Sun specific isssues with gettext

[Mike Coughlan]

I recently discovered that Sun has implemented a competitive version of
gettext().  The C code exists in their libntl directory, and the binaries
"getext" and "msgfmt" are shipped out in /usr/bin.  Each is incompatible
with their GNU counterparts. Here was Sun's proposed solution to this
problem:

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There are a few ways to fix this problem, including:

1. Extend the Solaris gettext to support GNU msgfmt messages. This will
probably involve getting the Solaris gettext to recognize GNU messages and
then use the GNU gettext routines to display the message.

2. Extend GNU msgfmt/gettext to support Solaris messages and have GNU
gettext available on the system.

3. Modify the build process for each <Sun codename> package we use to use
Solaris msgfmt/gettext throughout. This will have to be done for each
program and is more of a work around then a solution.
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I do not know that 3 is much of an option for IMP users.  I believe it is an
assumption that Apache and PHP can even compile and operate with Sun
gettext.

Our solution was to install the GNU gettext package on Solaris; however,
this was very difficult to do. Apache and PHP still wanted to link with
gettext() from libntl.  Even with proper linking, it was difficult to
configure the environment.  I wish I could give a recipe for this, but at
some point, it just started working after a reboot.

Please add a note to your install docs, horde/imp/po/README, or knowledge
base saying that this conflict exists; that GNU gettext did work on Solaris
with IMP; and that linking and configuring it with PHP was very difficult.

This is really up to Sun to fix, and I've tried to escalate the bug in their
bureaucracy.

Thanks

_________________________
Mike Coughlan

GOTHAM BROADBAND
3 West 18th Street
NYC 10011
USA

Tel: +1.212.206.9620 ext 310
Fax: +1.212.206.9612
email: mcoughlan@gothambroadband.com

_________________________
Mike Coughlan

GOTHAM BROADBAND
3 West 18th Street
NYC 10011
USA

Tel: +1.212.206.9620 ext 310
Fax: +1.212.206.9612
email: mcoughlan@gothambroadband.com