Ibus-libpinyin

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app-i18n/ibus-libpinyin is a Chinese input engine on IBus. It is similar to, and a viable alternative for Fcitx and app-i18n/fcitx-libpinyin. It is a modern replacement for the original (outdated) app-i18n/ibus-pinyin.

Installation

USE flags

USE flags for app-i18n/ibus-libpinyin Intelligent Pinyin and Bopomofo input methods based on LibPinyin for IBus

boost Compile against dev-libs/boost libraries
lua Enable Lua scripting support
opencc Enable support for app-i18n/opencc

Emerge

root #emerge --ask app-i18n/ibus-libpinyin

If a chinese compatible font is not already installed:

root #emerge --ask media-fonts/arphicfonts

Additional software

This will work alongside other IBus input types (e.g. for Japanese input app-i18n/ibus-anthy).

Configuration

Open up the ibus setup dialogue:

user $ibus-setup

Check the 'Next Input Method key' and change if desired. Then switch to 'Input Method' tab and add 'Chinese -> Intelligent Pinyin'. This adds 'Chinese - Intelligent Pinyin' to the list of input methods that ibus will cycle through when pressing the 'Input Method Key'. Select 'Chinese - Intelligent Pinyin' on the list and click 'Preferences' to set options as desired.

For IBus (and the Chinese input) to run automatically on next login, configure as per configuration section for IBus.

Usage

Press the ibus 'special key' (as configured above - by default it is super+Space) and select 'Intelligent Pinyin'. Then type in pinyin to get the Chinese character (type 'nihao' and if 你好 appears as 1. press space to accept).

Invocation

To manually start (IBus) for a user, for example:

user $ibus-daemon -d -x

See IBus wiki for more info.

Troubleshooting

In xterm shows weird glyphs instead of Chinese characters, but it works OK in other software (e.g. browser), launch xterm with settings that can cope with double spaced characters, e.g.:

user $xterm -rv -en UTF-8 -fs 10 -fa 'AR PL UMing CN:style=Regular,Regular'