Fcitx5 Introduction#
Fcitx5, the successor to Fcitx, is a lightweight input method framework for Linux. Offering additional language support through various addons, it enhances your typing experience on Linux systems. This guide will walk you through the installation process and configuration steps for Fcitx5.
Install Fcitx5 and Required Addons#
Let’s start by installing Fcitx5 and the necessary addons to enable multilingual typing support.
sudo pacman -S fcitx5-chinese-addons libime fcitx5 fcitx5-table-extra
Support Program Windows#
To ensure comprehensive language support across various programs, install libraries for technologies used by different applications. Execute the following command:
sudo pacman -S fcitx5-qt fcitx5-gtk fcitx5-im
Environment variables#
Environment variables are necessary to ensure the input method works correctly for x11.
TIPS: If you under wayland. You can skip this step as well. Wayland dont need to set environment variables for input method.
sudo vim /etc/environment
Paste the following lines:
export GTK_IM_MODULE=fcitx
export XMODIFIERS=fcitx
export QT_IM_MODULE=fcitx
export SDL_IM_MODULE=fcitx
Configuring Input Methods#
You will need to configure the input method to select your desired input language. For this, fcitx5 provides a configuration tool for any Display Manager. Better to use the fcitx5-tool directly.
sudo pacman -S fcitx5-configtool
- After installed the tool, you should be able to find it in your application menu, open it and configure your input method.
- Find you preferred input language and add it to the list. (e.g., Quick Classic for 速成輸入法)
- Use the arrow
<button to move it to the current input method list.
TIPS: In case you dont found your preferred input method, You can check the
Only Show Current Languageoption to show all available input methods.
Restart#
After completing the above steps, log out and log back in to apply the changes.
TIPS: Wayland user don’t need to restart the system. The changes will be applied immediately.
Check System Configuration#
Type the following command to verify the system configuration:
echo $GTK_IM_MODULE
If fcitx5 is displayed, the configuration was successful.
Font Problem and Solution#
If you encounter font display issues, particularly garbled characters, install a Chinese font package. Run the following command:
sudo pacman -S wqy-zenhei
And restart the fcitx5 to apply the changes.