- This topic has 32 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated Jan 12-3:58 pm by seaken64.
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seaken64
How do I translate a forum page and not leave the forum site, when using a 32-bit computer and browser?
I’m more easily confused than I used to be. But I think I figured out why I was struggling to read forum posts in languages other than my native English. I had forgotten that I had been using the forums on my modern laptop, or my Chromium-OS Desktop, using Chrome or Chromium. It seems that Chromium has a built-in feature that asks me if I want to translate the page. But I have been spending time with my 32-bit machines the last few weeks and I do not use Chromium on those machines. I also don’t use Firefox since it is very slow and troublesome to use on those old machines.
Today I was using Otter-Browser in MX-21-Fluxbox and SeaMonkey in antiX-21-Full and I was struggling to understand why I couldn’t find the feature to translate the page. Now it has dawned on me that I am not using Chromium. (Obviously and old age event, plus I have been very distracted by my day job, and my focus is obviously lacking).
So, now that I know what my problem is I am trying to learn how to translate the forums without the built-in feature offered by Chromium. When I am using a 32-bit browser like SeaMonkey how can I translate the page without losing my place on the forum so I can enter a reply.
I think the answer is to open another tab and copy and paste the content to a translator. But my real query is how will I do this when on a 32-bit machine with limited resources, maybe less than 1GB of RAM and on a P-III or P4. Is there a page I can go to that will work mostly in ascii text? One without Javascript?
I will keep looking around the web but I thought that maybe someone here already knows how to do this and can point me in the right direction.
Seaken64
- This topic was modified 1 year, 4 months ago by seaken64.
christophe
FWIW, I always do the 2-tab thing on my 32-bit machines, using seamonkey or palemoon. It works well. Both google translate & antixforum are light enough, in my experience.
I don’t know of any other way.
- This reply was modified 1 year, 4 months ago by christophe.
confirmed antiX frugaler, since 2019
I have been experimenting a little with Google-Translate on one of my 32-bit machines. It is working, but it is cumbersome. Also, I have NoScript active so I have to “Allow” Google-Translate so it will do it’s thing. This machine has 1.5GB of RAM so it is doable. Next I will try it on some of my more limited hardware.
Isn’t there another site other than Google-Translate? Or maybe I can find a local program I can use offline. This is all new to me so I am unaware of what is already out there. It seems quite easy on modern equipment and a modern browser. But I am more interested in what I can accomplish on some really ancient equipment. I’ll keep looking around.
Seaken64
I am now using my old dinosaur, a Pentium-III 1Ghz with 512MB of RAM. I opened SeaMonkey to the forum and opened a second tab to Google-Translate. It does work. But it is an exercise in patience.
With these two tabs open HTOP shows RAM use is about 250. As long as I can stay around 300 I should be okay. But this also means sticking to this one SeaMonkey tab only, doing one thing at a time. This is about normal for this machine.
I can’t help but think that there is a better solution that does not use the Google site. I will keep looking.
Seaken64
christophe
I’ll be watching, seaken64. This topic is very interesting to me.
confirmed antiX frugaler, since 2019
As it turns out, SeaMonkey does have a built-in “Translate Page” tool. It runs the page through Google-Translate and displays the results in the browser, very much like Chromium. However, I can only use it if I turn off NoScript and when I do that the CPU is pegged at 100% all the time while on the translated page. If I turn on NoScript I get the CPU back but the translation goes away.
So, on old 32-bit machines the built-in translation feature of the browsers are not going to work. However, if we simply open another tab and copy and paste to Google-Translate with NoScript ON, it works fine to translate. But you have to then copy the translation to another document, like a Featherpad or geany text file. You cannot view the page rendered in the browser. But it does not peg the CPU. You can continue to use the browser to view the page in the original language and then use the geany text file to read it in English and prepare your replies. Then copy and paste back into the forum through the browser. It’s clunky, but it does work.
There is a Command Line program called Translate Shell that also uses Google-Translate to translate text. I haven’t figured out how to use it on a web page but there are instructions for doing so and I will try to figure it out. Presumably I can open the results back into the browser and still keep the CPU from going to 100%.
At any rate, this is one of those browser jobs (translation) that really cannot be done well on an old computer. It is a lot like trying to use Google Docs. It is not exactly impossible but it is not really a task that can be handled with most 32-bit processors and with less than 2GB or RAM. And it is not really a problem with the RAM anyway, it’s the lack of processing power in the single-core 32-bit CPU. Trying to do translation in the pretty GUI is not going to work.
But if all one has is an old 32-bit machine one can learn to make translation work by using a slightly more clunky procedure than the nice slick GUI provides. Copy and paste and local text files can get the job done. You just need to be patient.
I’ll keep trying to find a better way. But for now, christophe’s suggestion is the best we can do – two tabs, one for the forum and one for Google-Translate. Then copy and paste using a local editor like geany or Featherpad, etc.
I must say I appreciate now the effort made by @marcelocripe and others who pre-translate their postings. If I weren’t so motivated I would just skip the non-english topics. But I get that this is an international effort and most people do have more powerful tools at their disposal than an old Pentium 4.
