything:

Code: Select all

$ su
Password: 
# localectl
   System Locale: LANG=de_AT.UTF-8
                  LANGUAGE=en_GB:en
       VC Keymap: n/a
      X11 Layout: de
       X11 Model: pc105
# localectl set-locale de_AT.UTF-8
# localectl
   System Locale: LANG=de_AT.UTF-8
                  LANGUAGE=en_GB:en
       VC Keymap: n/a
      X11 Layout: de
       X11 Model: pc105
# localectl set-locale LANGUAGE=de_AT.UTF-8
# localectl
   System Locale: LANG=de_AT.UTF-8
       VC Keymap: n/a
      X11 Layout: de
       X11 Model: pc105

After a reboot it is exactly the same as at the beginning of this code snippet.

[sickpig]

does https://wiki.debian.org/Locale#Manually help?
Maybe I am missing something which needs to be installed for it to work in gnome.

Is it likely that I messed up the configuration somehow and that I should just make a clean install instead?

Or you can just purge gnome and then check if the de language persists? If yes then re-install gnome. Easier than complete re-install.

[cuckooflew]

Seems like years ago I ran into the same problem, I had installed it using the English selection, and then later my son wanted it in Spanish, I never did figure out a way to change the entire system to Spanish, so I re-installed, using the Spanish install, and everything worked fine, it was all in spanish. But that does not mean there is not some way to change it, I just never figured out any way,
==== edit ====
BUT, I just noticed , in your code snippet:

That doesn't seem to change anything:

Code: Select all

$ su
Password:
# localectl ----
----snip---- 

After a reboot it is exactly the same as at the beginning of this code snippet.

You should be using:su -

Code: Select all

$ su -
Password:
# localectl ---- 

Not 'su' , it won't work the same, as expected. Maybe try with 'su -' and see.

[sickpig]

You should be using:su -

Great catch cuckooflew!

[Onsemeliot]

Unfortunately, the "-" didn't change anything. And purging "GNOME" didn't help either. So I just created a backup and did a fresh installation. Now everything works as intended.

Thank you for all your recommendations.