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+@node Translation Intro
+@chapter Notes on the Free Translation Project
+
+@set STATUS August 1998
+
+Free software is going international!  The Free Translation Project is
+a way to get maintainers of free software, translators, and users all
+together, so that will gradually become able to speak many languages.
+A few packages already provide translations for their messages.
+
+If you found this @file{ABOUT-NLS} file inside a distribution, you
+may assume that the distributed package does use GNU @code{gettext}
+internally, itself available at your nearest GNU archive site.  But you
+do @emph{not} need to install GNU @code{gettext} prior to configuring,
+installing or using this package with messages translated.
+
+Installers will find here some useful hints.  These notes also explain
+how users should proceed for getting the programs to use the available
+translations.  They tell how people wanting to contribute and work
+at translations should contact the appropriate team.
+
+When reporting bugs in the @file{intl/} directory or bugs which may
+be related to internationalization, you should tell about the version
+of @code{gettext} which is used.  The information can be found in
+the @file{intl/VERSION} file, in internationalized packages.
+
+@menu
+* One advise::
+* INSTALL Matters::
+* Using This Package::
+* Translating Teams::
+* Available Packages::
+* Using gettext in own code::
+@end menu
+
+@node One advise
+@section One advise in advance
+
+If you want to exploit the full power of internationalization, you
+should configure it using
+
+@example
+./configure --with-included-gettext
+@end example
+
+@noindent
+to force usage of internationalizing routines provided within this
+package, despite the existence of internationalizing capabilities in the
+operating system where this package is being installed.  So far, only
+the @code{gettext} implementation in the GNU C library version 2
+provides as many features (such as locale alias or message inheritance)
+as the implementation here.  It is also not possible to offer this
+additional functionality on top of a @code{catgets} implementation.
+Future versions of GNU @code{gettext} will very likely convey even more
+functionality.  So it might be a good idea to change to GNU
+@code{gettext} as soon as possible.
+
+So you need not provide this option if you are using GNU libc 2 or you
+have installed a recent copy of the GNU gettext package with the
+included @file{libintl}.
+
+
+@node INSTALL Matters
+@section INSTALL Matters
+
+Some packages are @dfn{localizable} when properly installed; the
+programs they contain can be made to speak your own native language.
+Most such packages use GNU @code{gettext}.  Other packages have their
+own ways to internationalization, predating GNU @code{gettext}.
+
+By default, this package will be installed to allow translation of
+messages.  It will automatically detect whether the system provides
+usable @code{catgets} (if using this is selected by the installer) or
+@code{gettext} functions.  If neither is available, the GNU
+@code{gettext} own library will be used.  This library is wholly
+contained within this package, usually in the @file{intl/} subdirectory,
+so prior installation of the GNU @code{gettext} package is @emph{not}
+required.  Installers may use special options at configuration time for
+changing the default behaviour.  The commands:
+
+@example
+./configure --with-included-gettext
+./configure --with-catgets
+./configure --disable-nls
+@end example
+
+@noindent
+will respectively bypass any pre-existing @code{catgets} or
+@code{gettext} to use the internationalizing routines provided within
+this package, enable the use of the @code{catgets} functions (if found
+on the locale system), or else, @emph{totally} disable translation of
+messages.
+
+When you already have GNU @code{gettext} installed on your system and
+run configure without an option for your new package, @code{configure}
+will probably detect the previously built and installed @file{libintl.a}
+file and will decide to use this.  This might be not what is desirable.
+You should use the more recent version of the GNU @code{gettext}
+library.  I.e. if the file @file{intl/VERSION} shows that the library
+which comes with this package is more recent, you should use
+
+@example
+./configure --with-included-gettext
+@end example
+
+@noindent
+to prevent auto-detection.
+
+By default the configuration process will not test for the
+@code{catgets} function and therefore they will not be used.  The
+reasons are already given above: the emulation on top of @code{catgets}
+cannot provide all the extensions provided by the GNU @code{gettext}
+library.  If you nevertheless want to use the @code{catgets} functions
+use
+
+@example
+./configure --with-catgets
+@end example
+
+@noindent
+to enable the test for @code{catgets} (this causes no harm if
+@code{catgets} is not available on your system).  If you really select
+this option we would like to hear about the reasons because we cannot
+think of any good one ourself.
+
+Internationalized packages have usually many @file{po/@var{ll}.po}
+files, where @var{ll} gives an @w{ISO 639} two-letter code
+identifying the language.  Unless translations have been forbidden
+at @code{configure} time by using the @samp{--disable-nls} switch,
+all available translations are installed together with the package.
+However, the environment variable @code{LINGUAS} may be set, prior
+to configuration, to limit the installed set.  @code{LINGUAS} should
+then contain a space separated list of two-letter codes, stating
+which languages are allowed.
+
+@node Using This Package
+@section Using This Package
+
+@c --
+@c FIXME: rewrite to document LANGUAGE, the long names, and aliases.
