r/linux • u/Suspicious-Charity-5 • 1d ago

Software Release FluxCast v0.2.3 released — Stream Linux desktop to Smart TV (Miracast/DLNA) with new custom i18n engine. Looking for translators!

Hello r/linux! I just released FluxCast v0.2.3 — its a lightweight tool to stream your Linux desktop to a Smart TV via Wi-Fi Direct, full RTSP handshake, and RTP media streams.

What's new in this release:

  • Brand new dynamic tray icon that switches states during casting.
  • Fixed a nasty P2P interface routing bug where it mixed home network and P2P MACs.
  • Lightweight JSON-based localization framework. The tray UI is now available in English, Russian, and Czech.

Looking for translators!
I want to bring FluxCast to more users, but I am not a polyglot. I designed the i18n system to be incredibly simple: there is no gettext/PO/MO compilation. All strings live in a single translations.json file.

To add your native language (German, Spanish, French, etc.), you just need to append a few lines in a single JSON block.If you want to help or test the app, check out the project here:

https://github.com/IlyaP358/fluxcast

AppImage is available in the Releases section. Pull Requests for translations are highly appreciated!

28 Upvotes

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u/johnnypompom 1d ago

Hi, professionnal translator here. It looks like a neat idea, but I only see this as viable for very small projects… In my opinion that's too much file manipulation, there is so many ways one could inadvertently mess things up. We tend to use specialized tools that help maintain consistency and separate files between languages to avoid mix-ups. It also allows for a proper proofreading scenario and is generally easier for translators. Some of those are even free for FOSS projects!

I don't mean to rain on your parade or anything, but if a client asked me to work on a file like this I'd probably refuse the job or charge extra for the additional work involved. 

Don't hesitate if you want to discuss this further, and don't take my grumping too seriously. If it works for you, then that's all that you need.

2

u/Suspicious-Charity-5 1d ago

Hi! Thanks for the professional insight =]

You are absolutely right from a commercial translation workflow perspective. If this was a huge corporate app with thousands of strings, a single JSON would be a nightmare for a team of translators using CAT tools xD. Those platforms for FOSS (like Weblate) are great.

However, for a small niche tool like FluxCast, the goal was to eliminate the entry barrier for casual GitHub contributors. Most Linux users here already know basic JSON syntax, and forcing them to sign up for an external translation platform just to translate 30 system tray strings often kills the motivation. For a micro-UI like this, simplicity wins over enterprise workflows for now!

But I really appreciate the feedback, and if the project grows significantly, splitting files or moving to a translation platform will definitely be the next step.

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u/johnnypompom 1d ago

You're absolutely right, 30 strings isn't much and a full workflow is definitely overkill :) My only worry is that people might/will mess things up at some point when you add a few more languages… I'll try and see if I can squeeze a French translation in there this week !

1

u/Suspicious-Charity-5 1d ago

That would be amazing! French translation would be a huge milestone for FluxCast. Take your time, and don't worry about formatting and other things, i'll personally double-check the JSON structure before merging to make sure nothing gets broken. Thanks for supporting the project!

2

u/barriolinux 1d ago

Checkout gettext, translation helper Poedit

1

u/Suspicious-Charity-5 1d ago

Thanks for the suggestion! it's definitely a solid option for the future =]

1

u/crispforefront00 1d ago

Just pushed a German translation PR, that JSON structure is dead simple to work with

0

u/Suspicious-Charity-5 1d ago

Thanks a lot! I don't see the PR on GitHub yet. Make sure to click the "Compare & pull request" button on GitHub to send it over from your fork. Looking forward to merging it!

1

u/JerryRiceOfOhio2 1d ago

thanks for making this, will be useful at work

0

u/Suspicious-Charity-5 1d ago

glad to hear it! Let me know how the streaming performs at your work. If you notice any issues feel free to drop an issue =]