HOWTO: Enable Chinese Input

[DuKefeng]

Chinese Input for Ubuntu Hoary:
(version française)

1) install the following packages:
* scim
* scim-chinese
* scim-config-socket
* scim-frontend-socket
* scim-gtk2-immodule
* scim-server-socket
* scim-tables-zh (option)
* xfonts-intl-chinese
* xfonts-intl-chinese-big
* ttf-arphic-gbsn00lp
* ttf-arphic-gkai00mp
* ttf-arphic-bkai00mp
* ttf-arphic-bsmi00lp

accept all dependencies.

2) System -> Preferences -> Sessions

Startup Programs Tab -> Add Button
Startup Command: scim -d
Order: 80

3) Restart Gnome: CTRL+ALT+SUPPR

4) Open any software and press CTRL+SPACE to activate chinese input
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

IF not working you can as an alternative replace step 2) as follow:

2) alt+F2, gedit

type these few lines:

scim -d
export XMODIFIERS=@im=scim
export GTK_IM_MODULE=scim
gnome-session

Save them under your home directory name: .xsession

Then open a terminal and type:

$chmod +x .xsession

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tips

Additional Instructions for OpenOffice:
Tools=>Options=>Language Settings=>Languages: enable Asian languages support and choose the asian default language for document. (chinese simplified for example)
Tools=>Options=>Text Document=>Basic Fonts (Asian): change all of them for "AR PL Kaitim GB" or your favorite chinese font.

Clean Font
Add Firefly's font "AR PL New Sung"

Open a terminal and type

$wget http://firefly.idv.tw/apt/firefly-font/fireflysung-1.3.0.tar.gz
$tar zxvf fireflysung-1.3.0.tar.gz
$sudo cp fireflysung-1.3.0/fireflysung.ttf /usr/share/fonts/truetype/
$sudo fc-cache -f -v

Alternative repositories

$wget http://cle.linux.org.tw/fonts/FireFly/fireflysung-1.3.0.tar.gz
or
$wget http://apt.nc.hcc.edu.tw/pub/FC_src/fireflysung-1.3.0.tar.gz
or
$wget http://www.study-area.org/apt/firefly-font/fireflysung-1.3.0.tar.gz

More Fonts
Install msttcorefonts, open a terminal:

$sudo apt-get install msttcorefonts

现在能写中文

谢谢pierre 与tzutolin

[benkorkor]

Awesome, thanks.

[mesocool]

Chinese input Hoary:

1) install the following packages:
* scim
* scim-chinese
* scim-config-socket
* scim-frontend-socket
* scim-gtk2-immodule
* scim-server-socket
* scim-tables-zh (option)
* xfonts-intl-chinese
* xfonts-intl-chinese-big
* ttf-arphic-gbsn00lp
* ttf-arphic-gkai00mp
* ttf-arphic-bkai00mp
* ttf-arphic-bsmi00lp

accept all dependencies.

2) Go to "System" -> "Preferences", and select "Sessions". In "Startup Programs", add the command "scim -d"

3) Restart Gnome: CTRL+ALT+SUPPR

4) Open any software and press CTRL+SPACE to enable chinese input

Additional Instructions for OpenOffice:
Tools=>Options=>Language Settings=>Languages: enable Asian languages support and choose the asian default language for document. (chinese simplified for example)
Tools=>Options=>Text Document=>Basic Fonts (Asian): change all of them for "AR PL Kaitim GB" or your favorite chinese font.

Tips to have a better choice of fonts, install msttcorefonts。

现在能写中文

谢谢pierre 与tzutolin

I can read and write Chinese, but the words shown are blur.. Just not as clear as English characters.. How can I fix that?

[benkorkor]

This is brilliant. I love it. Works very well.

[DuKefeng]

I can read and write Chinese, but the words shown are blur.. Just not as clear as English characters.. How can I fix that?

Install firefly's font "AR PL New Sung"

Added in the HowTo

[mesocool]

After I did the following, the Chinese characters are still blur as usual. Seems not changing anything.

$wget http://firefly.idv.tw/apt/firefly-fo...g-1.3.0.tar.gz
$tar zxvf fireflysung-1.3.0.tar.gz
$sudo cp fireflysung-1.3.0/fireflysung.ttf /usr/share/fonts/truetype/
$sudo fc-cache -f -v

[DuKefeng]

Try this :

Disable anti-alias technology for Chinese fonts 16px or under

My local.fonts look like this now:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!DOCTYPE fontconfig SYSTEM "fonts.dtd">
<fontconfig>
  <include ignore_missing="yes">/var/lib/defoma/fontconfig.d/fonts.conf</include>
<!-- Uncomment below to enable bitmapped fonts -->
<!--
  <dir>/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts</dir>
-->
<!-- Uncomment below to enable subpixel rendering -->
<!--
  <match target="font">
    <test qual="all" name="rgba">
      <const>unknown</const>
    </test>
    <edit name="rgba" mode="assign"><const>rgb</const></edit>
  </match>
-->
<!-- Uncomment below to enable the freetype autohinter module -->
<!--
  <match target="font">
    <edit name="autohint" mode="assign">
      <bool>true</bool>
    </edit>
  </match>
-->
<!-- Disable font alias for Chinese <= 16px -->
  <match target="font">
    <test qual="any" name="family" compare="eq">
      <string>AR PL KaitiM Big5</string>
      <string>AR PL KaitiM GB</string>
      <string>AR PL Mingti2L Big5</string>
      <string>AR PL SungtiL Big5</string>
      <string>AR PL New Sung</string>
      <string>AR PL SungtiL GB</string>
      <string>Kochi Mincho</string>
      <string>Baekmuk Dotum</string>
    </test>
    <test name="pixelsize" compare="less_eq">
      <double>8</double>
    </test>
    <edit name="antialias">
      <bool>false</bool>
    </edit>
    <edit name="hinting">
      <bool>true</bool>
    </edit>
  </match>
</fontconfig>

But i don't see any differences.

Another way is to type with fonts size bigger than 16

Maybe you can post a screenshot to see how bad does it look?

[jiyuu0]

added to ubuntuguide.org
http://ubuntuguide.org/#scim

only prob... seems like some chars can't be displayed in the scim
try the word 'wo' and then scroll... can see boxes (unknown chars)

[geminifire]

谢谢！

[migo]

Thanks, I look forward to trying this out once I get my Hoary CD