im-switch release notes
im-swich is the input method (IM) framework partially ported from FedraCore to Debian.
Debian offers multiple backend input methods (XIM, IMmodule, ...). Due to this freedom of choice, there is no easy choice for the default input method and each end user was required to edit environment varriables and configuration files such as ~/.xsession.
The input method package which uses im-switch framework becomes one of the "alternative" under the im-switch. This framework enables auto-selection of default input method which can be configured by the `im-switch' command. One notable feature of im-swich is this system offers both global selection and user level selection.
Current tentative packages for im-switch can be obtained by including following lines to your /etc/apt/sources.list:
deb http://kmuto.jp/debian/mtu unstable main deb-src http://kmuto.jp/debian/mtu unstable main
(Since there are many other unrelated packages, you should remove these lines once you install im-switch.)
Then you run "sudo apt-get install im-switch".
There are updated uim (needs uim-xim、uim- gtk2.0), skkinput, kinput2, atokx2 (iiimgcf) which incorporated im-switch framework for sample implementation.
Development version is available under svn and accessible anonymously.
svn checkout http://kmuto.jp/svn/im-switch/trunk im-switch
$ im-switch -l You have ja_JP setup in "/home/kmuto/.xinput.d". ======================================================= xinput-ja_JP - status is manual.
link currently points to skkinput
kinput2-canna-wnn_canna - priority 60 kinput2-canna-wnn_wnn - priority 50 none - priority 10 skkinput - priority 50 uim_anthy - priority 50 uim_skk - priority 50 uim_prime - priority 50 uim_canna - priority 60 Current `best' version is kinput2-canna-wnn_canna. ======================================================= The following languages currently have input methods configured: ja_JP
"im-switch -s <IM name>"
"im-switch -s <IM name>"
$ im-switch -s uim_skk
If you select "none", im-switch will be disabled, i.e., no setting is provided by im-switch for XIM nor IMmodule.
Each input method package places package specific parameter file in /etc/X11/xinit/xinput.d/ (Samples are available under /usr/share/doc/im-switch/sample/). If canna is used as the backend IM, kinput2-canna provides following configuration files:
XIM=kinput2 <- The value for XMODIFIERS=@im= XIM_PROGRAM=/usr/X11R6/bin/kinput2-canna <- Full path of the program started for XIM XIM_ARGS="+xim" <- Argument for XIM GTK_IM_MODULE= <- The value for IMmodule used by GTK+ DEPENDS=canna <- The package name which this IM requires
If the value is empty, that parameter is not used. DEPENDS can lists multiple packages using ","(require both packages) or "|" (require either packages). This DEPENDS does not auto install these packages but im-switch issues warning when these are not available.
This is Bourne Shell script. You can write program or export environment variables. Be careful on bashism. You should check script under dash.
When input method requires multiple backend, you may provide multiple files. Please use naming convention <method name>_<backend name>.
You register alternative in postinst of the package as:
update-alternatives \
--install /etc/X11/xinit/xinput.d/ja_JP xinput-ja_JP \
/etc/X11/xinit/xinput.d/kinput2-canna 60
You remove alternative in prerm of the package as:
update-alternatives --remove xinput-ja_JP /etc/X11/xinit/xinput.d/kinput2-canna
The name of alternative is xinput-<language name>. (Please do not put encoding name such as EUC-JP or UTF-8).
In postinst, symbolic link is created as /etc/X11/xinit/xinput.d/<language name>.
Here, priority is set to 60. Tentative policy for priority is:
* 60: Default backend
* 50: Standard priority
* 10: reserved for none (No action)
* <10: Experimental IM (Not recommended for the end users)
This setting is activated through /etc/X11/Xsession.d/90im-switch. In this script, the user's ~/.xinput.d/<language name> is searched first. When it does not exist, /etc/X11/xinput.d/<language name> is searched. (There are more complication as seen in 90im-switch but please assume this for Debian). Based on the selected configuration file, XIM and IMmodule is set up and started.