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,
compiles them to a binary form quickly usable by the locale functions
in the C library (setlocale(3), localeconv(3), etc.), and places the
output 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
locale category (LC_TIME, LC_NUMERIC, and so on).
* If the --no-archive option is used, outputpath is the name of a
subdirectory in /usr/lib/locale where per-category compiled files
are placed.
* Otherwise, outputpath is the name of a locale and the compiled
locale data is added to the archive file /usr/lib/locale/locale-
archive. 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
locale 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
localedef, 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.
Otherwise, the file is sought in the current directory and the
default 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
definition 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
variable I18NPATH is set, $I18NPATH/repertoiremaps/ and
$I18NPATH are also searched after the current directory. The
default directory 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
currently 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
option, if the locale is in the archive file already, an error
occurs.
--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
addresses 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
classes.
outputpath/LC_IDENTIFICATION
An output file that contains metadata about the locale.
outputpath/LC_MEASUREMENT
An output file that contains information about locale
measurements (metric versus US customary).
outputpath/LC_MESSAGES/SYS_LC_MESSAGES
An output file that contains information about the language
messages 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
data 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
environment 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
SEE ALSO
locale(1), charmap(5), locale(5), repertoiremap(5), locale(7)
COLOPHON
This page is part of release 4.09 of the Linux man-pages project. A
description of the project, information about reporting bugs, and the
latest version of this page, can be found at
https://www.kernel.org/doc/man-pages/.
Free and Open Source Software