which future for Arabic on Linux ?

[Arafat Medini <lumina at silverpen dot de>]

salam all,

Here is my preliminary paper for the time after 2.6 comes out. I think
this will be a turnaround for arabic gnome support as the porject itself
will no more be only simply translating strings from one language to
another. We want complete Arabic support in gnome and therefore in
Linux, this is far more then simply translating some words from English
to Arabic.

let us first see the current situation:

we have a very powerful technologie called Open source software; in fact
we can make whatever we want with this platofrm it so OPEN that we can
submit, check, recheck our work without any problem. Is this possible
under Windows? I doubt it.

Not only can we do this, we can interchange work, we can theoretically
build ONE database for gnome and KDE and make translation process
automated, which is indeed done by a wordlist.po used as a translation
base in kbabel or gtranslator and switching on autotranslation. WE have
VERY powerful technologie, for supporting our work.

WE have VERY powerful technologie on which our desktops run: unicode And
pango can access a whole system we can even make the whole linux in
Arabic if only the compilers would support this. We can even make
compilers supporting Arabic language as the gcc is GPLed!!!

The potential we have is infinite, we can make a whole Arabic operating
system if we had the resources to do so from the compiler to the GUI.

Well but let me come to gnome and myself.

being aware of that potential we can ask ourselves what do we want from
our Desktop to do?
i think as the goal of having and Arabic GUI is attained the real
challenge is to create an Arabic environment.
This means Arabic developer tools, Arabic technologies like bicon 
katoob ..., and not only Arabic strings in a GUI but an "Arabic GUI"
alongside it.

So what does this mean for gnome translation: I will begin translating
developer tools like anjuta, glade, gimp etc... This will make the whole
a gnome enviroment, a good Q would be why translate Anjuta now one will
use it!! Well that's true but if I say oh look you can use rhythmbox to
to hear music and then I say to rip it well there is sound-juicer but
HEY wait it is also in Arabic, what a joy!!! Or saying hey gimp 2.0
looks awesome and it is in Arabic, Mr Raffa will drool in joy... someone
wants to make a new GUI for Gnome quran and glade is in Arabic maybe he
will use it...
But the MOST important is the "environment" and the momentum and the
feeling it brings with it.

Second point Bugs, reporting bugs on any technologie out there is AS
IMPORTANT as translation or hacking. in pango there are some basic
things where you think: "he?!" is this really not in? but well it isn't
in there... SO report a bug and it'll get in: I never thought that
indeed there are hackers out there who can hack on Arabic glyphs I was
surprised to see patches against Arabic related bugs, to see ppl report
on gnomedesktop.org about Abiword in Arabic and many other things... PPL
NEED ARABIC SUPPORT!!!

This whole leeds us to real Arabic support which is visible for the User
and the designer/developer. And this goes far behind simple string
translation.

Is it all ? NO the meat is still to come...

Contact with other groups is my second most important goal, I have to
get relationships with EVERY group out there using Arabic glyphs or
related to Arabic glyphs from India to Marocco. reporting bugs to the
persian ppl about their fonts is totally important... The same thing
goes for sending an email to Mr Damt about helping us with Arabic
support for mono, or if there is any involvement with mono we will have
to go in future.
Not only this but also sending reports making polls, getting in contact
with the users...
This requires a pseudo-lobby work to be in contact to not forget ppl and
to lobby our work in gnome for eg. or to be present in EVERY conference
about Linux because WE ARE THE ARABIC LINUX.

And third point, we need to develop technologies around helping ppl in
their translation work: this includes Docs, howtos, scripts etc... We
have to make a database for beginners.

Forth the QAC has to become more then simply a file which turns around
some ppl it has to be involved in any step without beeing too
burocratic.

This (maybe boring speech) leads me to following points:

1- Expand current translation to more apps like gimp, Anjuta, glade and
others. The apps have to be smartly choosen to reach an Arabic gnome
environment. And even go beyond that.

2- Support current technologies by directing their evolution in
submitting as much bugs as possible. we: ME/YOU are very powerful by
simply submitting a bug we can direct where an app has to go in the
"Arabic sphere".

3- Build contact with other groups and promote the work.

4- open the project by making polls, posing discussions in forums, open
up to LUGs we have to offer them more then our simple mouth-propaganda.
I am thinking on opening up the gnome Project Ossamas involvement led me
to a very good point what if I simply could ask person to work on one
single po and then release them?! Quality control is my task, if the
person is still interested then ok else it can go, without forcing we
can even get more help maybe...

5- Develop Docs and howtos, at the end this means to extend the howto
page we have with more docs.

6- Become more involved in other technologies like Arabbix by making a
doc on how to use gnome in Arabic, for eg I open gnome first app is Yelp
which teaches me how I can switch my keymap from Arabic to English or
French and tells how WONDERFUL and SIMPLE this is.

7- Continue quality improvements in translation, when I look at the
german translation I see how far we still are from porfessional
translations.
Well not so far but we want to be the best don't we ;)

Those are MY goals for the time after 2.6 if I can reach 50% of them
I'll be more then happy.
It's slowly taking shape and after restarting the translation efforts
I'll cut down and add what I feel is suitable.

As always pls feel free to write anything regarding this mail.

yours
Arafat