Setting the locale parameter
Computers are used all over the world, by people of many different cultures and languages. (I know that you already knew that, but I'm telling you anyway.) Fortunately, all major operating systems have ways to accommodate users of almost all languages on Earth. On Unix and Linux systems, the locale
set of parameters helps us out with that. Let's start by taking a closer look at it.
Understanding the locale
locale
is a set of parameters that define lots of things that could be important to a user. There are parameters for the user's preferred language, character encoding, currency formats, and several other things.
Normally, locale
is set when you install the operating system, and you won't have to mess around with it afterward. Linux installers don't have a screen that specifically says Choose your locale, but they do have a screen for you to choose a keyboard layout and another for you to choose your time zone. In my case...