Blog: adjusting locales

_posts/2016-10-16-adjusting-locales.md

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+---
+layout: post
+comments: true
+title: "Note to self: adjusting locales & why"
+category: [english]
+tags: [english, linux, locale]
+---
+
+*I have started using my devices in en_GB, but on PCs that can have issues
+ with different types of different locales unless some things are borrowed
+ from other locales.*
+
+`% sudo localectl set-locale LANG=en_GB.UTF-8 LC_TIME=en_DK.UTF-8 LC_MONETARY=fi_FI.UTF-8 LC_NAME=fi_FI.UTF-8 LC_TELEPHONE=fi_FI.UTF-8`
+
+* LANG is the language and defaults for other variables if they are unset
+  and as I said I prefer en_GB which is better in Europe for matching the
+  standards better than en_US.
+* LC_TIME sets the time format and en_DK gives ISO 8601 date format for
+   everything respecting LC_TIME (at least `date` and M̀ATE panel clock
+   don't respect it).
+* LC_MONETARY sets the currency and how sums of it are managed and the
+  only issue with en_GB is it using £ instead of € which affects at least
+  spreadsheets.
+* LC_NAME sets name format and I prefer Finnish (just the name) to British
+  which has ms/mrs/mr and I hate them being gendered and I doubt it
+  understands mx.
+* LC_TELEPHONE sets telephone number format and I set it to fi_FI as it
+  defaults international numbers to +358 and I am more likely to be typing
+  Finnish numbers than British. I imagine it can affect office tools, and
+  it's here more just in case.
+
+And naturally to use these locales, they must be compiled.
+
+So `/etc/locale.gen` must include the lines
+
+```
+en_DK.UTF-8 UTF-8
+en_GB.UTF-8 UTF-8
+# If you don't have en_US, things will break!
+en_US.UTF-8 UTF-8
+fi_FI.UTF-8 UTF-8
+```
+
+and as always, after editing that file, you must run `sudo locale-gen`.
+
+(Debian & deriative users, you have `dpkg-reconfigure locales` that merges
+the editing and locale-gen and that is probably what you are supposed to
+use.)
+
+It seems like I didn't even say anything about that UTF-8 part, but
+it's 2016 and everything is UTF-8 (or your things are horribly broken
+and the rest of the world hates you).
+
+Sources/thanks:
+
+* [Arch Wiki: Locale, LC_TIME](https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/locale#LC_TIME:_date_and_time_format)
+* [Locale Helper: en_GB](http://lh.2xlibre.net/locale/en_GB/)
+* [Locale Helper_ fi_FI](http://lh.2xlibre.net/locale/fi_FI/)
+* [Wikipedia: UTF-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UTF-8)
+    * Random misplaced advice on disabling charset fallback in your
+      IRC client and being UTF-8 only so you see when someone is not
+      using UTF-8 and don't submit useless bug reports to
+      bots/bridges/whatever thare are UTF-8 only as supporting every
+      charset is not possible as IRC has nothing to declare character
+      set and there is zero reason why you wouln't be using UTF-8!
+* [ISO 8601](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_8601)
+    * You should read it or at least be aware of it especially if you are
+      in contact with people from other countries and even more if you
+      are in international communities!