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Localization

Localization

Overview

Rundeck supports multiple languages through localization (l10n) and internationalization (i18n), allowing you to display the user interface in your preferred language. This is particularly useful for:

  • Global teams - Users can work in their native language
  • Compliance - Some regulations require systems in local languages
  • Adoption - Easier onboarding for non-English speaking users
  • User experience - Improved comprehension and reduced errors

Warning

Support Policy: PagerDuty/Rundeck officially delivers and supports English only. All other language translations are community-contributed and maintained on a best-effort basis. They are provided "as-is" without official support or warranty. See Official Support Policy for details.

What gets localized:

  • User interface text (buttons, labels, messages)
  • Date and time formats
  • Error messages and notifications
  • Help text and tooltips

What doesn't get localized:

  • Job names, descriptions, and content (user-created)
  • Node names and tags
  • Project names
  • Log output from executions
  • API responses (always in English)

Available Languages

Official Support Policy

PagerDuty/Rundeck officially delivers and supports English only. Non-English translations are community-contributed and maintained.

What this means:

LanguageOfficial SupportUpdatesQuality Assurance
English (US)✅ Fully supportedIncluded in every releaseQA tested
Other languages❌ Not officially supportedCommunity-contributedCommunity maintained

Community translations:

  • Provided "as-is" without warranty
  • May not cover all features
  • May lag behind English updates
  • Quality depends on community contributors
  • Not covered by support agreements

We welcome and encourage community translation contributions! See Contributing Translations to help improve and maintain translations.

Included Translations

Rundeck includes these community-contributed translations:

LanguageLocale CodeApproximate CoverageLast Updated
English (US)en_US100% (Official)Every release
Spanishes_419~95%Community maintained
Frenchfr_FR~90%Community maintained
Japaneseja_JP~85%Community maintained
Portuguesept_BR~90%Community maintained
Chinese (Simplified)zh_CN~85%Community maintained

Note:

  • Coverage percentages are approximate and change over time
  • Not all UI elements may be translated in all languages
  • New features are typically added in English first
  • Community translations may be updated in subsequent releases

Missing translations? See Contributing Translations to help improve coverage for your language.

How to Use Different Languages

For Users: Switching Language

Users can select their preferred language from their profile settings:

  1. Click on your username in the top-right corner
  2. Select Profile
  3. Change Language dropdown
  4. Click Save

The interface will immediately display in the selected language.

URL parameter method:

You can also temporarily switch languages by adding ?lang=XX to any Rundeck URL:

https://rundeck.example.com/menu/home?lang=es_419

This affects only your current session. Use full locale codes (e.g., zh_CN not just zh).

For Administrators: Setting Default Language

Option 1: System-wide default (via configuration)

Currently, Rundeck doesn't provide a system-wide default language setting. The default is always English (en_US). Users must change their individual preferences.

Option 2: Browser locale detection

Rundeck respects browser language settings. If a user's browser is set to Spanish, Rundeck will attempt to display Spanish (if available) until the user explicitly chooses a different language.

Customizing Translations

Understanding Messages Files

Rundeck uses the Grails framework for localization, which stores translations in messages files. These are property files with key-value pairs:

# English (messages.properties)
page.home=Home
button.save=Save
error.required=This field is required

# Spanish (messages_es_419.properties)
page.home=Inicio
button.save=Guardar
error.required=Este campo es obligatorio

Technical reference: Grails Internationalization Documentation

Overriding Built-in Translations

You can override or add to Rundeck's built-in translations by creating custom messages files.

Location: $RDECK_BASE/i18n/messages.properties

Example 1: Customize English Text

Create $RDECK_BASE/i18n/messages.properties:

# Override default English strings
button.save=Save Changes
page.home=Dashboard
job.create.title=Create New Automation

Example 2: Add Spanish Customizations

Create $RDECK_BASE/i18n/messages_es_419.properties:

# Override or add Spanish translations
button.save=Guardar Cambios
page.home=Panel de Control
job.create.title=Crear Nueva Automatización

Example 3: Add New Language (Example: German)

If German isn't included, create $RDECK_BASE/i18n/messages_de.properties:

# German translations
button.save=Speichern
page.home=Startseite
job.create.title=Neuen Job Erstellen

Note: You'll need to provide translations for all strings. Copy from messages.properties and translate each entry.

File Naming Convention

Messages files follow this pattern:

messages.properties              # English (default)
messages_[language].properties   # Language only
messages_[language]_[country].properties   # Language + Country

Examples:

  • messages_es.properties - Spanish (generic)
  • messages_es_419.properties - Spanish (Latin America)
  • messages_es_ES.properties - Spanish (Spain)
  • messages_pt_BR.properties - Portuguese (Brazil)
  • messages_zh_CN.properties - Chinese (Simplified)
  • messages_fr_FR.properties - French (France)

