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Cannot remove US dictionary

  • 10 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 15 views
  • Paskiausią atsakymą parašė nikkkko

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I have installed two dictionaries, "English (United Kingdom)", and "French". However, when I go to check a spelling, (right click/Languages over the suspect word), I am offered a third dictionary choice, "English (United States), which I do not want. I have removed the US dictionary and even the language pack but the menu item persists. I can find no way to get rid of it.

Please advise

I have installed two dictionaries, "English (United Kingdom)", and "French". However, when I go to check a spelling, (right click/Languages over the suspect word), I am offered a third dictionary choice, "English (United States), which I do not want. I have removed the US dictionary and even the language pack but the menu item persists. I can find no way to get rid of it. Please advise
Pridėtos ekrano nuotraukos

All Replies (10)

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I presume that's a reply intended for a Windows user ? I am running a linux distro and have searched I think everywhere for the "dictionaries folder in the Firefox program folder", and for "en-US.aff" and "en-US.dic" without success.

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I have uninstalled the US language pack and I have removed the US dictionary. However, the menu item still appears in the context menu and the dictionary is still there.

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Found it. For anyone else battling with this the answer is here.

In Linux: Go to the folder /usr/share/hunspell and delete the dictionary files not required. en-US.dic and associated en-US.aff or move them to a sub folder. Restart Firefox.

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Spoke too soon. Since Snaps this seems to be pretty much impossible, (at least for me), as copies of en-US.dic and en-US.aff are stored in the read only snap-store subdirectories.

Personally, I believe this is a Firefox bug and I would report it if I knew how. (Can't find the right place in GitHub).

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nikkkko said

I presume that's a reply intended for a Windows user ? I am running a linux distro and have searched I think everywhere for the "dictionaries folder in the Firefox program folder", and for "en-US.aff" and "en-US.dic" without success.

Normally Dictionaries for Firefox are installed in Firefox like a extension (whether on Windows, macOS, or Linux) . https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/how-do-i-use-firefox-spell-checker#w_adding-dictionaries

Since you are using a package build of Firefox you may have dictionaries for Firefox installed in package manager?

The en-US Firefox from say mozilla.org/firefox/all/ is one of 2-3 locales that comes with a dictionary due to license reasons.

Modified by James

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You can try to install the en-GB Firefox version as that version doesn't come with a dictionary.

You can find the full installer of the current Firefox release (102.0) in all languages and all operating systems here:

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I am running a version of Ubuntu downloaded from the Ubuntu site. I have no control over the version of Firefox included using the Snap installer, (which is the default these days). I can uninstall the snap version of Firefox and download an apt version and this will remove the US menu item.

However, this is not a solution, it's a workaround.

There's a problem, which is that the user is offered a series of choices - install a dictionary, delete another - and the outcome is not reflected in the choices made.

I have entered this in Bugzilla and we'll see where it goes from there.

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The third party package builds as said tends to have the dictionaries installed in package manager. Seen occasions of users here reporting they had a long list of dictionaries and language packs installed unless the user unselected or such. Not sure if the snap build of Firefox comes with the en-US dictionary or if it is separate in install.

I see you filed https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1777853

You do not have to use the snap version as you you can use the deb package or the tarball from mozilla.org/firefox/all/ . Problem is Ubuntu may try to update to snap version if you use the deb package as reported in https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/discussions/firefox-as-a-snap-package/td-p/4704

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@James I realise I can use a package but that's not how Ubuntu is delivered these days and deleting a Snap to install a deb is not what we might expect of a 'normal' user. What we might expect is that they use the Firefox settings as they stand. Hence the bug report.

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If the moderators on this board and at Bugzilla decide this is just how it is then so be it. IMHO this is not a user experience commensurate with good software implementation.