Sorry I forgot LDWG label. ---------- Forwarded message --------- 发件人： ykla <[email protected]> Date: 2026年2月25日周三 上午2:08 Subject: Basic System i18n (gettext) Issues in FreeBSD Desktop and Laptop Usage To: <[email protected]>
Dear The FreeBSD Foundation's Laptop Support and Usability Project, I would like to report several internationalization (i18n) issues in the FreeBSD base system that significantly affect desktop and laptop usability for non-English users. 1. TTY Font Support It would be highly beneficial to embed a small non-English console font in the base system. For example, a compact font such as: https://people.freebsd.org/~emaste/newcons/b16.fnt Including a lightweight multilingual TTY font by default would greatly improve out-of-the-box usability on non-English systems, especially during installation and recovery scenarios. 2. Lack of i18n Support in Core Utilities Several commonly used base system utilities do not support internationalization. Examples include: - ee editor - pkg package manager The absence of gettext-based localization or equivalent mechanisms limits accessibility for non-English users. 3. Installer and Configuration Tools The following tools also lack proper i18n support: - bsdinstall - bsdconfig - Disk partitioning utilities Given that installation is the first user-facing experience, the lack of localization presents a significant usability barrier. Regarding historical efforts, the *BSD I18N Framework Implementation Project (Citrus Project) reportedly implemented a BSD-licensed gettext and related infrastructure around 20 years ago. However, the official project website is no longer accessible. Even archived versions (e.g., via web.archive.org) do not clearly indicate the final project status or integration outcome. >From examining NetBSD source code, it appears that NetBSD still includes a BSD-licensed gettext implementation in its src tree (lib/libintl/gettext.c). OpenBSD, on the other hand, continues to rely on GNU gettext. Given this background, I would like to ask: - Is there any plan to revisit base system i18n support? - What is the current stance on integrating BSD-licensed gettext functionality into FreeBSD base? - Would the Desktop and Laptop Project consider improving console font support and installer localization as part of its usability goals? I appreciate the continued effort to improve FreeBSD on modern desktop and portable systems, and I hope i18n support can be considered a foundational usability component moving forward. Best regards, ykla
