How do I set the login manager to enable `change languages` at login?

Question

How can I recompile the source to force the option to allow changing languages and keyboard layouts at login?

Solution 1

Did you install the language packs from Language support ?

Update

I seem to have mixed the keyboard layout with the language support!

There is a solution provided in a bug report: Comment #16:

There is now an optional language selector in the GTK greeter for desktops that require it. To enable it set show-language-selector=true in /etc/lightdm/lightdm-gtk-greeter.conf. Fixed in 0.9.8.

Solution

Execute this command:

gksu gedit /etc/lightdm/lightdm-gtk-greeter.conf

Find the line:

#show-language-selector=false

Change it to:

show-language-selector=true

Save and exit. Logout / Login or reboot the machine to apply the effect.

Solution 2

You can explicitly turn on the language selector in the login screen according to this comment:

To enable it set show-language-selector=true in /etc/lightdm/lightdm-gtk-greeter.conf.

Solution 3

For anyone using 14.04 or greater Find this

show-indicators=

in

/etc/lightdm/lightdm-gtk-greeter.conf

and then add to end of line

~language;

Comments

[enzotib]

Why don't use gdm instead of lightdm?

[Adi Roiban]

I tried this on 12.04 and it is not working.

[Bodozer]

Thanks for the rapid answer. If I got it right, that icon will only change the keyboard layout while I’m log in? I need the possibility to alter the system language after login. Using the old login screen, I just selected the user. After that, there was different options in the bottom of the screen. The leftmost icon was a globe followed by option to set the system language after login. If there is no equal option in the new login screen- how can I return to the old one? Best regards Bosch

[macrobook]

Could you test this solution please? Quoting comment #16: There is now an optional language selector in the GTK greeter for desktops that require it. To enable it set show-language-selector=true in /etc/lightdm/lightdm-gtk-greeter.conf. Fixed in 0.9.8.