No input window in iBus (depending on language)

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owen_wade

No input window in iBus (depending on language)

Post by owen_wade »

Hi,

Successfully installed iBus in order to type Japanese characters.
When I log in as "User A" (for example) and select English as the language, I can use iBus to type Japanese characters in browser, word processor etc.
But when I log in as same user ("User A") and select Japanese as the system language, I can no longer use ibus! It says the equivalent of "no input window."

So when I use the computer in English, I can type Japanese. But when I use the computer in Japanese (menus etc are in Japanese ok.) I can't type Japanese. Funny in a way.

By the way, sorry, it's on a recent LXLE install, not Mint, but I figured the solution is either the same as Mint, or someone here will be familiar w LXLE / Lubuntu. I checked a lot of Ubuntu sites but couldn't find a specific answer and didn't want to keep registering to all sorts of new forums. The Ibus-daemon is set to autostart btw and that works fine.

I can provide further details if necessary but I figured I'd keep the post simple as it might just require an arcane terminal command to solve.

Thank you very much.
Last edited by LockBot on Wed Dec 28, 2022 7:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Topic automatically closed 6 months after creation. New replies are no longer allowed.
mrwislr

Re: No input window in iBus (depending on language)

Post by mrwislr »

try installing ibus-gtk3 and restarting an indicator should appear next to the clock for keyboard / language input.
owen_wade

Re: No input window in iBus (depending on language)

Post by owen_wade »

Thanks!

1. just "sudo apt-get install ibus-gtk3"

2. Now there already is an ibus keyboard icon next to the clock, is that what you mean? And I can change preferences and restart and so on, but when I use a text editor or browser etc it says "no input window" (in Japanese.) When I use it in an English system it shows the Japanese font icon, but when I use it as a Japanese user it does not.

and thanks again.
owen_wade

Re: No input window in iBus (depending on language)

Post by owen_wade »

ok, a followup.

I installed ibus-gtk3 from terminal and was told that I already had the latest version etc.

I realize there are a lot of "ibus no input window" threads out there, but I've been reading them and none have solved this problem.
scottro

Re: No input window in iBus (depending on language)

Post by scottro »

Is there any possibility of using fcitx instead? I've found that it's working quite well for me.

To spam my own page in my first post seems a bit gauche, but as there are no ads there, hopefully, it's OK.


http://srobb.net/jpninpt.html#Mint

For what it's worth, I've been finding ibus to get more problematic as time goes on in a few different distributions, so have been changing over to fcitx when possible.
owen_wade

Re: No input window in iBus (depending on language)

Post by owen_wade »

Thanks!
I'm happy to use anything that works. Before I read that iBus was better than scim, so I went with that but if fcitx works, then great!

I checked your page, thanks for the link, and followed the instructions for Lubuntu. (This is Mint forum but I'm actually having trouble with a LXLE (32 bit based on Lubuntu 12 LTS) system and can't get help anywhere.)

After typing "sudo apt-get install fcitx-mozc" my machine replies:
reading package lists… done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information… done
E: unable to locate package fcitx-mozc

at a loss.
scottro

Re: No input window in iBus (depending on language)

Post by scottro »

See if there's an fcitx-anthy. If I have a chance tomorrow, I'll try it with a VM. If there is, then the procedure should be the same. I'm surprised though, as Jessie, at least, has fcitx-mozc. (Though I remember it being a bit problematic in Wheezy.)

EDIT: Sorry, I missed that it's based on 12.x Ok, I'm honestly not sure how it will work. (As mentioned, I had some troubles with Wheezy), but see if there is an fcitx-anthy and if so, if the Lubuntu instructions work. They're all relatively similar.
scottro

Re: No input window in iBus (depending on language)

Post by scottro »

Ok, I ran Lubuntu 12.04 in VirtualBox
So, the advice I'm giving could be dangerous, but honestly, I don't think so.

