===== Change Language of Operating System =====

There are three methods to change the language of the User Interface:
  * Install: install it directly in English and then use a following methods
  * Automatic: change everything in one simple step to your language of choice
  * Manual: more control on deciding which parts should change but requires command line and advanced knowledge
  
==== Install in English ====

Instead of using initramfs for booting eeepc use this modified initramfs image:

http://www.roberto.foglietta.name/pub/xepc/en/initramfs.cpio.gz

This setup English localization only if the firstrun does not happen before and the localization would be written down into read-write partition. So this image is useful only during intallation.
 
==== Automatic Method ====

locale_dialog can do this for you for English.  Go to a terminal: Ctrl-Alt-T and type:

''/opt/xandros/bin/locale_dialog''

A simple dialog will open with a list of languages. Choose your desired language and press OK buttun (it's the button on the left). The system asks for reboot. Again press OK button (it's the burron on the left). Congratulations!

You may want to uninstall Taiwanese software,or programs, or languagepacks to save diskspace (tested on EeePc701).
This does not uninstall the English versions or programs!
Go here: http://wiki.eeeuser.com/howto:freespace

The above fails to revert all the dialog boxs to english in eee 701 etc - so see the last paragraph of this help page http://wiki.eeeuser.com/howto:configurefromscratch
& change the firstrunwizard and remove the .firstrun file and reboot to an english version eee 701 etc.


==== Manual Method ====

  - Start Eee PC
  - Press Ctrl-Alt-T to open Terminal
  - Type ''sudo /usr/bin/oowriter /etc/default/locale &''\\ (Another editor may be used to modify this file.)
  - Change line to ''LANG=en_US.UTF-8''
  - Type ''sudo /usr/bin/oowriter /etc/locale.gen &''\\ (Another editor may be used to modify this file.)
  - Remove the line ''zh_TW.UTF-8''
  - Type ''sudo dpkg-reconfigure locales'' and proceed
  - press Ctrl-Alt-backspace or Reboot.


It is also possible to change to another language, e.g.

  * Change line to ''LANG=fr_FR.UTF-8'' for French   (doesn't work out of the box with these instructions)
  * Change line to ''LANG=en_GB.UTF-8'' for English with UK keyboard-layout
  * Change line to ''LANG=it_IT.UTF-8'' for Italian
  * Change line to ''LANG=de_GN.UTF-8'' for German
  * Change line to ''LANG=zh_TW.UTF-8'' for Traditional Chinese
  * Change line to ''LANG=zh_CN.UTF-8'' for Sim Chinese

More information on language settings can be found in the [[http://www.openi18n.org/download/system_architecture/openi18n-spec-2.0.txt|i18n document]].

=== Applications ===

Previous changes only the language in the OS. Applications((some like OpenOffice, the menu will change accordingly)) retain their language settings. After changing the OS language (for example from zh_TW to en_US), to change the language of any applications that stay in the previous language:

  * rename the directory ''/usr/share/locale/zh_TW'' to something else such as ''/usr/share/locale/zh_TW.old''
  * rename the directory ''/usr/share/X11/locale/zh_TW'' to something else such as ''/usr/share/X11/locale/zh_TW.old''

Edit file named ''/etc/kde3/kdeglobals'':

  * Language = <del>zh_TW;zh;</del>en_US


=== Keyboard ===

To change the keyboard layout, open a console (ctrl+alt+t) and open the control center with

<code>
kcontrol
</code>
Go to Peripheral Devices/Keyboard Layout.
Choose the approriate layout. 
Hit 'Apply'.
To make the change stick (even in easy mode) continue in the console:
<code>
sudo kate /etc/alternatives/x-session-manager
</code>
Search for the line **sudo rm /tmp/nologin** and add the following line **before** it:
<code>
(sleep 3; /usr/bin/kxkb) &
</code>

Close kate and close the console.

You may want to uninstall Taiwanese software, programs, or languagepacks to save diskspace (tested on EeePc701). 
This does not uninstall the English versions or programs!
Go here: http://wiki.eeeuser.com/howto:freespace 


=== Special characters ===

You may want to use French accent for example:
    cd /usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/
    sudo cp us us.old (in case of any trouble make sudo cp us.old us to remove modification)
    sudo kwrite us

then look for

    partial alphanumeric_keys
    xkb_symbols "intl" {
    name[Group1]= "U.S. English - International (with dead keys)";
    include "us(basic)"

In that case You are going to change the US Keyboard with International layout

For example replace the line key <TLDE> .... with
    key <TLDE> { [    egrave, dead_tilde,         grave,       asciitilde ] };
then save and restart with Ctrl Alt BackSpace

The second button top left will give you è instead of '

Usable modifications :
     key <AE06> { [	   6,ecircumflex,    onequarter,      asciicircum ] };
give ê with Alt e (right Alt of the Keyboard) 
     key <AD03> { [	   e,          E,        eacute,           Eacute ] };
give é with Alt e (right Alt of the Keyboard) 
     key <AD07> { [	   u,          U,        ugrave,      ucircumflex ] };
give ù with Alt u (right Alt of the Keyboard) 

give û with Alt Shift u (right Alt and shift of the Keyboard) 
     key <AD08> { [	   i,          I,        iacute,      icircumflex ] };
give í with Alt u (right Alt of the Keyboard) 

give î with Alt Shift u (right Alt and shift of the Keyboard)  
     key <AD09> { [	   o,          O,        oacute,      ocircumflex ] };
give ó with Alt o (right Alt of the Keyboard) 

give ô with Alt Shift o (right Alt and shift of the Keyboard)