Language tech building into Linux operating system
Ubuntu, which means "humanity" in a number of languages spoken in Africa, is the name of a distribution of Linux (alternate operating system to Windows) which is gaining in popularity worldwide. Last week a team of eight SIL* software developers met with the leader of the Ubuntu project. The purpose of the meeting was to see if it would be possible to incorporate several of SIL's key technologies into their distribution of Linux.
Praise God the meeting was successful! Ubuntu will become the first computer operating system to incorporate SIL's language technologies in their base system. Starting with the next release of Ubuntu, due out in April, it will be possible to extend the system to handle virtually any language or script in the world. This will enable language workers to work in languages which, to this point, have been hindered by these technical barriers. Also, because Ubuntu is based on Linux, which is open source software, it can be freely distributed to all our language workers and partners.
This was a great first step but now the real work begins.
Pray that over the coming weeks Linux software developers will be able to integrate SIL's code with Ubuntu's.
Right now there are very few programs on Linux that help with Bible translation. Pray that God will provide more Linux software developers to help with the huge task of moving critical key linguistic software programs over to the Linux operating system.
*SIL is a partner organization with Wycliffe, dedicated to training, language research, translation and literacy.
Tuesday January 24, 2006
