Write Japanese with English or whatever interface.
Posts: 21
NOTE: This is a remake of the post I put on the already dead old forum (the hacked one). I hope can help somebody.
IMPERATIVE: When installing your system, select an UTF locale.
I don't remember where but in some place I found that he CKJ (Chinese, Korean or Japanese) UTF locales are not recommended. Later I have to check under which circumstances .
Well, here is the process that worked for me:
1- Update the packages
apt-get update
2.- We need the following packages.
apt-get install scim
apt-get install scim-gtk2-immodule
apt-get install anthy
apt-get install uim-anthy
apt-get install scim-uim
apt-get install scim-m17n
You can see the packages needed in order to write Chinese (Different types of it) or other languages: /usr/share/doc/scim/README.Debian
3.- Make run the applications at startup.
This was a little problem for me. The above README file says that we need to pass some variables at X start up. Well, to do that, the same README file suggest to put some commands inside the file ~/.xssession or ~/.xinitrc, but Mepis doesn't comes with those files and if I try to make one of them, the graphic session crashes without mercy or explanation. So here is the solution that worked for me.
Looking at man xsession section CUSTOMIZING THE STARTUP PROCEDURE, the magic is to make a customized personal script to pass the needed variables.
The name of the file must be as they say in the man xsession, or you risk to crash everything.
Well I named my scprit 75custom-write_japanese and inside put the following lines
export XMODIFIERS="@im=SCIM"
export GTK_IM_MODULE="scim"
export XIM_PROGRAM="scim -d"
export QT_IM_MODULE="scim"
The file goes to the directory /etc/X11/Xsession.d
4.- Control that your locale is supported by scim:
In your /etc/scim/global file must appear a line like this:
/SupportedUnicodeLocales = en_US.UTF-8,en_GB.UTF-8,es_ES.UTF-8
In my case the locale is en_US.UTF-8 (English) or es_ES.UTF-8 (Spanish). So we are O.K.
The same can be done in the ~/.scim/global file if you want to give each user his own locale.
5.- To be sure that scim starts always you enter in KDE, we need to do a file, named as you like (in my case: startscim) with the following lines
#!/bin/sh
scim -d
and put it inside the directory .kde/Autostart/, don't forget to set the permissions:
chmod 744 startscim
6.- That's all. Enjoy your japanese input system with English interface.
To learn the use and configuration of scim visit
http://www.h4.dion.ne.jp/~apricots/mandrake/miniguide.html
7.- Optional: customize your keyboard
As I need to write in spanish and italian the so called "dead keys" are indispensable for my daily work. So following the kind guide of Yukiko Bando, I made my own keyboard layout: Japanese 106 keys, with latinamerican layout and some other small fixes. If you are interested on it, I can send you my xmodmap file.
Thank you!
Posts: 1
This works great! Finally the plugins/java of plclinuxos, the Japanese input of Mandrake 10.1, and unstable/testing Debian repositories!
Thank you so much, I'm happy now!
Some problems
Posts: 1
Thanks for this great information on inputting Japanese!
I am running Debian Serge under coLinux KDE 3.
This is the only info I found regarding SCIM/Debian, so please allow me to ask here.
KDE is running ok , it has Japanese menu and etc.
I followed what you wrote.
scim -d at the console in KDE did not generate any error.
but when I tried to input at OpenOffice Writer , Ctrl+space, the candidates does not show up.
I will provide more info on this but pls instruct me what info you need to have.
Thank You in advance.
pjo
RE: Some Problems
Posts: 21
Well I am not an expert on this, only a tenacious and happy linux user.
Actually I am not sure if my guide works as it is in all the cases.
I have used Mepis for a while and I find it the most easy to use distribution.
I strongly recommend you to read carefully your file /usr/share/doc/scim/README.Debian
1.- Control that you have all the packages installed
2.- See if the files are in place: /etc/X11/Xsession.d/ (in my case the file was named 75custom-write_japanese ). The same for the scritp to run scim -d at kde startup
3.- Control that the files have exactly the same lines I posted.
