[Techtalk] Hebrew Linux system

[E. Sterling Wall]

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> Message: 7

> Josephine's question about setting up a Hebrew Windows system inspired
> me, I guess :)  I have a system I can free up and I would like to set it
> up using Red Hat Linux 7.3 (with applicable patches and upgrades), KDE
> 3.0.1, and set it up for an Israeli locale and Hebrew default language. 
> I want as absolutely much to be in Hebrew as is possible in the current
> state of Linux application development.
	Setting up KDE 3.0.1 to work with the Israeli locale was a breeze!! 
The weird thing, though, is that I didn't know how easy it could be
until I switched my login manager to gdm during a gnome upgrade... (go
figure)  GDM has a choice in it for which language you want to use on
that session (maybe this is in the KDE login manager as well, but it
wasn't there by default, so I never saw it). Since the only reason I
have KDE on my system at all is for when I need to type in Hebrew (KDE
3's Hebrew support is still WAY ahead of Gnome right now), I picked
"Hebrew" as the language when I logged in to a KDE session. I was
instantly offered a "first time" wizard in HEBREW, with choices about
all the things that you would expect to have choices over, PLUS, the
option to use Hebrew or English as the menu language for the system and
the applications.

	There is an Israeli Group of Linux Users  which is really fantastically
helpful. http://www.iglu.org.il The section at
http://www.iglu.org.il/faq/cache/8.html Should give you pretty much
everything you need to know about Hebrew on Linux, from keyboard
settings to bidi-friendly applications and where to find them. Though,
with KDE 3, the bidi support in applications like Kword is so good that
the latter is hardly a problem any more.

	Another good place to get help is at irc.openprojects.net #linux-il .
Fendor and Sorvin are great guys, and they both practically live on the
channel. They helped me get my Hebrew Keyboard settings working when I
had failed repeatedly over and over before.

	Oh, and if you, like me, have a non-Israeli keyboard and need some help
remembering where keys are sometimes, there are stickers that you can
get for your keyboard. In the US, the best place to look is at
university book stores or university computer stores. Some synagogues
and Jewish book stores also might have the stickers for you.
Alternately, if you have a friend who's heading for a trip to Israel,
give them about $5 in advance to bring you back a set of glow in the
dark stickers called "Lightboard" or you can call the distributor at
972-3-504-1681 and see if they'll sell you one by phone or mail.

b'hatzlacha! 


-- elizabeth

Sumgai Technology
http://www.sumgai.co.uk
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