[Minimizing Fedora] Langpacks for Firefox.

[Christopher Aillon]

Martin Sourada wrote:
> Well, IMO it's not ONLY an implementation detail. Most of applications have
> locales in /usr/share/locale/*/LC_MESSAGES/app-name.mo. Why should firefox be
> different?

Because the system doesn't work for it.  The po system works great for 
GNOME applications where the translators are heavily using Linux and 
don't necessarily mind looking through source files to make changes. 
The sources for any individual application don't change as much as the 
sources for Firefox does.  The .po file would be large and any change to 
the source coupled with a language change would make it extremely hard 
to track down precisely what needs an updated translation without 
tracking down source changelogs and even then it would not be easy.  The 
majority of people writing Firefox translations run Windows and have no 
technology background whatsoever.  The .po system just does not work for 
the project, so please don't try to force them to use it.


> Either it doesn't work this way, or you have other reason to do it
> other way. If you put the *.mo files in LC_MESSAGES you will handle locales IMO
> properly, firefox will boot faster because the locales won't be handled by it as
> extensions BUT will it work this way?

I can do this another way but that is not the solution.  They don't 
_have_ to be in extensions but it much easier to do so.  The real 
solution is to fix firefox to not be so slow here.  Stop bringing up 
browser bugs to the discussion.

> then you agree with firefox developers

I am a Firefox developer, so there is always at least one that I agree with.

> Well, I overdo it a bit with use of word proper, yet, firefox handle it as an
> extension and that make the extension list grow and to check for compatibility
> whenever you upgrade to new version.

And some things are mistranslated and the browser hangs when I use 
flash.  These are just bugs.  They are irrelevant to this discussion on 
packaging langpacks.  Please stop pretending they are.

> I don't mind if I have tens of directories
> under /usr/share/locale, but quite dislike that I have tens of extension in
> clean firefox install.

Good to know.

> OK, you say it is in xpi, because it is too big without
> compression,

No, I said it is in .xpi because it is the format that works best for 
the project.  The fact that it is compressed is a bonus.  I personally 
don't care how big they are.  I'm not the person who started the thread 
because of things being "too big."

> then, why not split it from the main package?

Many reasons have been provided by me, and others.

> IMO it is reasonable
> to either have firefox locales among other locales (i.e. in /usr/share/locale),
> or have firefox langpacks in separate packages

So you are essentially saying that it is reasonable to install 
translations in the main package and in separate packages.  I already 
picked the former.