Can't input chinese in Kubuntu 8.10

[Jimhu]

Binary package hint: skim

I can't input Chinese language in Kubuntu 8.10 Alpha5.

I've kept my system newest, and updated everything i can. Then I entered "Language and Region" in System Settings and installed Chinese Language. After that, I added Simplified Chinese as the first choice, but i still could't input Chinese even after rebooting the system.

I try to enter "imswitch -c" in the terminal and select "skim" as default language input method, and it seemed that skim loaded successfully. Still, i couldn't input Chinese in all the programs. I tried to use hotkey "CTRL+SPACE" to change the input language, but nothing happend. I tried to select "scim" as default language input method, too, but it didn't work, either.

[Benjamin Kay (benkay)]

Same problem with Japanese input via the anthy input engine. Using Kubuntu 8.10 (Intrepid Ibex) Beta on an x86_64 machine, installed Japanese language pack, and manually started skim. The skim configuration panel indicates that the anthy input method is enabled, but pressing Ctrl+Space doesn't do anything in any KDE application (Kate, Konqueror, etc.). Also, left-clicking on the skim panel icon brings up an empty list; it's supposed to bring up a list of enabled input methods.

KDE 4.1.2
skim 1.4.5-4ubuntu3
scim-anthy 1.2.4-1.1
anthy 9100e-3.2ubuntu1

[Benjamin Kay (benkay)]

This is probably related to bug #254268. I would really appreciate it if someone knowledgeable would look at this bug, since broken CJK input in KDE is a big, user-visible problem. CJK input under Intrepid Ubuntu/Gnome is currently working just fine.

[Benjamin Kay (benkay)]

Still broken after a clean install of the Intrepid release candidate. Also, random applications (like Adept) now appear in Japanese after installing Japanese language support, even though my locale is set to en_US.UTF-8. Furthermore, installing Japanese language support now installs scim but not skim, and neither is started automatically at login.

[ZhengPeng Hou (zhengpeng-hou)]

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don't use skim as your default im now, for:
1 skim hasbeen ported to kde4
2 we have problems to make scim-bridge work with skim, and due to the
 release date, we prefer to drop it our from main.

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2008/10/25 Benjamin Kay <email address hidden>:
> Still broken after a clean install of the Intrepid release candidate.
> Also, random applications (like Adept) now appear in Japanese after
> installing Japanese language support, even though my locale is set to
> en_US.UTF-8. Furthermore, installing Japanese language support now
> installs scim but not skim, and neither is started automatically at
> login.
>
> --
> Can't input chinese in Kubuntu 8.10
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/272176
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to skim in
> ubuntu.
>

[Benjamin Kay (benkay)]

What im would you recommend I use? CJK input isn't working with scim either.

[ZhengPeng Hou (zhengpeng-hou)]

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2008/10/25 Benjamin Kay :
> What im would you recommend I use? CJK input isn't working with scim
> either.
im-switch -s scim-bridge
>
> --
> Can't input chinese in Kubuntu 8.10
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/272176
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to skim in
> ubuntu.
>

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[Jimhu (huyiwei)]

Yeah, Scim works now.

[Benjamin Kay (benkay)]

I just tried to enter CJK into kate with scim 1.4.7-3ubuntu10, and it still doesn't work. Pressing Ctrl+Space does not switch input languages, and left-clicking on the scim system tray icon does not bring up a list of languages. Note that I am trying to enter Japanese text under an otherwise American English locale.

[Jimhu (huyiwei)]

I've installed kubuntu-desktop package under Ubuntu 8.10 RC, and installed chinese language support in KDE System Setting.
Scim works now and i can enter Chinese in both GTK applications and QT applications.

[Benjamin Kay (benkay)]

Thanks to ZhengPeng Hou I was able to get CJK input working under KDE. Here's what happened:

Scenario I: A fresh install of Ubuntu.
Go to "System > Administration > Language Support".
Select "Japanese" (or whatever CJK language you want support for).
Check "Input methods", "Additional Fonts", "Extra software", and "Enable support to enter complex characters".
Uncheck "Basic Translations" and "Extra Translations" and leave the "Default Language" as "English (United States)" (unless you want all your applications to appear with Japanese translations).
Click "OK" and wait for packages to download and install.
Log out and log back in after package installation is complete.
Open any application and press Ctrl+Space to type in Japanese.

Scenario II: A fresh install of Ubuntu + kubuntu-desktop packages.
Repeat Scenario I in a Gnome session. When warned that "The language support is not installed completely", click "Install" to install a couple of extra packages.
Log out and log into a KDE session.
Open any application and press Ctrl+Space to type in Japanese.

Scenario III: A fresh install of Kubuntu.
Go to "K > Favorites > System Settings > Personal > Regional & Langauge".
Change the "Country or region" to "United States of America".
Choose "Add Language > US English".
Click "Install Language".
When warned that "The language support is not installed completely", click "Install" to install a couple of extra packages.
Select "Japanese" and click "Install", then wait for package installation to complete.
Choose "Add Language > Japanese".
Move "US English" back to the top of the language list (BUG! This shouldn't be necessary, and even after doing this some applications randomly load with Japanese translations).
Click "Apply".
Log out and log back in.
In a terminal, run "imswitch -s scim-bridge".
Start scim (not skim!) by pressing Alt+F2 and entering "scim".
Log out and log back in.
Open any application and press Ctrl+Space to type in Japanese.

Conclusion:
The good news is that CJK input is now working under KDE. The bad news is that setting up CJK input support without the ubuntu-desktop packages installed is not at all intuitive. Presumably, the language support installer under Gnome automatically runs the im-switch command and starts scim. The language support installer under KDE ought to do the same, but it doesn't.

Could someone please reassign this bug from skim (which it has nothing to do with) to wherever is appropriate? Also, this bug should probably be wishlisted.

I've attached dpkg.log files from each of the three scenarios.

[Benjamin Kay (benkay)]

This is still an issue in Kubuntu 9.04 Jaunty Beta. The fix ought to be straightforward. After the user "adds" a language requiring complex character input in the KDE System Settings, the Regional and Language module should start scim and then invoke im-switch thusly:

im-switch -s scim-bridge

This will enable complex character input using scim under any locale, even if the locale is a language without complex characters (like English).

My installed version of systemsettings is 4:4.2.2-0ubuntu2

[Harald Sitter (apachelogger)]

a) is this still an issue on Kubuntu 10.04?
b) isnt this what language-selector does since at least 9.10?

[Jimhu (huyiwei)]

Since I can't even install Chinese langugage support at all, so i don't know how to answer the first question.
As far as i know, Kubuntu now uses KIMPanel as its input method frontend for Chinese, and ibus as backend.

See #441321 for more details.

[Jonathan Thomas (echidnaman)]

Declining for Intrepid since it reaches EOL in 9 days.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for kdebase-workspace (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]