# localedef(1) - man - phpman > **TLDR:** Manage locale definition files. > - List compiled locales: `localedef --list-archive` - Display help: `localedef {{-?|--help}}` *Source: tldr-pages* --- [LOCALEDEF(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/LOCALEDEF/1/markdown) Linux User Manual [LOCALEDEF(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/LOCALEDEF/1/markdown) ## NAME localedef - compile locale definition files ## SYNOPSIS **localedef** [_options_] _outputpath_ **localedef** **--add-to-archive** [_options_] _compiledpath_ **localedef** **--delete-from-archive** [_options_] _localename_ ... **localedef** **--list-archive** [_options_] ### localedef --help ### localedef --usage ### localedef --version ## DESCRIPTION The **localedef** program reads the indicated _charmap_ and _input_ files, compiles them to a binary form quickly usable by the locale functions in the C library ([**setlocale**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/setlocale/3/markdown), [**localeconv**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/localeconv/3/markdown), etc.), and places the output in _outputpath_. The _outputpath_ argument is interpreted as follows: * If _outputpath_ contains a slash character ('/'), it is interpreted as the name of the di‐ rectory where the output definitions are to be stored. In this case, there is a separate output file for each locale category (_LC_TIME_, _LC_NUMERIC_, and so on). * If the **--no-archive** option is used, _outputpath_ is the name of a subdirectory in _/usr/lib/locale_ where per-category compiled files are placed. * Otherwise, _outputpath_ is the name of a locale and the compiled locale data is added to the archive file _/usr/lib/locale/locale-archive_. A locale archive is a memory-mapped file which contains all the system-provided locales; it is used by all localized programs when the environment variable **LOCPATH** is not set. In any case, **localedef** aborts if the directory in which it tries to write locale files has not already been created. If no _charmapfile_ is given, the value _ANSI_X3.4-1968_ (for ASCII) is used by default. If no _inputfile_ is given, or if it is given as a dash (-), **localedef** reads from standard input. ## OPTIONS ### Operation-selection options A few options direct **localedef** to do something other than compile locale definitions. Only one of these options should be used at a time. ### --add-to-archive Add the _compiledpath_ directories to the locale archive file. The directories should have been created by previous runs of **localedef**, using **--no-archive**. ### --delete-from-archive Delete the named locales from the locale archive file. ### --list-archive List the locales contained in the locale archive file. ### Other options Some of the following options are sensible only for certain operations; generally, it should be self-evident which ones. Notice that **-f** and **-c** are reversed from what you might expect; that is, **-f** is not the same as **--force**. ### -f --charmap= Specify the file that defines the character set that is used by the input file. If _charmapfile_ contains a slash character ('/'), it is interpreted as the name of the character map. Otherwise, the file is sought in the current directory and the default directory for character maps. If the environment variable **I18NPATH** is set, _$I18NPATH/charmaps/_ and _$I18NPATH/_ are also searched after the current directory. The default directory for character maps is printed by **localedef** **--help**. ### -i --inputfile= Specify the locale definition file to compile. The file is sought in the current di‐ rectory and the default directory for locale definition files. If the environment variable **I18NPATH** is set, _$I18NPATH/locales/_ and _$I18NPATH_ are also searched after the current directory. The default directory for locale definition files is printed by **localedef** **--help**. ### -u --repertoire-map= Read mappings from symbolic names to Unicode code points from _repertoirefile_. If _repertoirefile_ contains a slash character ('/'), it is interpreted as the pathname of the repertoire map. Otherwise, the file is sought in the current directory and the default directory for repertoire maps. If the environment variable **I18NPATH** is set, _$I18NPATH/repertoiremaps/_ and _$I18NPATH_ are also searched after the current directory. The default directory for repertoire maps is printed by **localedef** **--help**. ### -A --alias-file= Use _aliasfile_ to look up aliases for locale names. There is no default aliases file. ### -c --force Write the output files even if warnings were generated about the input file. ### -v --verbose Generate extra warnings about errors that are normally ignored. ### --big-endian Generate big-endian output. ### --little-endian Generate little-endian output. ### --no-archive Do not use the locale archive file, instead