IM-CONFIG(8) System Manager's Manual IM-CONFIG(8)
NAME
im-config - set up input method framework configuration
SYNOPSIS
im-config [OPTION]
OPTIONS
-a List all; force to list all possible input method frameworks in menu or STDOUT even if any associated packā
ages are not installed on the system.
-c Use console dialogue.
-x Use X dialogue with zenity.
-s No action; perform a simulation of events that would occur but do not actually change configuration files.
-l List all available input method frameworks to STDOUT. Unless -a is used, list only ones with associated
packages installed.
-m List configuration values to STDOUT:
ā¢ active configuration (system)
ā¢ active configuration (user)
ā¢ automatic configuration for the current locale
ā¢ override configuration for the current locale
ā¢ automatic configuration for most locales
If the active configuration is custom, the user made a custom configuration and im-config should not change
it.
-n
Set input method framework to . This option is for other configuration tool to set the inā
put method. Since the default value of is "auto" or "cjkv", you usually do not need to
use this from other configuration script.
Specifying invalid causes the error exit. Updating the configuration file which was not
updated by im-config also causes the error exit.
When this is "none" then do not activate any IM from im-config and use desktop default.
When this is "REMOVE" then it always removes the configuration file even if it was not
updated by im-config.
-o
Print the localized description of the input method to STDOUT.
The -l, -m, -n, and -o options are meant to be API for other programs to control the im-config.
DESCRIPTION
This manual page very briefly documents im-config and the configuration of the input method.
im-config provides the framework to configure the input method framework on GUI system (Wayland or original X Window)
with its GUI or console terminal dialogue. If this is invoked without option, this lists available input methods as
its choice while marking automatic choice with trailing @-mark. The listing is ordered by the priority of the input
method framework. The input method framework with the highest priority comes first. The availability of the input
method frameworks are judged by the installation of the input method framework packages. After you make a choice for
the input method framework, this displays a guidance for associated input method engine packages which enables to inā
put non-latin characters specific to the need of some languages to be installed.
The activation of input method engines are out of scope for im-config. You need to activate them using the mechanism
offered by the deployed input method framework. For GNOME Desktop which normally uses ibus as its input method
framework, activate input method engines by "Setting" -> "Keyboard" -> "Input Sources" and click "+"-sign. For other
Desktop environments, you should see something like a small tray icon for the input method framework which can be
used to activate input method engines.
If only a set of required input method packages along with the im-config package is installed, you do not need to use
this command. Such a installation works well in its default and there is no need to use this command. When you wish
to have multiple input method frameworks installed and wish to switch among them, you need to use this command.
If you have no idea for what package to install, im-config invoked with both -a and -s is a good start.
This input method is the essential mechanism for Japanese, Chinese and Korean (CJK) languages to enter their non-
ASCII native characters. This is also useful to support specialized keyboard bindings for other non-European lanā
guages such as Indic and other Asian languages.
Input method frameworks such as IBus, fcitx5, and uim support not only one of these CJK languages but support almost
all languages simultaneously by dynamically switching keyboard modes with GUI on the fly.
The im-config package installs a hook script /etc/X11/Xsession.d/70im-config_launch. At session start it sources this
file as a POSIX shell code. Then this hook script tries to source the user configuration file ~/.xinputrc, if it exā
ists. Otherwise, this hook script sources the system configuration file /etc/X11/xinit/xinputrc.
The im-config package also installs another hook script /etc/profile.d/im-config_wayland.sh and a desktop file
/usr/share/applications/im-config.desktop. When a desktop system starts under wayland, it uses these files instead.
Then this hook script and the desktop file tries to source the user configuration file ~/.xinputrc, if it exists.
Otherwise, this hook script sources the system configuration file /etc/X11/xinit/xinputrc.
im-config invoked from a user account updates the user configuration file ~/.xinputrc. im-config invoked from the
root account updates the system configuration file ~/etc/X11/xinit/xinputrc. The essential contents of generated
files are:
run_im
When these files are sourced, the run_im shell function instructs to source the initialization code for the correā
sponding input method. This initialization code is defined in the <2 digits number>_.rc file in
/usr/share/im-config/data.
The im-config hook script, /etc/X11/Xsession.d/70im-config_launch, exports following variables to programs: $XMODIā
FIERS, $GTK_IM_MODULE, $QT_IM_MODULE, and $CLUTTER_IM_MODULE.
The im-config hook script, /etc/X11/Xsession.d/70im-config_launch, also set $STARTUP to use /usr/bin/im-launch for
starting required daemons.
If you wish to create a custom configuration beyond what im-config can do for you, please copy one of these initialā
ization code files into ~/.xinputrc or /etc/X11/xinit/xinputrc and edit it to suite your need. For example,
02_cjkv.rc tells how input method can be customized for each locale. This script should be written to set environā
ment variables if "$IM_CONFIG_PHASE" = 1 and to start daemon programs if "$IM_CONFIG_PHASE" = 2 .
Please note that this <2 digits number> part of these configuration files may change for every new releases of the
im-config package.
When a user makes manual changes to ~/.xinputrc or /etc/X11/xinit/xinputrc without using im-config, im-config will
detect it using a md5sum hash value embedded in the shell comment and will not overwrite such files. You must erase
them manually if you wish to replace them with ones created by im-config.
The <2 digits number>_.conf files in /usr/share/im-config/data provide the UI data for im-config
and the heuristic logic of selecting desirable input method under the auto mode. The smaller number of the <2 digits
number> indicates the higher priority of .
These <2 digits number>_.conf files define few variables and functions. The value of IM_CONā
FIG_SHORT is the short description of the input method for the menu. The value of IM_CONFIG_LONG is the long deā
scription of the input method explaining its package dependency. The package_menu shell function defines as a funcā
tion to return true if any associated input method packages are installed to activate its menu entry. The packā
age_auto shell function defines as a function to return true if the sufficient input method packages are installed
for the auto mode. These definitions use the package_status shell function which takes package name as its argument
and returns true if it is installed properly.
The menu lists input methods with the <2 digits number> between 00 and 89. The auto mode considers its input method
candidate from <2 digits number> between 10 and 79 in this order. The usage convention of <2 digits number> is:
00-09: Input Method choice mode (default/auto/cjkv/REMOVE)
10-49: Input Method supporting multiple languages.(auto ready)
50-79: Input Method supporting limited languages. (auto ready)
80-89: Input Method (deprecated one) (not for auto)
90-99: Used internally by im-config (not for auto)
This structure ensures to have different input methods to be installed side-by-side with minimal user configurations.
TROUBLESHOOT
If you have any problem, see the output of:
journalctl -b -t im-config
If you experience problem around keyboard input, please file a bug report to the im-config package using reportbug(1)
which automatically adds above output.
You can disable im-config as:
im-config -n none
You may need to configure system manually using ~/.xinputrc etc.
SEE ALSO
/usr/share/doc/im-config/README.Debian
AUTHOR
This manual page was written by Osamu Aoki , for the Debian GNU/Linux system (but may be used by
others).
IM-CONFIG(8)