If you use multiple input languages, you likely have the US flag in your menubar if you use a standard US keyboard. Here's how to change it to a less noticible 'a' icon.
Some people don't like American Flags. Also, everything else is black and white on the menubar, so it can be distracting.
I guess if you are not American you might not want to have it on your menu bar at all times. Maybe you are Canadian and you are tired of being America's attic.
Argh. I put a bit of work into this, please don't get it wastelanded or dumped in the political forum. I don't have a political agenda, just an alternative is all.
Well, a workmate of mine was pretty indignant about having the UK flag on the Macs here (even though none of the machines were his!) I think it's only recently they provided an Irish keyboard layout option(/flag). It wouldn't have bothered me much.. different strokes for different folks, I guess.
Just to contribute to the non-political-discussion-wasteland aspect of the thread... No, actually, if you go to international options, turn off the show input menu check box, but enable keyboard switching via the options button to the right of the check box, then you can switch without needing the menu. But if you want to use the palettes or other features beyond just the cycling languages, or if you don't want keyboard switching (I do accidentally hit it now and again, and find myself typing hiragana nonsense ) then.... Just out of curiousity, plasticparadox, would you please explain how you do it? I assume you're basically either adding a profile for int'l English or PNG file that's hidden somewhere inside some app or library?
It's a copy of the default US .keylayout file renamed and with a custom icon. The zip contains those 2 files. Just drop them into Code: [b]Username[/b]/Library/Keyboard Layouts and log out & in again, it appears in the Input Menu list under International System Preferences. Just a simple custom key layout, really nothing special. If you wanted a different icon, you could just edit the one included in the zip.
We'll ya'll I thinks we gotsa invade there countries! In all seriousness though, I really like the change for the languages. I think Apple should make those the default, as the current "flags" are very OS 9 looking and are really an eyesore to the current OS X desktop.
I also like having the American flag in my menu bar. If I weren't from America, then I can understand wanting to make a change. Norton SystemWorks also puts a color icon in my menu bar.
How do you get the American flag on the menu bar? I never had it, until yesturday I saw it and I just pressed Command and dragged the icon off the menu bar. But I don't know how I got it there in first place; I did go to EDIT > Special Charactors in the Finder menu bar, but not sure if that did it.
Sweet! I've always wanted to do something with that flag icon, I think I got just the image... I might try it this weekend to see what I can do.
System Prefs -> International Pane -> Input Menu tab -> Check the box "Show input menu in menu bar" It will show the flag or icon for the currently selected layout. Which of course you can change to your hearts content, per this thread.
one of my friends has the scottish flag on his bar, much better looking because it's just blue and white. great. i'm going to do it too..
Here's what I did with the info that plasticparadox gave us. For the first one I decided to stick to the flag format, with a twist. It's a tribute to a great punk band and one of it's members, Henry Rollins & the band Black Flag . (the red outline is my emphasis)