Ubuntu Linux 9 Chinese Setup

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Setting Chinese preferences in Ubuntu 9.xx and OpenOffice

Ubuntu 9.10 IBus Input Method Preferences (First item)
Ubuntu 9.10 - Replace IBus with SCIM »
Ubuntu 9.04 SCIM Global and Input Method Preferences »
OpenOffice.org Language Settings & Other Asian Layout Preferences »

Ubuntu 9.10 IBus Input Method Preferences:

To edit the global Ubuntu 9.10 IBus preferences, right-click on the keyboard icon and select "Preferences":

(By the way if you ever select "Quit" by mistake, to bring the IBus keyboard icon back just hit <Alt-F2> and when Run Application appears type "ibus-daemon". Many thanks to Barbara in Germany for that suggestion. As a survivor of many years of Windows trauma, my first ideas were to logout/login or restart the system, both of which also work but take more time.)

In global IBus Preferences, under the "General" tab you can change keyboard shortcuts for turning on or switching input methods, make the candidate list vertical or horizontal, and so on.

In the next tab over, you can select or remove input methods, which I covered on the 9.10 input methods page.

For most settings, all you need to do is click "Close" and the changes take effect. However when selecting or removing input methods, (or if something else doesn't seem to take effect) you must go back to the IBus menu and select "Restart":

To set preferences for an individual input method, while that input method is active click the second button from the right on the language panel (the floating toolbar). In the PinYin input method, this is the "i" icon:

I am not planning to cover each individual input method's preferences in detail, but feel free to contact me if you have questions. I did cover a little about setting up Chewing's preferences towards the end of my 9.10 input methods page, but somehow after opening the PinYin preferences and seeing that the "General" tab was mispelled "Gernal", I just wanted to move on...which leads me to my next topic...

Ubuntu 9.10 - Replace IBus with SCIM:

Want to replace IBus input methods with SCIM in Ubuntu 9.10? Here are instructions from Samiux, the blogger I quoted on my 9.10 input methods page.

If you have already followed my Ubuntu Chinese setup instructions for an English system, then you only need to follow his "Step 3". (Warning: this is Linux command line stuff.) Add SCIM to Ubuntu 9.10.

Ubuntu 9.04 SCIM Global and Input Method Preferences:

SCIM input method preferences, including hotkeys, keyboards and other features can be found in the SCIM global settings control panel.

This can be accessed by right-clicking on the keyboard icon at the top of your screen...

 

....or by right-clicking on the SCIM toolbar when you are using an input method:

...or in the System menu click "Preferences" and then "SCIM Input Method Setup". (In the Ubuntu Netbook Desktop, click "Preferences" at the lower left and you will find "SCIM Input Method Setup" icon at or near the bottom of your screen).

Following are just two examples of what you can do here, answers to the two most common questions I'm likely to receive. After clicking "OK", if you have an input method open you must close SCIM before any changes will take affect. Usually this is as simple as exiting OpenOffice and then reentering the program, no reboot required.

The <Ctrl-Spacebar> hotkey "trigger" for switching between English and the most recently selected input method can be changed by going to "Global Setup" and clicking on the ellipsis circled here:

Change the Chewing input method's first default keyboard to Pinyin by clicking on "Chewing" and then "Use keyboard type":

Again, you must close SCIM before any changes will take affect if you enter these settings while you have an input method open. Usually you can just exit OpenOffice and then reopen the program, no reboot required.

I prefer using the Smart Pinyin (智能拼音) input method, and I think you'll find the preferences settings for that one self-explanatory but if you need help with this or anything else just contact me. I'm no Linux expert but I'll do my best to help you figure it out.

OpenOffice.org Language Settings & Other Asian Layout Preferences:

OOo Asian language features are usually enabled by default after installing Ubuntu Chinese features. In earlier versions I'm told this was not the case, and you had to set this all manually.

To get there, in OpenOffice go to Tools > Options > Language Settings > Languages.

No matter what else you do, make sure the box next to "Enabled for Asian languages" is checked and that you haven't accidentally unchecked it while you were in there.

You may want to adjust the settings I've circled here, and you certainly may also want to click around and explore this further.

Other settings for Asian typography, search options and sorting are hidden elsewhere. I've provided brief descriptions of these and the vertical text feature at the bottom of the previous page on Ubuntu Chinese fonts and OpenOffice Language Features, but for detailed information on adjusting these preferences go to the OpenOffice Help menu and enter "Asian languages" and "Asian typography".

Again, I'm no Linux expert but if you need help with something just contact me and I'll do my best to figure it out with you.

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