BirdNET-Pi: Language Customization and Personalized Presentation

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BirdNET-Pi: Language Customization and Personalized Presentation

Ever since I started using BirdNET-Pi several years ago, I have adapted the appearance to my own wishes. One of the most important customizations has been to have the different pages in my own language. I have shared this adaptation with others in Sweden, and now I have further developed it so that a single command is all that is needed to do everything required to customize BirdNET-Pi. Perhaps more people are interested?

Features

Multilingual Customization: Translation of all public pages (that do not require a login) into another language.
Dynamic Page Title: The name of your installation location can easily be inserted into the page title.
National Flag: Your own national flag can be added to the page title.
Flexible Space: The space under the title is flexible, which makes it possible to add local information, such as weather.
Customized Wikipedia Links: Wikipedia links are automatically changed to your chosen language.

Installation and Updates

All that is required is for you to run a single command the first time. After that, a convenient update button is available under "System Controls" on the BirdNET-Pi interface.

The update only takes 30-45 seconds. If the customization is done on an old installation with a large database, the update will take a few minutes. The entire installation is downloaded again with each update (git pull -f is specified), and then it is modified from scratch, with the exception of the index.php file and some other custom files. A Translate folder is downloaded locally and contains all files, commands, and necessary tools, so that you can make changes and run the routine locally if needed. If you use this folder, the program with updates is still downloaded, but the customization routine itself is not updated.

Translations into other languages have been made with AI and will likely require some adjustments. I hope that a volunteer from each country can help with this.

Contributing

Please read more in the information files listed above.

Installation

The modification can be installed with the following commands, one for each country. If there is a request for translation for more countries, I can also try this.. Be sure to replace the text "Enter your location here" with the location you want in the title. This command is only run once on an unmodified installation. Subsequent updates can be made from "System Controls" in the Tools menu.

If you want to go back to the original look, it's very easy, just click the regular "Update" button.

Sweden

cd ~/BirdNET-Pi && wget -O nyinstallation.sh https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Svardsten53/Translate/main/sweden/nyinstallation.sh && sudo chmod u+x nyinstallation.sh && dos2unix nyinstallation.sh && sed -i '/export PLATS=/d' ~/.bashrc && echo 'export PLATS="Enter your location here"' >> ~/.bashrc && source ~/.bashrc && bash nyinstallation.sh

France

cd ~/BirdNET-Pi && wget -O nyinstallation.sh https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Svardsten53/Translate/main/france/nyinstallation.sh && sudo chmod u+x nyinstallation.sh && dos2unix nyinstallation.sh && sed -i '/export PLATS=/d' ~/.bashrc && echo 'export PLATS="Enter your location here"' >> ~/.bashrc && source ~/.bashrc && bash nyinstallation.sh

Slovenia

cd ~/BirdNET-Pi && wget -O nyinstallation.sh https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Svardsten53/Translate/main/slovene/nyinstallation.sh && sudo chmod u+x nyinstallation.sh && dos2unix nyinstallation.sh && sed -i '/export PLATS=/d' ~/.bashrc && echo 'export PLATS="Enter your location here"' >> ~/.bashrc && source ~/.bashrc && bash nyinstallation.sh

Netherlands (Dutch)

cd ~/BirdNET-Pi && wget -O nyinstallation.sh https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Svardsten53/Translate/main/nederland/nyinstallation.sh && sudo chmod u+x nyinstallation.sh && dos2unix nyinstallation.sh && sed -i '/export PLATS=/d' ~/.bashrc && echo 'export PLATS="Enter your location here"' >> ~/.bashrc && source ~/.bashrc && bash nyinstallation.sh

The following countries can be installed, but the translation is not yet verified and may contain some errors.

Norway

cd ~/BirdNET-Pi && wget -O nyinstallation.sh https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Svardsten53/Translate/main/norway/nyinstallation.sh && sudo chmod u+x nyinstallation.sh && dos2unix nyinstallation.sh && sed -i '/export PLATS=/d' ~/.bashrc && echo 'export PLATS="Enter your location here"' >> ~/.bashrc && source ~/.bashrc && bash nyinstallation.sh

Denmark

cd ~/BirdNET-Pi && wget -O nyinstallation.sh https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Svardsten53/Translate/main/denmark/nyinstallation.sh && sudo chmod u+x nyinstallation.sh && dos2unix nyinstallation.sh && sed -i '/export PLATS=/d' ~/.bashrc && echo 'export PLATS="Enter your location here"' >> ~/.bashrc && source ~/.bashrc && bash nyinstallation.sh

Finland

cd ~/BirdNET-Pi && wget -O nyinstallation.sh https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Svardsten53/Translate/main/finland/nyinstallation.sh && sudo chmod u+x nyinstallation.sh && dos2unix nyinstallation.sh && sed -i '/export PLATS=/d' ~/.bashrc && echo 'export PLATS="Enter your location here"' >> ~/.bashrc && source ~/.bashrc && bash nyinstallation.sh