Locale Codes Reference

LanguageLocale CodeDescription
English (US)en_USDefault
Spanish (Latin America)es_419Most of Latin America
Spanish (Spain)es_ESEuropean Spanish
French (France)fr_FRFrance French
French (Canada)fr_CACanadian French
Portuguese (Brazil)pt_BRBrazilian Portuguese
Portuguese (Portugal)pt_PTEuropean Portuguese
Chinese (Simplified)zh_CNMainland China
Chinese (Traditional)zh_TWTaiwan
Japaneseja_JPJapan
Koreanko_KRKorea
Germande_DEGermany
Italianit_ITItaly

Applying Custom Translations

After creating or modifying messages files:

  1. Create the i18n directory (if it doesn't exist):
mkdir -p $RDECK_BASE/i18n
  1. Place your messages files in that directory:
# Example
cp messages_es_419.properties $RDECK_BASE/i18n/
  1. Set correct permissions:
chown rundeck:rundeck $RDECK_BASE/i18n/messages*.properties
chmod 644 $RDECK_BASE/i18n/messages*.properties
  1. Restart Rundeck:
sudo systemctl restart rundeckd
  1. Test the translations using the ?lang= URL parameter or user profile settings

Note: Changes take effect after restart. There's no hot-reload for translations.

Testing Your Changes

Testing Method 1: URL Parameter

The quickest way to test translations is using the ?lang= URL parameter:

# Test Spanish
https://rundeck.example.com/?lang=es_419

# Test Chinese (must use full code)
https://rundeck.example.com/?lang=zh_CN

# Test French
https://rundeck.example.com/?lang=fr_FR

Important:

  • Use the full locale code (e.g., zh_CN not zh)
  • Lowercase works: ?lang=es_419 or ?lang=ES_419
  • URL parameter overrides user profile setting temporarily

Testing Method 2: User Profile

  1. Go to Profile settings
  2. Change Language dropdown
  3. Click Save
  4. Navigate through Rundeck to verify translations

Testing Method 3: Development Testing

If you're developing locally, see the Grails locale testing documentation for additional methods.

What to Test

When testing translations, check these areas:

  • [ ] Navigation menu items
  • [ ] Button labels
  • [ ] Form field labels
  • [ ] Error messages
  • [ ] Confirmation dialogs
  • [ ] Help text and tooltips
  • [ ] Date/time formats (see next section)
  • [ ] Job execution output formatting
  • [ ] Email notifications (if using email templates)

Troubleshooting Translation Issues

Issue: Translations not appearing after restart

  • Cause: Wrong file location or permissions
  • Solution:
    • Verify file is in $RDECK_BASE/i18n/
    • Check filename matches locale code exactly
    • Ensure Rundeck user can read the file
  • Debug: Check logs: grep -i "messages" /var/log/rundeck/rundeck.log

Issue: Some strings still in English

  • Cause: Missing translation keys in your messages file
  • Solution:
    • Find the English key in Rundeck's default messages.properties
    • Add translation to your custom file
    • Or, see Contributing Translations

Issue: Garbled characters or wrong encoding

  • Cause: Messages file not in UTF-8 encoding
  • Solution: Convert file to UTF-8:
iconv -f ISO-8859-1 -t UTF-8 messages_es_419.properties > messages_es_419.properties.utf8
mv messages_es_419.properties.utf8 messages_es_419.properties

Issue: Locale code not recognized

  • Cause: Using incorrect locale code format
  • Solution: Use exact format from Locale Codes Reference
  • Example: Use zh_CN not zh-CN or zh-cn

Customizing Date and Time Formats

Date and time formats are also customizable through messages files. This is useful for regional preferences (e.g., DD/MM/YYYY vs MM/DD/YYYY).

Date Format Properties

These messages properties control how dates and times appear:

PropertyFormat SystemDefaultExample Output
jobslist.date.formatJava SimpleDateFormatM/d/yy h:mm a3/15/24 2:30 PM
jobslist.date.format.komoment.jsM/DD/YY h:mm a3/15/24 2:30 PM
jobslist.running.format.komoment.jsh:mm a2:30 PM

Format systems:

Example: European Date Format (DD/MM/YYYY)

Add to your messages.properties or locale-specific file:

# European format: Day/Month/Year
jobslist.date.format=dd/MM/yy HH:mm
jobslist.date.format.ko=DD/MM/YY HH:mm
jobslist.running.format.ko=HH:mm

Result: 15/03/24 14:30 instead of 3/15/24 2:30 PM

Example: ISO 8601 Format

# ISO 8601 format
jobslist.date.format=yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss
jobslist.date.format.ko=YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm:ss
jobslist.running.format.ko=HH:mm:ss

Result: 2024-03-15 14:30:00

Example: Localized Formats by Language

Spanish (24-hour format):

# messages_es_419.properties
jobslist.date.format=dd/MM/yy HH:mm
jobslist.date.format.ko=DD/MM/YY HH:mm
jobslist.running.format.ko=HH:mm

Japanese (Year-first format):

# messages_ja_JP.properties
jobslist.date.format=yy/MM/dd HH:mm
jobslist.date.format.ko=YY/MM/DD HH:mm
jobslist.running.format.ko=HH:mm

Common Date Format Patterns

Java SimpleDateFormat patterns:

PatternDescriptionExample
yyyy4-digit year2024
yy2-digit year24
MM2-digit month03
M1-2 digit month3
dd2-digit day15
d1-2 digit day15
HH24-hour (00-23)14
h12-hour (1-12)2
mmMinutes30
ssSeconds45
aAM/PMPM

moment.js patterns (similar but different case):

PatternDescriptionExample
YYYY4-digit year2024
YY2-digit year24
MM2-digit month03
M1-2 digit month3
DD2-digit day15
D1-2 digit day15
HH24-hour (00-23)14
h12-hour (1-12)2
mmMinutes30
ssSeconds45
AAM/PMPM

Contributing Translations

Community Translation Program

PagerDuty/Rundeck welcomes translation contributions from the community!