Seaken64
- This reply was modified 1 year, 4 months ago by seaken64.
christophe
And even with google-translate, we get some garbled text. Just for fun, I took your last post, translated it to spanish, then back to english:
As it turns out, Seamonkey has a built-in “translation Translate” tool. Run the page through Google-Translate and displays the results in the browser, much like Chromium. However, I can only use it if I turn out to Noscript and when I do that, the CPU is a 100% all the time while on the translated page. If you turn to Noscript, retrieve the CPU, but the translation goes.
Then, in old 32-bit machines, built-in translation feature browser will not work. However, if you simply open another tab and copy and paste a Google-Translate with NoScript, it works well translate. But you must copy the translation into another document such as a text file FeatherPad or Geany. You can not see the translated page in the browser. But not stick the CPU. You can continue to use the browser to view the page in the original language and then use the Geany text file to read in English and prepare your answers. Then copy and paste back to the forum via the browser. It is clunky, but it works.
There is a command line program called Translate Shell also uses Google Translate to translate text-. I have not figured out how to use it on a website, but no instructions to do so and try to solve it. Presumably, I can open the results in the browser and still keep the CPU to go to 100%.
In any case, this is one of those jobs browser (translation) that really can not do well on an old computer. It is much like trying to use Google Docs. It’s not exactly impossible, but it really is not a task that can be handled with most 32-bit processors with less than 2 GB or RAM. And it’s not really a problem with RAM anyway, is the lack of processing power in the CPU 32-bit single core. Try to make the beautiful translation guide will not work.
But if all you have is an old 32-bit machine, you can learn to make the translation work using a procedure that slightly clunky GUI GUI. Copy and paste local files and text can do the job. You just need to be patient.
I keep trying to find a better way. But for now, the suggestion Christophe is the best we can do: two tabs, one for the forum and for Google-Translate. Then copy and paste with a local editor such as Geany or FeatherPad, etc.
I must say that I appreciate the efforts of others @Marcelocripe and pre-translate publications. If it were not so motivated, simply skip non-English subjects. But I get that this is an international effort and most people have more powerful tools at their disposal than an old Pentium 4.
Mostly understandable. So, it’s definitely worthwhile, I think, even when we have to trust the computer to translate.
confirmed antiX frugaler, since 2019
Anonymous
Hi seaken64,
I use deepl.com to translate text in another tab. I haven’t tried it on old 32-bit machines
to check cpu usage yet though.Yes, I noticed that the translation gets mangled somewhat. But it’s mostly good enough to use on a forum, as long as we indicate it is a computer generated translation and be prepared to clarify where there is a question of meaning.
Interestingly, I tried SeaMonkey again on a 32-bit install I have on an old AMD Athlon 64 X2 with 2GB of RAM. This machine is a step up from the P4 I was using earlier. The built-in “Translate Page” tool works fine and does not peg the CPU. So, the lesson is that you need more processing power to use Google Translate comfortably. Dual Core 64-bit seems to work fine whereas Single Core 32-bit requires a lot more effort on behalf of the user.
Seaken64
I have not tried deepl.com yet but I did switch over to my best Pentium 4 to try out SeaMonkey and the Translate Page tool. This P4 is a Single Core but Hyper-threaded so it looks like two cores. It is 3.2 Ghz and has 3GB of RAM. This machine has no trouble with the Translate Page feature of SeaMonkey. It is similar to the AMD Athlon 64 X2 system, but just a little more sluggish. The CPU is not pegged and I can run other things alongside SeaMonkey.
So, from my limited tests I would say that for Translation to work smoothly on a 32-bit system you need to use 2 threads and at least 2GB of RAM. As long as you have that level of equipment it is not difficult to use the translation feature of the browser. Anything less, such as a single core and less than 2GB, will require more effort and some tricks outside of the browser, as mentioned above in this thread topic.
Maybe deepl.com will be better than Google Translate? I will try to find out.
Seaken64
I do have a 32-bit install of antiX-17.4.1 … 4.9.0-279 kernel that
I can check it on in a bit here,
It’s a pentium M 1.4ghz with 512mb ram laptop with palemoon.I have the recent forum thread in spanish open and deepl.com translated it and the cpu isn’t pegged
and using a total of 250mb ram on that laptop right now.I’ve been trying out Deepl.com. It seems to be very similar to what I was doing with Google Translate. I can copy and past between two open tabs. It also requires me to turn off NoScript. However, it does not seem to peg the CPU on a P4 Single Core/single thread processor like Google does. So, it does seem to better suited to a 32-bit machine than Google Translate.
But I could not find a way to translate a web page and see it inline in the browser in the way that SeaMonkey works with Google Translate. I tried to look for settings to set SeaMonkey to use Deepl.com instead of Google Translate but it does not seem to be modifiable. At least I could not find a setting in Preferences. Maybe it is in the “about:” configs?
At least for now Deepl.com has a slight advantage over Google Translate when you don’t have a Dual Thread machine available (because it releases the CPU). But the copy and paste routine will be the same as used with Google Translate in a separate tab.
Seaken64
I have the recent forum thread in spanish open and deepl.com translated it and the cpu isn’t pegged
and using a total of 250mb ram on that laptop right now.Are you copying and pasting between two tabs? Or is there a way to get DeepL to translate an entire web page and display it in the browser?
Seaken64
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