When using scim-m17n in gedit, the backspace and delete keys are dysfunctional

[Swarup Dev]

scim-m17n is an input method used for typing many languages, especially those with complex characters.

With scim-m17n enabled in gedit, when one presses the backspace or delete key, then instead of performing the expected work, the cursor simply moves one space ahead and places  "" there. Actually when I paste that sign here, it is just an empty box. But there in gedit the box contains four digits arranged in two rows: "0008" for backspace, and "007F" for delete. I have attached a screenshot to illustrate more clearly.

With scim-m17n is enabled, when one presses the backspace key when gets a result equivalent to typing: <Ctrl+Shift+U> 0008 <Enter>

With scim-m17n is enabled, when one presses the delete key when gets a result equivalent to typing: <Ctrl+Shift+U> 007F <Enter>

This behaviour is evident only in gedit. When using scim-m17n in Libre Office, Thunderbird, and other applications, the backspace and delete keys work normally.

In gedit with scim-m17n enabled, all the other instructional keys like insert, home, end, page up, page down-- these all work normally.

I have been using scim-m17n since 2007, and this was never an issue until installing Ubuntu 14.04 which ships with gedit version 3.10.4.

This issue is a serious problem for those working with scim in gedit.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
Package: gedit 3.10.4-0ubuntu4
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.13.0-24.46-generic 3.13.9
Uname: Linux 3.13.0-24-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia wl
ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu3
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: Unity
Date: Fri May 2 21:10:18 2014
ExecutablePath: /usr/bin/gedit
InstallationDate: Installed on 2014-04-24 (8 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 14.04 LTS "Trusty Tahr" - Release amd64 (20140417)
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=en_US
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: gedit
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Atul (atul-thakur)]

The same problem is taking place on my computer too with scim+m17n++ubuntu 14.04 combination.

[Swarup Dev (swarup-bhai1)]

Note: In order to get scim-m17n functional in 14.04:
1. Install scim
2. Install scim-m17n
3. Add "ppa:gunnarhj/misc" to your system's Software Sources. Until you do this, the m17n packages will not work.

Further info about that matter here:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/scim-m17n/+bug/1312517

[Gunnar Hjalmarsson (gunnarhj)]

Hi Osamu and Aron!

Subscribed you to this bug to ask if any of you have heard of a similar problem with m17n in ibus and/or fcitx.

[Swarup Dev (swarup-bhai1)]

It may be that the problem is due to the way the current scim architecture interacts with gedit-- rather than the m17n package. This indeed seems likely, for the following reasons:

1) m17n package works fine in gedit when used through ibus or Fcitx. So it is specifically scim that is unable to utilize m17n properly in gedit.

2) The very same problem with scim and defective functionality of backspace and delete keys, is found when typing in Nemo file browser. For example if one is renaming a file in Nemo using scim, then the backspace and delete keys are dysfunctional.

[Swarup Dev (swarup-bhai1)]

Until this scim-gedit bug is fixed, for anyone needing a work-around, the Fcitx works very well in gedit. Both Ibus and scim have issues, but Fcitx seems to be working great.

[osamu (osamu)]

Hi,

On Sun, May 04, 2014 at 07:22:31AM -0000, Gunnar Hjalmarsson wrote:
> Hi Osamu and Aron!
>
> Subscribed you to this bug to ask if any of you have heard of a similar
> problem with m17n in ibus and/or fcitx.

I have not heard of any nor I use m17n.

But I see others found fcitx works and scim and ibus do not.

Quite frankly, this is most likely bug in gedit not following properly.
I remember gedit was the only app refusing to work with scim when I was
involved. It turned out it was gedit bug not doing right things with
its input.

So just because fcitx seems to work does not mean it is bug in ibus and
scim. If this problem is seen in other apps, then I am worried. Do we
see ? I doubt it.

Regards,

Osamu

[Gunnar Hjalmarsson (gunnarhj)]

Thanks for your comments, Osamu!

Further tests showed that the problem is not m17n specific, but it's scim and gedit that don't work together with respect to the backspace and delete keys. Neither ibus nor fcitx has that issue. (The ibus issue Swarup mention above is something else.)

So, is it a bug in gedit and/or scim? For now bug reports have been filed against both packages.

[Rolf Leggewie (r0lf)]

scim upstream tracks this as https://github.com/scim-im/scim/issues/2

[Rolf Leggewie (r0lf)]

does this ever occur in trusty or later?

There's also been some further upstream work on bugs like this lately. If you are still affected I'd love to hear if the latest upstream can fix this issue.

[Swarup Dev (swarup-bhai1)]

Yes, it was specifically in Trusty 14.04 that this issue was found, in May of 2014. Due to the Gedit and Dash issues with SCIM, I had to leave using SCIM and use Fcitx instead. For the last 2 years I've been using Fcitx.

As to your second question, I would need to make SCIM the active input method and test it. If doing so will affect the action taken here, let me know and I will try and test it.

[Gunnar Hjalmarsson (gunnarhj)]

On 2016-05-31 18:51, Swarup Dev wrote:
> As to your second question, I would need to make SCIM the active
> input method and test it. If doing so will affect the action taken
> here, let me know and I will try and test it.

Yes, it would be helpful if you could do so. Please note that we'd also need a reproducible test case at bug #1319872, or else that bug will be closed.

[Rolf Leggewie (r0lf)]

According to upstream dev Tz-Huan, this should be fixed in the very recent 1.4.17. I'll publish that version for trusty in my PPA shortly. That package should be usable in any later release of Ubuntu as well.

Upstream commit fcc14b77630e9a is apparently the one fixing this isue. It's a pretty big patch so I'm not sure it will be acceptable (or even work) in xenial LTS.

https://launchpad.net/~r0lf/+archive/ubuntu/stable

[Rolf Leggewie (r0lf)]

Swarup, I suggest you setup a test user account instead of using your main account for testing and bug triage.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

This bug was fixed in the package scim - 1.4.17-1

---------------
scim (1.4.17-1) unstable; urgency=medium

  [ Tz-Huan Huang ]
  * new upstream release 1.4.17
    - fixes "scim breaks compose key". Closes: #618763, LP: #610979.
    - fixes "Backspace and delete keys dysfunctional in gedit".
      Closes: #747154, LP: #1315579, LP: #343708, LP: #157289.
    - fixes "problem in 'quick find/search' of generic file manager".
      Closes: #821869, LP: #287719.
  * drop two patches that were upstreamed

  [ Rolf Leggewie ]
  * control: switch homepage for scim from sf.net to github

 -- Rolf Leggewie <email address hidden> Tue, 31 May 2016 15:15:06 +0800