While we officially deliver and support English only, we recognize the value of making Rundeck accessible to users worldwide. All non-English translations are community-contributed and we actively encourage contributions through our open-source repository.

How community translations work:

  • Contributors submit translations via GitHub Pull Requests
  • PagerDuty reviews and merges approved translations
  • Translations are included in subsequent Rundeck releases
  • Community maintains and updates translations over time
  • No formal support obligations, but we help coordinate efforts

Benefits of contributing:

  • Help Rundeck users in your language
  • Get your organization's name in the contributors list
  • Improve your open-source portfolio
  • Connect with the Rundeck community

Improving Existing Translations

Help improve Rundeck's community-contributed translations! If you notice:

  • Missing translations (English text appearing in other languages)
  • Incorrect translations
  • Inconsistent terminology
  • Outdated translations for new features

You can contribute improvements back to Rundeck.

Step-by-step guide: Follow the detailed How to Contribute Rundeck Translations guide.

Quick overview:

  1. Fork the Rundeck repository
  2. Find the translation key in the appropriate messages_XX.properties file
  3. Add or update the translation
  4. Test your changes locally
  5. Submit a Pull Request

Adding a New Language

To add a completely new language to Rundeck:

  1. Check if language exists: Look in Rundeck source for messages_[your_locale].properties
  2. If it doesn't exist: Copy messages.properties to messages_[your_locale].properties
  3. Translate all strings: Go through each line and translate
  4. Test thoroughly: Use ?lang= parameter to test
  5. Submit PR: Include the new messages file

Important: Adding a new language is a significant effort. Focus on high-priority UI elements first:

  • Navigation and menus
  • Common buttons and actions
  • Error messages
  • Job-related terms

Translation Guidelines

When contributing translations:

Consistency:

  • Use consistent terminology (e.g., always translate "job" the same way)
  • Check existing translations for established terms
  • Maintain technical terms when appropriate (API, SSH, etc.)

Brevity:

  • UI space is limited - keep translations concise
  • Prefer shorter phrases where possible
  • Test that translations fit in UI elements

Style:

  • Use imperative form for action buttons ("Save" not "Saving")
  • Match the formality level of the original English
  • Follow language-specific capitalization rules

Technical accuracy:

  • Don't translate technical terms that users need to know (API endpoints, etc.)
  • Preserve variable placeholders: {0}, ${var}, etc.
  • Maintain HTML tags and special formatting

Missing Translations

Found untranslated text?

Not all UI elements in Rundeck are fully localized yet. If you find English text that should be translatable:

  1. Note the location: Page name, section, exact text
  2. Check if key exists: Search Rundeck source for the English text
  3. Report it:

Include:

  • Screenshot showing untranslated text
  • Page/URL where it appears
  • Language you're using
  • Suggested translation (if you know it)

Why isn't everything translated?

  • Some features are newer and haven't been localized yet
  • Dynamic content (user-created names, descriptions) isn't translated
  • Some technical terms are intentionally left in English
  • Community translations may not cover all features

Best Practices

For Administrators

  1. Understand support limitations: Non-English translations are community-maintained and not officially supported by PagerDuty. Plan accordingly for production environments.
  2. Document language choices: Note which languages you're using and why, including any known limitations or gaps.
  3. Test before production: Thoroughly verify translations work in test environment, especially for critical workflows.
  4. Plan for gaps: Have a fallback plan when translations are incomplete (users comfortable with English, custom translations, etc.).
  5. Backup custom files: Include $RDECK_BASE/i18n/ in backups.
  6. Version control: Keep custom messages files in version control.
  7. Consistent across clusters: Ensure all cluster members have identical messages files.
  8. Monitor for updates: Check new releases for translation updates if using non-English languages.
  9. Consider contributing: If you create custom translations, consider contributing them back to the community.

For Users

  1. Profile settings persist: Language choice is saved per user account
  2. Browser settings matter: Rundeck respects browser language preferences
  3. URL parameter is temporary: Using ?lang= only affects current session
  4. Report issues: Help improve translations by reporting problems

For Developers/Translators

  1. Use UTF-8 encoding: Always save messages files as UTF-8
  2. Test both Java and JS: Some strings appear in both .properties and .js files
  3. Preserve formatting: Don't break HTML tags or variable substitutions
  4. Follow conventions: Match existing translation style and terminology
  5. Document context: Add comments for ambiguous terms

See detailed guide: How to Contribute Rundeck Translations

Additional Resources

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