Welcome to the spoken tutorial on Typing in Local Languages in LibreOffice Writer
In this tutorial, we will learn to:
Install Language packages in Writer
Configure Local Language setting and
Type text in Local Language
This tutorial is recorded using Ubuntu Linux OS version 18.04 and LibreOffice Suite version 6.3.5
The files used in this tutorial have been provided to you in the Code files link on this tutorial page.
Please download and extract the file.
Make a copy and then use it for practising.
Now, I will explain how to configure Local language typing in Writer.
For demonstration we will use Hindi language.
To type in Hindi, we need Lohit Deva packages.
In the latest version of Ubuntu Linux, the Lohit Deva packages are installed by default.
Now let’s install or check packages for Devnagri font through the terminal.
Open the terminal by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T keys together.
Type the following command in the terminal sudo apt install fonts hyphen lohit hyphen deva and press Enter
Type the admin password if prompted and press Enter.
You could get a message “fonts hyphen lohit hyphen deva is already the newest version”.
This means the font lohit hyphen deva is already on your system. Else the language package will get installed.
Once the installation is over, close the terminal.
Now click on the Show Applications or Dash home icon at the bottom left of the screen.
In the search bar, type language support and then click on the Language Support icon.
If the language support is not installed completely, you may get a pop-up message box.
Click on the Remind Me Later button to close it.
Now we are in the Language Support dialog box.
Under the Language tab, click on the Install/ Remove Languages button.
Installed Languages dialog box opens up.
Scroll and choose the language of your choice from the displayed list.
We can see that English is already selected by default.
We will choose another language, say Hindi.
Put a check mark in the checkbox for Hindi.
Then click on the Apply button at the bottom.
A pop-up appears saying Authentication Required.
Type the admin password in the Password field and click on the Authenticate button.
Applying Changes pop-up box opens and it shows a progress bar.
It may take some time to install the newly selected language package.
If you get error like Failed to download packages”
Refer to theAdditional Reading Material of this tutorial.
Once done, the installation dialog box closes by itself.
Now, go to the Language for menus and windows section and scroll down.
We can see the newly added language Hindi.
Make sure that the Keyboard input method system is set to IBus.
If not, then select it from the drop-down.
Now click on the Close button at the bottom right.
Click on the Show Applications or Dash home icon at the bottom left of the screen again.
In the search bar, type Settings and click on the Settings icon.
On the left, we can see list of Settings option
If not click on the back button to go back to the Settings page
From the list select Region & Language option
To add the newly installed language Hindi, click on the plus symbol below the Input Sources section.
Add an input source window opens.
From the list, select Hindi.
In case if Hindi language option is not available, click on the 3 dots icon.
It has various options for Hindi input.
Select Hindi (KaGaPa phonetic)
Then click on the Add button located at the top right corner of the window.
Now we can see the selected language Hindi as one of the Input Sources item.
Close the Settings window by clicking on X icon.
Go to the Taskbar located at the top right corner of the Desktop screen.
We can see the “en” drop-down which is called the Input Language menu.
Click on the down arrow.
We see the newly added Hindi (KaGaPa phonetic) language along with English US.
To type in the newly added language, we need to restart the computer.
Now open the terminal by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T keys together
In the terminal, type sudo reboot and press Enter.
Type the admin password if prompted and press Enter.
Our system has now rebooted.
Open the terminal by pressing Ctrl + Alt+ T keys together.
In the terminal type the following command: locale space hyphen a and press Enter
Type the admin password if prompted and press Enter.
We can see a list of languages along with newly added language that is hi underscore IN or hi underscore IN dot utf8
That means that we have successfully installed the new input language, that is Hindi.
Now open a new Writer document.
Now type Welcome to Spoken Tutorial and press Enter.
As we have set English as the default language, we can see the same in the status bar.
Let us change the language from English to Hindi.
To do so, click on the Input Language down arrow next to en at the top right corner of the Task bar. Then select Hindi (KaGaPa phonetic).
Let’s see how the Hindi keyboard layout looks like.
So, first click on the Input Language down arrow. Then select Show Keyboard Layout.
The keyboard layout indicates the output we will get by typing on our keyboard.
Please refer to the keyboard whenever required.
In case if you find any difficulty in typing Hindi text Please refer Additional reading material i.e Show Keyboard Layout
Click on the Close button to close the keyboard layout.
Switch to the Writer document.
In a new line type the Hindi text as shown.
When we type, notice that now the status bar shows Hindi.
Now press Enter. Notice that now the status bar shows English (India).
But if you start typing again, it will type in Hindi not in English.
Let me undo this change.
We can change our Input language by pressing the Super key or Windows key along with the Spacebar.
Likewise you can install any language of your choice and practice on your own.
Save and close the file.
This brings us to the end of this spoken tutorial. Let us summarise
In this tutorial, we learnt to: Install Language packages in Writer
Configure Local language setting and
Type text in Local Language
As an assignment Open practice.odt file
Use Hindi KaGaPa Phonetic
Type I like Spoken tutorial in Hindi
The video at the following link summarises the spoken tutorial project Please download and watch it.
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Please post your timed queries in this forum.
The Spoken Tutorial project is funded by MHRD Govt of India
This tutorial was originally contributed by IT for Change in 2012.
This is Pratik Kamble along with the Spoken Tutorial team from IIT Bombay signing off. Thank you for watching.