Germany

cd ~/BirdNET-Pi && wget -O nyinstallation.sh https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Svardsten53/Translate/main/germany/nyinstallation.sh && sudo chmod u+x nyinstallation.sh && dos2unix nyinstallation.sh && sed -i '/export PLATS=/d' ~/.bashrc && echo 'export PLATS="Enter your location here"' >> ~/.bashrc && source ~/.bashrc && bash nyinstallation.sh

Italy

cd ~/BirdNET-Pi && wget -O nyinstallation.sh https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Svardsten53/Translate/main/italy/nyinstallation.sh && sudo chmod u+x nyinstallation.sh && dos2unix nyinstallation.sh && sed -i '/export PLATS=/d' ~/.bashrc && echo 'export PLATS="Enter your location here"' >> ~/.bashrc && source ~/.bashrc && bash nyinstallation.sh

Spain

cd ~/BirdNET-Pi && wget -O nyinstallation.sh https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Svardsten53/Translate/main/spain/nyinstallation.sh && sudo chmod u+x nyinstallation.sh && dos2unix nyinstallation.sh && sed -i '/export PLATS=/d' ~/.bashrc && echo 'export PLATS="Enter your location here"' >> ~/.bashrc && source ~/.bashrc && bash nyinstallation.sh

Poland

cd ~/BirdNET-Pi && wget -O nyinstallation.sh https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Svardsten53/Translate/main/poland/nyinstallation.sh && sudo chmod u+x nyinstallation.sh && dos2unix nyinstallation.sh && sed -i '/export PLATS=/d' ~/.bashrc && echo 'export PLATS="Enter your location here"' >> ~/.bashrc && source ~/.bashrc && bash nyinstallation.sh

Czechia

cd ~/BirdNET-Pi && wget -O nyinstallation.sh https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Svardsten53/Translate/main/czechia/nyinstallation.sh && sudo chmod u+x nyinstallation.sh && dos2unix nyinstallation.sh && sed -i '/export PLATS=/d' ~/.bashrc && echo 'export PLATS="Enter your location here"' >> ~/.bashrc && source ~/.bashrc && bash nyinstallation.sh

Slovakia

cd ~/BirdNET-Pi && wget -O nyinstallation.sh https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Svardsten53/Translate/main/slovakia/nyinstallation.sh && sudo chmod u+x nyinstallation.sh && dos2unix nyinstallation.sh && sed -i '/export PLATS=/d' ~/.bashrc && echo 'export PLATS="Enter your location here"' >> ~/.bashrc && source ~/.bashrc && bash nyinstallation.sh

Hungary

cd ~/BirdNET-Pi && wget -O nyinstallation.sh https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Svardsten53/Translate/main/hungary/nyinstallation.sh && sudo chmod u+x nyinstallation.sh && dos2unix nyinstallation.sh && sed -i '/export PLATS=/d' ~/.bashrc && echo 'export PLATS="Enter your location here"' >> ~/.bashrc && source ~/.bashrc && bash nyinstallation.sh

Portugal

cd ~/BirdNET-Pi && wget -O nyinstallation.sh https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Svardsten53/Translate/main/portugal/nyinstallation.sh && sudo chmod u+x nyinstallation.sh && dos2unix nyinstallation.sh && sed -i '/export PLATS=/d' ~/.bashrc && echo 'export PLATS="Enter your location here"' >> ~/.bashrc && source ~/.bashrc && bash nyinstallation.sh

BirdNET-Pi i18n Translation System

A JavaScript-based internationalization (i18n) system for BirdNET-Pi that translates the web interface without modifying core PHP files.

Why This Approach?

Feature	sed-based approach	i18n.js
Modifies PHP files	Yes (250+ sed commands)	No (only 2 lines added)
Survives BirdNET-Pi updates	No (must re-run everything)	Yes (just run `update.sh`)
Adding a new language	Complex shell scripting	Simple: add a JSON file
Community contributions	Difficult	Easy: edit JSON
Reverting changes	Difficult	Easy: run `uninstall.sh`

Available Languages

Language	Code	File
English	`en`	(default, no file needed)
Nederlands (Dutch)	`nl`	`nl.json`
Svenska (Swedish)	`sv`	`sv.json`
Deutsch (German)	`de`	`de.json`
Français (French)	`fr`	`fr.json`
Polski (Polish)	`pl`	`pl.json`
Suomi (Finnish)	`fi`	`fi.json`
Dansk (Danish)	`da`	`da.json`

Installation

Quick Install

# Clone the repository
cd ~
git clone https://github.com/Svardsten53/Translate.git

# Run the installer
cd Translate
chmod +x scripts/*.sh
./scripts/install.sh

The installer will:

Copy the i18n/ folder to your BirdNET-Pi installation
Add two script tags to index.php and views.php
That's it!