create _outputpath_ as a subdirectory in the same directory as the locale archive file, and create separate output files for locale categories in it. This is helpful to prevent system locale archive updates from over‐ writing custom locales created with **localedef**. ### --no-hard-links Do not create hard links between installed locales. **--no-warnings=**_warnings_ Comma-separated list of warnings to disable. Supported warnings are _ascii_ and _intcurrsym_. ### --posix Conform strictly to POSIX. Implies **--verbose**. This option currently has no other ef‐ fect. POSIX conformance is assumed if the environment variable **POSIXLY**___**CORRECT** is set. **--prefix=**_pathname_ Set the prefix to be prepended to the full archive pathname. By default, the prefix is empty. Setting the prefix to _foo_, the archive would be placed in _foo/usr/lib/lo__‐ _cale/locale-archive_. ### --quiet Suppress all notifications and warnings, and report only fatal errors. ### --replace Replace a locale in the locale archive file. Without this option, if the locale is in the archive file already, an error occurs. **--warnings=**_warnings_ Comma-separated list of warnings to enable. Supported warnings are _ascii_ and _intcurrsym_. **-?**, **--help** Print a usage summary and exit. Also prints the default paths used by **localedef**. ### --usage Print a short usage summary and exit. ### -V --version Print the version number, license, and disclaimer of warranty for **localedef**. ## EXIT STATUS One of the following exit values can be returned by **localedef**: **0** Command completed successfully. **1** Warnings or errors occurred, output files were written. **4** Errors encountered, no output created. ## ENVIRONMENT **POSIXLY**___**CORRECT** The **--posix** flag is assumed if this environment variable is set. **I18NPATH** A colon-separated list of search directories for files. ## FILES _/usr/share/i18n/charmaps_ Usual default character map path. _/usr/share/i18n/locales_ Usual default path for locale definition files. _/usr/share/i18n/repertoiremaps_ Usual default repertoire map path. _/usr/lib/locale/locale-archive_ Usual default locale archive location. _/usr/lib/locale_ Usual default path for compiled individual locale data files. _outputpath/LC_ADDRESS_ An output file that contains information about formatting of addresses and geography- related items. _outputpath/LC_COLLATE_ An output file that contains information about the rules for comparing strings. _outputpath/LC_CTYPE_ An output file that contains information about character classes. _outputpath/LC_IDENTIFICATION_ An output file that contains metadata about the locale. _outputpath/LC_MEASUREMENT_ An output file that contains information about locale measurements (metric versus US customary). _outputpath/LC_MESSAGES/SYS_LC_MESSAGES_ An output file that contains information about the language messages should be printed in, and what an affirmative or negative answer looks like. _outputpath/LC_MONETARY_ An output file that contains information about formatting of monetary values. _outputpath/LC_NAME_ An output file that contains information about salutations for persons. _outputpath/LC_NUMERIC_ An output file that contains information about formatting of nonmonetary numeric val‐ ues. _outputpath/LC_PAPER_ An output file that contains information about settings related to standard paper size. _outputpath/LC_TELEPHONE_ An output file that contains information about formats to be used with telephone ser‐ vices. _outputpath/LC_TIME_ An output file that contains information about formatting of data and time values. ## CONFORMING TO POSIX.1-2008. ## EXAMPLES Compile the locale files for Finnish in the UTF-8 character set and add it to the default lo‐ cale archive with the name **fi**___**FI.UTF-8**: localedef -f UTF-8 -i fi_FI fi_FI.UTF-8 The next example does the same thing, but generates files into the _fi_FI.UTF-8_ directory which can then be used by programs when the environment variable **LOCPATH** is set to the cur‐ rent directory (note that the last argument must contain a slash): localedef -f UTF-8 -i fi_FI ./fi_FI.UTF-8 ## SEE ALSO [**locale**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/locale/1/markdown), [**charmap**(5)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/charmap/5/markdown), [**locale**(5)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/locale/5/markdown), [**repertoiremap**(5)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/repertoiremap/5/markdown), [**locale**(7)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/locale/7/markdown) ## COLOPHON This page is part of release 5.10 of the Linux _man-pages_ project. A description of the project, information about reporting bugs, and the latest version of this page, can be found at . Linux 2020-04-11 [LOCALEDEF(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/LOCALEDEF/1/markdown)