Imperial AND Metric

[Keithj]

i'm using Knoppix, installed on hd,which I think makes it Debian. I have one problem which I would think affects most people in the UK. It lets me choose either "Metric" (which is not ideal because I live and work in miles, not metres and use gallons, not litres), or "Imperial" (which is not ideal because it uses Fahrenheit where I use Celsius, and insHg where I use hPa.)

Windows lets me choose the units I want for each category. I haven't (yet) found out how to do that in Linux. Is there a switch somewhere, for example to select metric + miles + gallons (Imperial, not US) + hPa?

[scm]

What is asking you to select imperial or metric? troff (for example) copes with both at the same time.

[Keithj]

For example, kweather. If I configure the machine to "metric", then I get temperatures in Celsius and altimeter settings in hPa (good), but distances in km and heights in metres (useless). If I configure the machine to Imperial. I get distances and heights that are OK, but temperatures n Fahrenheit and altimeter settings in inches of mercury (both useless for a pilot in Europe).

The "units" settings aren't in kweather - it just reads them from elsewhere. They are "set" in K - Control Center - Regional and Accessibility - Country/Region and Language - Other. There are two options: "Metric" and "Imperial". And that's all.

The equivalent config page in Windows allows me to choose individually for each of the various units, so I can have heights in feet, distances in miles, fuel in gallons, but temperatures in Celsius and altimeter in hPa.

I assume there are a load of flags somewhere that tell the machine what to use for each unit of measure, but I've not found anything that will allow me to set it up for UK standards. It seems I can be either an American, or a Frenchman.

[scm]

What locale have you set your machine to? Is there a version of kweather for Windoze (I'm not familiar with the app and google only revealed RPMs of it)?

[Keithj]

I've told the machine (truthfully) that it's in the UK.

I've not come across a version of kweather for Windows. As far as I know, it's Linux only.

[jlgreer1]

I sure wish the US would convert entirely to the metric system.

It sure would make things easier!!!!

Jeff

[scientica]

IMO everything should be metric (since that's what I've grownup with), though, I'm quite sure both naval and air people still want to use knots/"nautical miles" and feet...

[budman7]

IMO everything should be metric (since that's what I've grownup with), though, I'm quite sure both naval and air people still want to use knots/"nautical miles" and feet...

I wish everything was imperial, because that is what I grew up with and still use today. But some things are done in metric, and it is annoying to have to convert it to imperial.

[Keithj]

Depends where you live! The USA uses Imperial units, apart from gallons (a US gallon is 6/7 of an Imperial gallon). France and the countries that like Napoleonic units are totally metric. The UK uses metric for scientific stuff and for temperature (Celsius), and fuel is now sold in litres. But we use statute miles on the ground, nautical miles at sea and in the air, and feet for altitude.

In fact, most of Europe except Russia uses feet for altitude.

Linux offers only two options, as far as I can tell - US Imperial, or French Metric.

Does anyone know of a utility to refine that a bit?

[psic]

In fact, most of Europe except Russia uses feet for altitude.

Hardly, I find that most of Europe uses meters for everything, including altitude (for instance, if you tipe in 'height mont blanc' into google, it tosses out "Mont Blanc — Elevation: 4,810 metres (15,780 feet)"). Except for one or two things (nautic miles, knots) we only use the metric sistem, it's a bit easier (especially for converting units).