Most of the comuns errors (also for me) have to do with some misstype on one of those files.
In Office Writer menu tools/options/lenguaje enable asian languajes and select japanese as default.
Also be sure that you have some japanese fonts installed as Kochi Gothic or other free fonts. You can see linux berry home page for some interesting links.
I hope this can help you a bit
btw which version of Open Office are you using?
scim-qtimm
Posts: 5
Thanks for the excellent guide! I'm now able to write in Chinese in GAIM and FireFox. However, I still can't type Chinese in any QT applications. I've read that scim-qtimm needs to be installed to enable SCIM in QT programs, but it's not available in the repos.
Am I missing something? Do I need to LC_CTYPE the chinese UTF-8 font?
Should I use XIM instead of SCIM?
New method for SM6
Posts: 18
Try this link for japanese or other asian (?) input in Simply6.0 (thanks to Jalosxal)
http://www.mepis.org/node/10842
- think I've posted a link to this great how-to just about everywhere now!! - dukey
---------------------------
Gotta luv Mepis. GREAT work team.
quote
Posts: 4864
- think I've posted a link to this great how-to just about everywhere now!! - dukey
---------------------------
and I'm not impressed.
Once would have been plenty thanks.
Now I have to go through and remove all the unnecessary ones.
Quote: Dr Doom n Gloomand
Posts: 18
Quote: Dr Doom n Gloom
----------
and I'm not impressed.
Once would have been plenty thanks.
Now I have to go through and remove all the unnecessary ones."
--------------- Endquote !!
my response ... whatever dude... just keep your pants on!!??
in my view my posts were necessary because the up-to-date info was difficult to find in a sea of old info regarding J input... old info that does not work any more!!
so ....
Hey Dukey
Posts: 5513
We appreciate that you have information to share with the group. However, If you find something interesting, the best thing to do is post it in one place and then only if necessary post links within the mepis forum to that thread. When you start posting multiple external links (no matter how helpful) it starts to look like spam, and we frown upon that on this forum 
If you don't want to go through and make entries in multiple old(er) posts, then there's nothing stopping you from creating a new thread. If it's very useful information, we might actually lock it so it stays around for a while. 
Jon
SimplyMEPIS Value CD: $17.95
Amount saved not buying Windows Vista Ultimate: $399
Experience gained learning Mepis and helping others: Priceless
Thanks but... Spam?? Oh man....
Posts: 18
We appreciate that you have information to share with the group. However, If you find something interesting, the best thing to do is post it in one place and then only if necessary post links within the mepis forum to that thread. When you start posting multiple external links (no matter how helpful) it starts to look like spam, and we frown upon that on this forumJon
--------------------
Thanks Jon for your reassurance. I appreciate what you are saying and in fact, that is exactly what I did, and got chewed out by Dr?? for my trouble. If someone cares to check my post above, I simply linked to Jalosxals new thread which IS IN the mepis forum. not external, stating that his new method works for SM6.0 including OpenOffice.
Believe me - for all converts to MEPIS or linux in general - when hairy problems arise it can be a real issue finding correct AND up-to-date information.
Anyway - I would suggest Jaloxsals method of Japanese/Asian input for SM6.0 be incorporated into MEPIS documentation, as it's the only one that works with openoffice - a big issue for users in Asia.
bestest regards to the crew -Dukey
wiki
Posts: 4864
Anyway - I would suggest Jaloxsals method of Japanese/Asian input for SM6.0 be incorporated into MEPIS documentation, as it's the only one that works with openoffice - a big issue for users in Asia.
bestest regards to the crew -Dukey
well, can you put it in the wiki?
that way it gets into the documentation properly and gets updated when needed
great work
Posts: 4864
i'm glad you've been able to reproduce this