Last month we have ordered for free Desktop Ubuntu 9.04 (Jaunty Jackalope) CD, which reached to our hands last week. We have installed Ubuntu 9.04 (Jaunty Jackalope) inside Windows operating system using Wubi tool without re-partitioning the hard disk.

We tried to install Ubuntu 9.04 (Jaunty Jackalope) with any one of the provided Indian Language, finally we found that Wubi tool does not supports for the Indian languages. But if you are trying to install Ubuntu 9.04 (Jaunty Jackalope) as a fresh copy in your hard disk, you can install Ubuntu 9.04 (Jaunty Jackalope) in any of the supported Indian languages.

We used Wubi tool which is built inside Ubuntu 9.04 CD, which helped us to install Ubuntu 9.04 without re-partitioning hard disk. But we couldn’t install in our favorite Indian Language. Finally we found a way to change the Ubuntu 9.04 OS with our favorite Indian Language (Tamil).

Steps to change Language for Ubuntu 9.04

Select Language support from System->Administration->Language Support

You can view a window which asks to select the language for menus, windows and login screen. If your favorite language is not found in the list, just click Install/Remove Languages.

You will be getting a window with list of installed languages, find out you favorite language (Tamil),  select components and finally click apply changes.

Now select installed language which looks like special characters, after rebooting you can view Ubuntu operating system with your favorite language.

Ubuntu 9.04 comes with additional language keyboard which helps users to type in their favorite Indian language.

You can  view Keyboard icon in system tray, right click on it and find out SCIM setup as shown below picture.

SCIM setup enables users to setup SCIM tool and input methods, you can enable many number of languages, assign hot keys for particular language or particular keyboard system.

SCIM input method setup provides advanced options like panel, IMEngine (Global setup, Generic Table) and Front end.

SCIM tool bar

SCIM tool bar with languages

Note 1: After SCIM setup, SCIM tool bar may be not visible. So open any document application and click on keyboard icon in system tray, you should get list languages.

Note 2: You can shift from one language keyboard to another language keyboard by pressing shift key once.