Managing the LANG Environment Variable

To configure localized HP-UX sessions, you will need to:

Manage the LANG environment variable.
Access language-dependent message catalogs and resource files.
Execute applications remotely across internationalized systems.

You can set the LANG variable to any locale that is supported by the HP-UX operating system, and installed on your system.

There are three ways to set the LANG environment variable, depending on how you want the locale to operate:

Customize the /etc/dt/config/Xconfig file. This method is used to set the locale system-wide, for all users and all sessions.
Customize the .dtprofile file. This method is used for a specific user who might need a different locale profile.
Choose a locale from the Options menu from the CDE login screen which changes the locale for that session.

When LANG is set, HP-UX also uses the following locale-dependent files to determine the localized interface for colors and backdrops:

/usr/dt/palettes/desc. locale
/usr/dt/backdrops/desc. locale

Setting the Locale for Multiple Users (`Xconfig` file)

To set the system-wide default language settings, you must edit the Xconfig file. This sets the CDE login screen and the proper LANG variable for all users. This is the only way to change LANG for all displays in multi-display systems. Here is the procedure:

Check to see if the /etc/dt/config/Xconfig file exists on your system. If not, copy it from /usr/dt/config/Xconfig. Do not try to edit the /usr/dt/config/Xconfig file directly.

Edit the /etc/dt/config/Xconfig file and change the following line (see Appendix A for a listing of all locales):

Dtlogin*language: <lang>

For example:

To set the German iso8859-1 locale for all displays/users:
Dtlogin*language: de_DE.iso88591
To set the German iso8859-1 locale for a specific display ('hpabcd'):
Dtlogin.hpabcd_0.language: de_DE.iso88591




	CAUTION: Make sure you DO NOT include a space or tab at the end of the `<lang>` value (`de_DE.iso88591`). This will cause the `LANG` variable to be incorrect and the locale will not be set properly.

Then execute: /sbin/init.d/dtlogin.rc reset
Log out and login again

The Dtlogin client reads the appropriate message catalog for that locale and brings up the localized CDE login screen, if the user interface has been localized for the chosen locale. Otherwise, the login screen will come up in English. The Dtlogin client then determines the list of locales using the following resource in the /etc/dt/config/Xconfig file:

Dtlogin*languageList

Setting the Language for One User (`.dtprofile` file)

An individual user can override the system-wide LANG setting by changing his/her homedirectory/.dtprofile file. In this case, the login screen is not localized and LANG is set only for the current user.

Here is the procedure for customizing the .dtprofile file:

login user
Go to your HOME directory
Edit the .dtprofile file
Add/Change the LANG environment variable.
For example:
- To set the locale to the French iso8859-1 locale
  LANG=fr_FR.iso88591
Save and exit
Log out and login again.

Setting the Locale for One Session (CDE Options menu)

To set the locale for one session, use the Options menu of the CDE Login Manager (the screen you see when you are ready to login to the system). By choosing a locale from this list, the LANG variable is set for the user on a per-login basis. The value of the LANG variable returns to its default value (as set in dtlogin , see above) when the user logs out at the end of the session.

Setting Default `LANG` on a Terminal Based System

Default language/codeset settings for terminal based systems are made by modifying the .profile or .cshrc file in the user's home directory. For example:

To set the user's default login to the German utf8 locale, modify the following lines:
When using sh or ksh, edit the .profile file as follows:
LANG=de_DE.utf8 export LANG
When using csh, edit the .cshrc file as follows:
setenv LANG de_DE.utf8
To set the user's default login to the Canadian French iso8859-1 locale, make the following modifications.
When using sh or ksh, edit the .profile file as follows:
LANG=fr_CA.iso88591 export LANG
When using csh, edit the .cshrc file as follows:
setenv LANG fr_CA.iso88591

Managing the LANG Environment Variable

Technical documentation

» Table of Contents

Setting the Locale for Multiple Users (`Xconfig` file)

Setting the Language for One User (`.dtprofile` file)

Setting the Locale for One Session (CDE Options menu)

Setting Default `LANG` on a Terminal Based System

Managing the LANG Environment Variable

Technical documentation

» Table of Contents

Setting the Locale for Multiple Users ( Xconfig file)

Setting the Language for One User ( .dtprofile file)

Setting the Locale for One Session (CDE Options menu)

Setting Default LANG on a Terminal Based System

Setting the Locale for Multiple Users (`Xconfig` file)

Setting the Language for One User (`.dtprofile` file)

Setting Default `LANG` on a Terminal Based System