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[Solved] How do I change the system default language while keeping my keyboard layout?
[Solved] How do I change the system default language while keeping my keyboard layout?
Hi,
I'm new to Debian (12) and would like my system to be in English. However, I am using a German Keyboard and surprisingly, the installation process didn't let me combine English as a system language and a German keyboard layout so I had to go with German as overall language.
I found the option in the settings to change the language, but only German is offered. So I thought I probably need to install an English language pack but I can't find out how.
How hard can it be?
I am using the Cinnamon desktop.
Vielen Dank!
I'm new to Debian (12) and would like my system to be in English. However, I am using a German Keyboard and surprisingly, the installation process didn't let me combine English as a system language and a German keyboard layout so I had to go with German as overall language.
I found the option in the settings to change the language, but only German is offered. So I thought I probably need to install an English language pack but I can't find out how.
How hard can it be?
I am using the Cinnamon desktop.
Vielen Dank!
Last edited by hackphi on 2024-04-13 20:44, edited 2 times in total.
- Diesel330
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Re: Language
You think that you choose language but Debian chose language for you. You might even think that you chose Debian but in fact Debian chose you and put this struggle on your way to test your character and your determination, to make you better
- fabien
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Re: Language
Hello, welcome to the forums!
What is the output of
locale -a
when you type it in a terminal?Share your Debian SCRIPTS
There will be neither barrier nor walls, neither official nor guard, there will be no more desert and the entire world will become a garden. — Anacharsis Cloots
There will be neither barrier nor walls, neither official nor guard, there will be no more desert and the entire world will become a garden. — Anacharsis Cloots
- fabien
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Re: Language
OK, thanks. First, you need to add the English locale, for example en_US.UTF-8. To do this, you run
dpkg-reconfigure locales
as root in a terminal.On the first page you keep your German locale and add an English locale (always choose a UTF8 locale).
The second page allows you to configure the default locale, there you choose the English one.
Then you run
dpkg-reconfigure keyboard-configuration
to reconfigure the keyboard layout if necessary.Before that, it might be a good idea to save the original files for future reference:
Code: Select all
#> cp /etc/default/console-setup /etc/default/.console-setup.save
#> cp /etc/default/keyboard /etc/default/.keyboard.save
Code: Select all
$> man 5 keyboard
Also consider changing the title of your first post to make it more specific, e.g.
How do I change the system default language while keeping my keyboard layout?
Share your Debian SCRIPTS
There will be neither barrier nor walls, neither official nor guard, there will be no more desert and the entire world will become a garden. — Anacharsis Cloots
There will be neither barrier nor walls, neither official nor guard, there will be no more desert and the entire world will become a garden. — Anacharsis Cloots
- sunrat
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Re: Language
Please use standard code tags for multiline output, not inline code tags. Inline tags are for a single command inside a sentence.
“ computer users can be divided into 2 categories:
Those who have lost data
...and those who have not lost data YET ” Remember to BACKUP!
Those who have lost data
...and those who have not lost data YET ” Remember to BACKUP!
- sunrat
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Re: Language
Use the Code display button in the reply box. Or manually using "code" in the <> instead of "c" like you did.
“ computer users can be divided into 2 categories:
Those who have lost data
...and those who have not lost data YET ” Remember to BACKUP!
Those who have lost data
...and those who have not lost data YET ” Remember to BACKUP!
Re: Language
Doing that produces the following error message in the language Debian has chosen for me:
Code: Select all
dpkg: Fehler: Aktionen -e (--control) und -r (--remove) stehen in Konflikt
Nutzen Sie dpkg --help für Hilfe zur Installation und Deinst. von Paketen [*];
Benutzen Sie »apt« oder »aptitude« für benutzerfreundliches Paketmanagement;
Nutzen Sie dpkg -Dhelp für eine Liste von Debug-Flags von dpkg;
Nutzen Sie dpkg --force-help für eine Liste von Optionen zum Erzwingen;
Nutzen Sie dpkg-deb --help für Hilfe zum Manipulieren von *.deb-Dateien;
Optionen mit [*] geben viel aus - schicken Sie es durch »less« oder »more«!
root@debian:/home/philipp#
- fabien
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Re: How do I change the system default language while keeping my keyboard layout?