There is an unstable ppa for fcitx containing nightly builds. You can enable it to install, then decide if you wish to constantly update it or just remove it afterwards. To install:

Code: Select all

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:fcitx-team/nightly
Then

Code: Select all

apt-get update
apt-get install fcitx-mozc
apt-get install im-config
When done, you can follow the steps for Lubuntu. (At least in the 12.04 version I tried, im-config wasn't included.)

I reiterate that it is an unstable ppa (the stable version doesn't have fcitx-anthy or mozc) but I don't think it will install anything to break things besides itself. Or you can just use it to install then comment out the lines it will add to /etc/apt/sources.list, or remove it with apt-add-repository -r ppa:fcitx-team/nightly.

I only gave it a quick test, but it worked in LX terminal, Abiword, and Chromium.
owen_wade

Re: No input window in iBus (depending on language)

Post by owen_wade »

Thanks scottro.
Ok, I ran the code from you last post (Jun 26 11:59am) in terminal, everything seemed to install.

I have logged out and in, rebooted several times but can not find fcitx anywhere. Ibus no longer seems to work too, and I can not choose any alternative input methods.

Wonder what I did wrong?
Screenshot from 2015-06-28 17-21-33 only anthy no fcitx.png
Screenshot from 2015-06-28 17-21-33 only anthy no fcitx.png
Screenshot from 2015-06-28 17-22-40 no input choices.png
scottro

Re: No input window in iBus (depending on language)

Post by scottro »

dpkg -l |grep fcitx

That should give you some things.

Assuming it does, if you click on the add language, is there an option for Japanese UTF-8?

Did you manually install im-config?
Were you able to select fcitx with im-config?
scottro

Re: No input window in iBus (depending on language)

Post by scottro »

Actually let's go through this step by step.

You install the unstable ppa. You should now see it listed. (I'm writing this from a FreeBSD machine so can't check, but somewhere under /etc/apt.

You then run apt-get update and see that it's apparently grabbing information from that ppa.

Next we run apt-get install fcitx-mozc im-chooser

You should see that both were installed

dpkg -l fcitx should now show a few packages
dpkg -l im-chooser should also show it's installed. (In the listing you'll seem something like ii under the name. (Or just do which im-chooser, which fcitx)


You run im-config and are given an option to choose fcitx. If I remember correctly, you just highlight it, then click close.

Log out and log back in. On my Lubuntu-12.04, VirtualBox guest, it was now running. If not, what happens if you type


fcitx

Is there a little keyboard type icon on the bottom of the screen?
owen_wade

Re: No input window in iBus (depending on language) Part 1

Post by owen_wade »

    Reply to June 20. Part 1
    scottro wrote:dpkg -l |grep fcitx

    That should give you some things.

    Assuming it does, if you click on the add language, is there an option for Japanese UTF-8?

    Did you manually install im-config?
    Were you able to select fcitx with im-config?
    ****
    tried dpkg -l |grep fcitx, got nothing. screenshot attached.
    Screenshot from 2015-07-09 23-32-22 tried dpkg grep fctix.png
    about im-config, I have no idea. I just followed the steps you mentioned in a previous post, and then posted my results.

    I'm posting info here in reply to the above quoted post, then I will try your next suggestion and post those results.
    scottro

    Re: No input window in iBus (depending on language)

    Post by scottro »

    Well something got overlooked then. You're missing fcitx. :)

    When you run apt-get install fcitx-mozc, did you get anything back?
    owen_wade

    Re: No input window in iBus (depending on language) PART 2

    Post by owen_wade »

    • Part 2
    scottro wrote:Actually let's go through this step by step.

    You install the unstable ppa. You should now see it listed. (I'm writing this from a FreeBSD machine so can't check, but somewhere under /etc/apt.