+@c --
+As a user, if your language has been installed for this package, you
+only have to set the @code{LANG} environment variable to the appropriate
+@w{ISO 639} @samp{@var{ll}} two-letter code prior to using the programs
+in the package.  For example, let's suppose that you speak German.  At
+the shell prompt, merely execute @w{@samp{setenv LANG de}} (in
+@code{csh}), @w{@samp{export LANG; LANG=de}} (in @code{sh}) or
+@w{@samp{export LANG=de}} (in @code{bash}).  This can be done from your
+@file{.login} or @file{.profile} file, once and for all.
+@c Packages which are not internationalized will merely ignore the
+@c setting of this variable.
+@c FIXME: This last sentence is not true!! --drepper
+
+An operating system might already offer message localization for many of
+its programs, while other programs have been
+installed locally with the full capabilities of GNU @code{gettext}.
+Just using @code{gettext} extended syntax for @code{LANG} would break
+proper localization of already available operating system programs.  In
+this case, users should set both @code{LANGUAGE} and @code{LANG}
+variables in their environment, as programs using GNU @code{gettext}
+give preference to @code{LANGUAGE}.  For example, some Swedish users
+would rather read translations in German than English for when Swedish
+is not available.  This is easily accomplished by setting
+@code{LANGUAGE} to @samp{sv:de} while leaving @code{LANG} to @samp{sv}.
+
+
+@node Translating Teams
+@section Translating Teams
+
+For the Free Translation Project to be a success, we need interested
+people who like their own language and write it well, and who are also
+able to synergize with other translators speaking the same language.
+Each translation team has its own mailing list, courtesy of Linux
+International.  You may reach your translation team at the address
+@file{@var{ll}@@li.org}, replacing @var{ll} by the two-letter @w{ISO
+639} code for your language.  Language codes are @emph{not} the same as
+the country codes given in @w{ISO 3166}.  The following translation
+teams exist, as of @value{STATUS}:
+
+@quotation
+Chinese @code{zh}, Czech @code{cs}, Danish @code{da}, Dutch @code{nl},
+English @code{en}, Esperanto @code{eo}, Finnish @code{fi}, French
+@code{fr}, German @code{de}, Hungarian @code{hu}, Irish @code{ga},
+Italian @code{it}, Indonesian @code{id}, Japanese @code{ja}, Korean
+@code{ko}, Latin @code{la}, Norwegian @code{no}, Persian @code{fa},
+Polish @code{pl}, Portuguese @code{pt}, Russian @code{ru}, Slovenian
+@code{sl}, Spanish @code{es}, Swedish @code{sv}, and Turkish @code{tr}.
+@end quotation
+
+@noindent
+For example, you may reach the Chinese translation team by writing to
+@file{zh@@li.org}.
+
+If you'd like to volunteer to @emph{work} at translating messages, you
+should become a member of the translating team for your own language.
+The subscribing address is @emph{not} the same as the list itself, it
+has @samp{-request} appended.  For example, speakers of Swedish can send
+a message to @w{@file{sv-request@@li.org}}, having this message body:
+
+@example
+subscribe
+@end example
+
+Keep in mind that team members are expected to participate
+@emph{actively} in translations, or at solving translational
+difficulties, rather than merely lurking around.  If your team does not
+exist yet and you want to start one, or if you are unsure about what to
+do or how to get started, please write to
+@w{@file{translation@@iro.umontreal.ca}} to reach the
+coordinator for all translator teams.
+
+The English team is special.  It works at improving and uniformizing
+the terminology in use.  Proven linguistic skill are praised
+more than programming skill, here.
+
+@node Available Packages
+@section Available Packages
+
+Languages are not equally supported in all packages.  The following
+matrix shows the current state of internationalization, as of
+@value{STATUS}.  The matrix shows, in regard of each package, for which
+languages PO files have been submitted to translation coordination.
+
+@include matrix.texi
+
+Some counters in the preceding matrix are higher than the number of visible
+blocks let us expect.  This is because a few extra PO files are used for
+implementing regional variants of languages, or language dialects.
+
+For a PO file in the matrix above to be effective, the package to which
+it applies should also have been internationalized and distributed as
+such by its maintainer.  There might be an observable lag between the
+mere existence a PO file and its wide availability in a distribution.
+
+If @value{STATUS} seems to be old, you may fetch a more recent copy
+of this @file{ABOUT-NLS} file on most GNU archive sites.
+
+
+@node Using gettext in own code
+@section Using @code{gettext} in new packages
+
+If you are writing a freely available program and want to
+internationalize it you are welcome to use GNU @file{gettext} in your
+package.  Of course the GNU Public License applies to your sources from
+then if you include @code{gettext} directly in your distribution on but
+since you are writing free software anyway this is no restriction.
+
+Once the sources are change appropriately and the setup can handle to
+use of @code{gettext} the only thing missing are the translations.  The
+Free Translation Project is also available for packages which are not
+developed inside the GNU project.  Therefore the information given above
+applies also for every other Free Software Project.  Contact
+@w{@file{translation@@iro.umontreal.ca}} to make the @file{.pot} files
+available to the translation teams.