Set Your Language

After installation, set your language in one of these ways:

URL parameter (temporary): http://your-birdnet-pi/?lang=nl
Browser settings: The system detects your browser language automatically
Permanently: Add ?lang=nl to your bookmark, or the system remembers your last choice

After a BirdNET-Pi Update

When BirdNET-Pi updates, it may overwrite the script tags. Simply run:

cd ~/Translate
./scripts/update.sh

This only takes a second and re-adds the 2 script tags. Your translations remain intact.

Uninstallation

To completely remove the i18n system:

cd ~/Translate
./scripts/uninstall.sh

How It Works

The system uses client-side JavaScript to translate text:

On page load: Loads the JSON translation file for your language
Scans the DOM: Finds all text nodes and replaces English text with translations
Watches for changes: Uses MutationObserver to translate dynamically loaded content (AJAX)
Works in iframes: BirdNET-Pi uses iframes; the script works in both parent and child frames

Technical Details

No server changes: All translation happens in the browser
Fast loading: Translation files are cached
500+ translations: Covers all UI elements, menus, buttons, messages
Pattern matching: Handles dynamic text like dates and numbers

Configuration

To change the default language, edit the config file:

nano ~/BirdNET-Pi/i18n/config.js

window.BIRDNET_I18N_CONFIG = {
  defaultLang: 'nl',  // Your language code
  debug: false
};

Adding a New Language

Copy an existing language file:

cp i18n/langs/nl.json i18n/langs/es.json

Edit the new file and translate the strings:

{
  "meta": {
    "language": "es",
    "name": "Español",
    "version": "1.0.0"
  },
  "translations": {
    "Overview": "Resumen",
    "Today's Detections": "Detecciones de Hoy",
    ...
  }
}

That's it! The new language is automatically available with ?lang=es

File Structure

Translate/
├── i18n/
│   ├── i18n.js              # Main translation engine
│   ├── config.js            # Configuration (language settings)
│   └── langs/
│       ├── nl.json          # Dutch
│       ├── sv.json          # Swedish
│       ├── de.json          # German
│       ├── fr.json          # French
│       ├── pl.json          # Polish
│       ├── fi.json          # Finnish
│       └── da.json          # Danish
├── scripts/
│   ├── install.sh           # Installation script
│   ├── update.sh            # Re-adds script tags after BP update
│   └── uninstall.sh         # Remove i18n system
└── README.md

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! You can help by:

Improving translations: Fix errors in existing language files
Adding languages: Create a new JSON file for your language
Testing: Report issues or missing translations

Translation Tips

Keep the exact format of dynamic text (e.g., {0} placeholders)
Test your translations on a live BirdNET-Pi installation
Some technical terms may be better left in English

Credits

Lars Svardsten - Original sed-based translation system and Swedish translations
Ronny - JavaScript i18n engine development
BirdNET-Pi Team - The amazing bird detection software

License

This project is provided as-is for the BirdNET-Pi community.

Icon made by Freepik from www.flaticon.com

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Repository files navigation

BirdNET-Pi: Language Customization and Personalized Presentation

Features

Installation and Updates

Contributing

Installation

The following countries can be installed, but the translation is not yet verified and may contain some errors.

BirdNET-Pi i18n Translation System

Why This Approach?

Available Languages

Installation

Quick Install

Set Your Language

After a BirdNET-Pi Update

Uninstallation

How It Works

Technical Details

Configuration

Adding a New Language

File Structure

Contributing

Translation Tips

Credits

License

About

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Packages

Contributors 4

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Languages

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 166 Commits
czechia		czechia
denmark		denmark
finland		finland
france		france
germany		germany
hungary		hungary
i18n		i18n
italy		italy
nederland		nederland
norway		norway
poland		poland
portugal		portugal
scripts		scripts
slovakia		slovakia
slovene		slovene
spain		spain
sweden		sweden
.gitignore		.gitignore
How to translate.txt		How to translate.txt
README.md		README.md
Simplified modification.pdf		Simplified modification.pdf

Svardsten53/Translate

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BirdNET-Pi: Language Customization and Personalized Presentation

Features

Installation and Updates

Contributing

Installation

The following countries can be installed, but the translation is not yet verified and may contain some errors.

BirdNET-Pi i18n Translation System

Why This Approach?

Available Languages

Installation

Quick Install

Set Your Language

After a BirdNET-Pi Update

Uninstallation

How It Works

Technical Details

Configuration

Adding a New Language

File Structure

Contributing

Translation Tips

Credits

License

About

Resources

Uh oh!

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Packages 0

Contributors 4

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