I was able to reproduce this error:
Code: Select all
#> LANG="en_US.utf8" dpkg -reconfigure locales
dpkg: error: conflicting actions -e (--control) and -r (--remove)
Type dpkg --help for help about installing and deinstalling packages [*];
Use 'apt' or 'aptitude' for user-friendly package management;
Type dpkg -Dhelp for a list of dpkg debug flag values;
Type dpkg --force-help for a list of forcing options;
Type dpkg-deb --help for help about manipulating *.deb files;
Options marked [*] produce a lot of output - pipe it through 'less' or 'more' !
dpkg-reconfigure
(one word), not dpkg -reconfigure
.
Code: Select all
#> dpkg-reconfigure locales
Share your Debian SCRIPTS
There will be neither barrier nor walls, neither official nor guard, there will be no more desert and the entire world will become a garden. — Anacharsis Cloots
There will be neither barrier nor walls, neither official nor guard, there will be no more desert and the entire world will become a garden. — Anacharsis Cloots
Re: How do I change the system default language while keeping my keyboard layout?
Well then it says (in German): "command not found". There, it makes no difference if I'm root or not.fabien wrote: ↑2024-04-11 20:29I was able to reproduce this error:This is because the correct command isCode: Select all
#> LANG="en_US.utf8" dpkg -reconfigure locales dpkg: error: conflicting actions -e (--control) and -r (--remove) Type dpkg --help for help about installing and deinstalling packages [*]; Use 'apt' or 'aptitude' for user-friendly package management; Type dpkg -Dhelp for a list of dpkg debug flag values; Type dpkg --force-help for a list of forcing options; Type dpkg-deb --help for help about manipulating *.deb files; Options marked [*] produce a lot of output - pipe it through 'less' or 'more' !
dpkg-reconfigure
(one word), notdpkg -reconfigure
.Code: Select all
#> dpkg-reconfigure locales
- fabien
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Re: How do I change the system default language while keeping my keyboard layout?
dpkg-reconfigure is part of the debconf package which is mandatorily installed. It is located in /usr/sbin/, you can test with
Code: Select all
$> ls /usr/sbin/dpkg-reconfigure
/usr/sbin/dpkg-reconfigure
su -
, not just su
so that /usr/sbin/ is in your PATH.
Code: Select all
$> su
Password:
#> echo "$PATH"
/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/local/games:/usr/games
#> command -V dpkg-reconfigure
bash: command: dpkg-reconfigure: not found
#> exit
$> su -
Password:
#> echo "$PATH"
/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin
#> command -V dpkg-reconfigure
dpkg-reconfigure is /usr/sbin/dpkg-reconfigure
Share your Debian SCRIPTS
There will be neither barrier nor walls, neither official nor guard, there will be no more desert and the entire world will become a garden. — Anacharsis Cloots
There will be neither barrier nor walls, neither official nor guard, there will be no more desert and the entire world will become a garden. — Anacharsis Cloots
Re: Language
Ok, thanks. I was now able to do that after "properly" becoming root as explained in the last post.fabien wrote: ↑2024-04-10 20:51OK, thanks. First, you need to add the English locale, for example en_US.UTF-8. To do this, you rundpkg-reconfigure locales
as root in a terminal.
On the first page you keep your German locale and add an English locale (always choose a UTF8 locale).
The second page allows you to configure the default locale, there you choose the English one.
The first step was all that was needed. I saw that my keyboard layout was still German afterwards (as I wanted it to be). I then restarted the system and it was in English, except my standard folders didn't get renamed, which is ok for me. Key layout was German after restart also. Bash is also giving me error messages in English now.
Thanks again, guys!