    ---ok think I got them---
    Screenshot from 2015-07-09 23-47-14 fctix nightly update sources.png
    You then run apt-get update and see that it's apparently grabbing information from that ppa.
    ----- ok, did this, downloaded a bunch of stuff, mostly about "translation" but didn't see anything about fctix.----
    Screenshot from 2015-07-09 23-53-45 after get update.png
    Next we run apt-get install fcitx-mozc im-chooser

    ** said "unable to locate im chooser **
    Screenshot from 2015-07-09 23-58-32 unable to locate im chooser.png
    You should see that both were installed


    ****REST OF QUOTE I JUST LEFT AS-IS**** Pretty late here.
    dpkg -l fcitx should now show a few packages
    dpkg -l im-chooser should also show it's installed. (In the listing you'll seem something like ii under the name. (Or just do which im-chooser, which fcitx)


    You run im-config and are given an option to choose fcitx. If I remember correctly, you just highlight it, then click close.

    Log out and log back in. On my Lubuntu-12.04, VirtualBox guest, it was now running. If not, what happens if you type


    fcitx

    Is there a little keyboard type icon on the bottom of the screen?
    owen_wade

    Re: No input window in iBus (depending on language)

    Post by owen_wade »

    scottro wrote:Well something got overlooked then. You're missing fcitx. :)

    When you run apt-get install fcitx-mozc, did you get anything back?
    ok. Last post before bed. Looks like a problem. (screenshot) "Couldn't install"
    Screenshot from 2015-07-10 00-07-13 couldn't install.png
    scottro

    Re: No input window in iBus (depending on language)

    Post by scottro »

    I overlooked something, so if you subscribe to posts, you'll see this is completely different than what you received.
    I erroneously told you to install im-chooser--it should have been im-config. As im-chooser isn't available, it caused the apt-get install command to fail.

    Ok, let's try again.

    sudo apt-get install fcitx-mozc im-config

    That should do it.
    Then go back to the steps for Lubuntu on my page.
    Last edited by scottro on Thu Jul 09, 2015 9:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.
    owen_wade

    Re: No input window in iBus (depending on language)

    Post by owen_wade »

    Thanks.
    Got some error messages.
    I might go and try your home page anyway, but in the meantime thought I'd post this.
    Screenshot from 2015-07-16 18-54-23.png
    scottro

    Re: No input window in iBus (depending on language)

    Post by scottro »

    Not sure, to tell you the truth, but I would definitely first run apt-get update and try again.
    owen_wade

    Re: No input window in iBus (depending on language)

    Post by owen_wade »

    Ok, tried to follow the advice on your site, but got stumped. Sorry to keep asking, but this is new to me and I can't really understand what is going on.

    Here is the situation after apt-get update.
    Screenshot from 2015-07-19 11-09-48 after get update..png
    then ran im config but the options don't seem to match the description on your Japanese input page.
    Screenshot from 2015-07-19 11-21-26 srobb hp and im config screen.png
    maybe choose "default" and log out / in?

    I'm limiting my own troubleshooting and just doing this step by step in order to avoid complicating things. Sticking to the trail rather than finding my own way out of the woods.
    owen_wade

    Re: No input window in iBus (depending on language)

    Post by owen_wade »

    Ok, good news. It worked!

    Mostly.

    I logged out and logged in. Noticed the keyboard in the corner. Started gedit and could type in Japanese (while running English system)
    Screenshot from 2015-07-19 11-48-21 works in english system gedit proof.png
    Decided to check the Japanese system. Logged out, then said, hey, ok, instead, first I'll just log into English system again and try Yahoo Japan to see how the browser works. Japanese characters displayed well but I could not type in Japanese. Noticed no keyboard.

    Something I need to set?

    (Follow up)
    restarted, keyboard icon show up, have to turn it on / off a few times, finally seems to work **as ibus ** (?)
    Screenshot from 2015-07-20 16-01-44 ibus and doesnt work in browser .png
    then tried a few applications. LibreOffice, Seamonkey, Composer. The only one I can type in Japanese is gedit. Japanese doesn't work when using the system, for example naming a new folder. No Japanese, even though ibus is running and even the Japanese icon is visible.
    Last edited by owen_wade on Mon Jul 20, 2015 3:06 am, edited 1 time in total.
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