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LOCALEDEF(1) Linux User Manual LOCALEDEF(1)

NAME

     localedef - compile locale definition files

SYNOPSIS

     localedef [options] outputpath
     localedef --list-archive [options]
     localedef --delete-from-archive [options] localename ...
     localedef --add-to-archive [options] compiledpath
     localedef --version
     localedef --help
     localedef --usage

DESCRIPTION

     The localedef program reads the indicated charmap and input files, com-
     piles them to a binary form quickly usable by the locale  functions  in
     the  C library (setlocale(3), localeconv(3), etc.), and places the out-
     put in outputpath.

     The outputpath argument is interpreted as follows:

If outputpath contains a slash character ('/'), it is interpreted as

the name of the directory where the output definitions are to be

        stored.  In this case, there is a separate output file for each  lo-
        cale category (LC_TIME, LC_NUMERIC, and so on).

If the –no-archive option is used, outputpath is the name of a sub-

directory in /usr/lib/locale where per-category compiled files are

        placed.

Otherwise, outputpath is the name of a locale and the compiled lo-

cale data is added to the archive file /usr/lib/locale/locale-ar-

        chive.   A locale archive is a memory-mapped file which contains all
        the system-provided locales; it is used by  all  localized  programs
        when the environment variable LOCPATH is not set.

     In  any  case,  localedef  aborts if the directory in which it tries to
     write locale files has not already been created.

     If no charmapfile is given, the value  ANSI_X3.4-1968  (for  ASCII)  is
     used by default.  If no inputfile is given, or if it is given as a dash
     (-), localedef reads from standard input.

OPTIONS

 Operation-selection options
     A few options direct localedef to do something other than  compile  lo-
     cale  definitions.  Only one of these options should be used at a time.

-delete-from-archive

Delete the named locales from the locale archive file.

-list-archive

List the locales contained in the locale archive file.

-add-to-archive

Add the compiledpath directories to the locale archive file.

            The directories should have been created by previous runs of lo-
            caledef, using --no-archive.

 Other options
     Some of the following options are sensible only for certain operations;
     generally, it should be self-evident which ones.

f charmapfile, –charmap=charmapfile

Specify the file that defines the character set that is used by

            the input file.   If  charmapfile  contains  a  slash  character
            ('/'), it is interpreted as the name of the character map.  Oth-
            erwise, the file is sought in the current directory and the  de-
            fault directory for character maps.  If the environment variable
            I18NPATH is set, $I18NPATH/charmaps/  and  $I18NPATH/  are  also
            searched after the current directory.  The default directory for
            character maps is printed by localedef --help.

i inputfile, –inputfile=inputfile

Specify the locale definition file to compile. The file is

            sought  in  the  current directory and the default directory for
            locale definition files.  If the environment  variable  I18NPATH
            is set, $I18NPATH/locales/ and $I18NPATH are also searched after
            the current directory.  The default directory for locale defini-
            tion files is printed by localedef --help.

u repertoirefile, –repertoire-map=repertoirefile

Read mappings from symbolic names to Unicode code points from

            repertoirefile.  If repertoirefile contains  a  slash  character
            ('/'),  it is interpreted as the pathname of the repertoire map.
            Otherwise, the file is sought in the current directory  and  the
            default directory for repertoire maps.  If the environment vari-
            able I18NPATH is set,  $I18NPATH/repertoiremaps/  and  $I18NPATH
            are  also searched after the current directory.  The default di-
            rectory for repertoire maps is printed by localedef --help.

A aliasfile, –alias-file=aliasfile

Use aliasfile to look up aliases for locale names. There is no

            default aliases file.

-prefix=pathname

Set the prefix to be prepended to the full archive pathname. By

            default, the prefix is empty.  Setting the prefix  to  foo,  the
            archive would be placed in foo/usr/lib/locale/locale-archive.

c, –force

Write the output files even if warnings were generated about the

            input file.

v, –verbose

Generate extra warnings about errors that are normally ignored.

-quiet

Suppress all notifications and warnings, and report only fatal

            errors.

-posix

Conform strictly to POSIX. Implies –verbose. This option cur-

            rently has no other effect.  POSIX conformance is assumed if the
            environment variable POSIXLY_CORRECT is set.

-replace

Replace a locale in the locale archive file. Without this op-

            tion, if the locale is in the archive file already, an error oc-
            curs.

-no-archive

Do not use the locale archive file, instead create outputpath as

            a subdirectory in the same directory as the locale archive file,
            and create separate output files for locale  categories  in  it.
            This  is  helpful  to prevent system locale archive updates from
            overwriting custom locales created with localedef.

?, –help

Print a usage summary and exit. Also prints the default paths

            used by localedef.

-usage

Print a short usage summary and exit.

V, –version

Print the version number, license, and disclaimer of warranty

            for localedef.

EXIT STATUS

     One of the following exit values can be returned by localedef:

        0         Command completed successfully.

        1         Warnings or errors occurred, output files were written.

        4         Errors encountered, no output created.

ENVIRONMENT

     POSIXLY_CORRECT
            The --posix flag is assumed if this environment variable is set.

     I18NPATH
            A colon-separated list of search directories for files.

FILES

     /usr/share/i18n/charmaps
            Usual default character map path.

     /usr/share/i18n/locales
            Usual default path for locale definition files.

     /usr/share/i18n/repertoiremaps
            Usual default repertoire map path.

     /usr/lib/locale/locale-archive
            Usual default locale archive location.

     /usr/lib/locale
            Usual default path for compiled individual locale data files.

     outputpath/LC_ADDRESS
            An output file that contains information about formatting of ad-
            dresses and geography-related items.

     outputpath/LC_COLLATE
            An output file that contains information  about  the  rules  for
            comparing strings.

     outputpath/LC_CTYPE
            An  output file that contains information about character class-
            es.

     outputpath/LC_IDENTIFICATION
            An output file that contains metadata about the locale.

     outputpath/LC_MEASUREMENT
            An output file that contains information about  locale  measure-
            ments (metric versus US customary).

     outputpath/LC_MESSAGES/SYS_LC_MESSAGES
            An output file that contains information about the language mes-
            sages should be printed in, and what an affirmative or  negative
            answer looks like.

     outputpath/LC_MONETARY
            An  output  file  that  contains information about formatting of
            monetary values.

     outputpath/LC_NAME
            An output file that contains information about  salutations  for
            persons.

     outputpath/LC_NUMERIC
            An  output  file  that  contains information about formatting of
            nonmonetary numeric values.

     outputpath/LC_PAPER
            An output file that contains information about settings  related
            to standard paper size.

     outputpath/LC_TELEPHONE
            An  output  file  that  contains information about formats to be
            used with telephone services.

     outputpath/LC_TIME
            An output file that contains information about formatting of da-
            ta and time values.

CONFORMING TO

     POSIX.1-2008.

EXAMPLE

     Compile the locale files for Finnish in the UTF-8 character set and add
     it to the default locale archive with the name fi_FI.UTF-8:

         localedef -f UTF-8 -i fi_FI fi_FI.UTF-8

     The next example does the same thing,  but  generates  files  into  the
     fi_FI.UTF-8 directory which can then be used by programs when the envi-
     ronment variable LOCPATH is set to the current directory (note that the
     last argument must contain a slash):

         localedef -f UTF-8 -i fi_FI ./fi_FI.UTF-8