Installing gramps (Danish version) on linux mint 22.1 english version in virtualbox

International dansk (Danish)
1

This requires you to have a virtualbox up and running.

  1. Download the linux mint cinnamon ISO from the linux mint web page.
    Mount it on your virtualbox optical drive, and boot the virtual machine.
    Select install linux mint.
    When the installation is done, make sure to install all updates.
    Install the virtualbox Guest addition.

  2. install the gramps from the software manager, this will do some of the cconfiguration

  3. Download the deb package from the gramps download page.
    Double click to install it.

You also need to install aspell-da and language-pack-gnome-da from the software manager (or command line “sudo apt install”

  1. Create the following script to start gramps in Danish:
#!/bin/bash
LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/local/lib
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH
LANGUAGE=da_DK
LANG=da_DK.UTF-8
LC_TIME=da_DK.UTF-8
export LANGUAGE LC_TIME LANG
/usr/bin/gramps &> /tmp/gramps.txt
or type this on the command line: LANG=da_DK.UTF-8 LANGUAGE=da_DK.UTF-8 gramps

And you should be good to go.

I know this is very brief, so don’t hesitate to ask for any doubts you have

2

When I install Gramps on a new Linux, I always start with the version offered in the official software repository, by using the built-in software manager. And I do that, because I discovered that that installs more dependencies than the package manager does when it installs Gramps from a .deb file, or .rpm. I have no idea why that it, but it’s something that I learned by trying.

And when that runs fine, I install the latest version from the .deb file offered on our own site.

I also don’t see a need for that script, because the installer always puts gramps in a directory that already exists in your path, and that may be another one than /usr/bin, depending on your OS version. The exports are not needed either, because you can also start Gramps in Danish by typing

LANGUAGE=da_DK.UTF-8 gramps

You may need to add the LC_TIME part there too, but I have no idea why you’d need that. The command shown above works for me, and it’s the standard way to start commands with their own environment variables.

And if you want, you can also create a desktop shortcut with this same line, for easy access.

2 Likes
3

Good and valid points.
Never thinks about one liners, I always use scripts.
Probably old (bad) habit :smile:
Would have thought there should be a ; between the environment variable and gramps, but just tested and i works!
the LC_TIME could be a reminiscent from other startup scripts, where I had to deal with the American date format, which I hate.
So - bottom line - I learned something new today - thanks!
Will change the posts accordingly.

2 Likes
4

I understand the thought about that semicolon, but leaving it out is essential. The variable set here is local to the command, and a semicolon would start another, and start Gramps in the OS language.

5

To get the sorting right, you also need to set the LANG variable to da_DK.UTF-8
So the command line should be:
LANG=da_DK.UTF-8 LANGUAGE=da_DK.UTF-8 gramps

That one grew more gray hair in my head

3 Likes
6

I understand, and it’s a bit weird, because in older versions LANG was enough, and I also don’t see the logic behind this.

And another test here shows that the LANGUAGE variable can do without the UTF-8 part. And that’s how it is defined when I log on, for Dutch.

7

Yup - it is a bit strange