[உபுண்டு_தமிழ்] Fwd: [FreeTamilComputing] Typing Unic (&other) Tamil, in Ubuntu Linux, with system keyboard layouts

[கா. சேது | K. Sethu]

Sorry I had by mistake Cc ed the following post to ubuntu-tam mail
list instead of this ubuntu-l10n-tam which I had intended to.
Forwarding herewtih


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: கா. சேது | K. Sethu <skhome at gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Mar 6, 2009 at 8:56 AM
Subject: Re: [FreeTamilComputing] Typing Unic (&other) Tamil, in
Ubuntu Linux,  with system keyboard layouts
To: vee_ramasami at yahoo.co.in, To discuss about Tamil Free Softwares
<freetamilcomputing at lists.thamizha.com>
Cc: தமிழக உபுண்டு பயனர் குழு <ubuntu-tam at lists.ubuntu.com>


On Fri, Mar 6, 2009 at 6:47 AM, V.Ramasami <vee_ramasami at yahoo.co.in> wrote:
> :
>
>
> Dear ALL,
>
> Available Layouts: A) SCIM: Inscript; Remington & Phonetic.(All Unic)
>        B) AssistiveTech. (AT): TAB; TAM; TSCII & India Tamil Unic.
>
> To avail, do the following:
>
> a) Applications --> Add/Remov. Programs --> Language Support (both gtk
> for SCIM and qt for Assistive Tech.)
> b) System --> Admin --> Language Support --> ADD Tamil & Complex script
> support.
> c) System --> Preferences --> Assist.Tech --> Enable AT; Keyboard Access
> --> Layouts --> Add (+) any or all 5.  Apply system wide --> close.
> d) System --> Pref. --> SCIM --> IMEngine --> GlobalSetup --> Tamil
> Enable
> e) Remember for SCIM: SCIM --> Front End --> GlobalSetup --> HotKeys -->
> Trigger (Ctrl & Space) ; NextInMeth (Ctrl+Alt+Down Arrow Key) etc.
>
> NOTE: I'm not able to select any Tamil layout in SCIM. Help is welcome!!
>
> Yours,
> VR.
> :
>
>

Hi

1. Can you tell which Ubuntu version you are using? There has been
many changes till version 8.04 (Hardy) which came in 2008 April and so
generalisation for any Ubuntu Linux is not right.

2. Based on my know-how in Hardy(8.04), and the later Intrepid(8.10)
and currently developing Jaunty (9.04) up to Alpha -5 :

I have never tweaked with Assisitive Technology settings i.e. whatever
it is in default state is what I have been used to. Will check on that
later if changing settings in it brings in any complications.
Meanwhile try the following and see:

i). enter from a terminal the following command (which erases all
existing links in the home folder /.xinput.d/)

rm ~/.xinput.d/*

ii) then enter the following command:

im-switch -z all_ALL -s scim-immodule

Then close the terminal, log-out and log-in back (*no need to stop
completely and  reboot*)

Now scim icon should be in tray up and ready. Open any application
like gedit and use the trigger key and see keymaps list emerging.


The problem which may be present in yours, as I guess, is because of
the default starting script settings by the  " b) System --> Admin -->
Language Support --> ADD Tamil & Complex script support" step you had.
The marking of the cage "Enable support to enter complex characters"
in that Language Support applet is actually using im-switch framework
to set up starting environmental variables (and it is not at all like
the similar sounding facility in Windows which is only for enabling *
rendering engine* for Complex Scripted languages like . In Linus the
said facility is to set starting environmental variables for SCIm ime
).

 I find that Language Support GUI applet to be poorly made for the
following reasons:

a. No documentation explaining its purpose and the fact that it uses
an elegant framework for setting starting scripts for environmental
variables  is not exposed to novice users

b. It sets for only language locale in which user has operated it and
if user logs into another language locale to make same enabling again
user has to apply for that locale (In case of above in step i and step
ii I prescribe, assure that scim enablement for any language locale
the user may be using)

c. It sets GTK_IM_MODULE and QT_IM_Module both to scim-bridge or xim
on conditionality of whether relevant  scim-bridge agents are
installed ;and also if "skim" is also is installed (usually meant for
kde) I find it is not suitable for gnome operation. There are some
bugs and technicalities and work arounds involved if i have to explain
comprehensively which I shall not do on this post.

By the way after changing setting by steps i) and ii) do not * un-mark
* the "Enable support to enter complex characters" in the Language
Support dialog screen- leaved it marked.

Above steps (i and ii)  I prescribe would set both these environmental
variables to "scim" if you are on Hardy(8.04) or later versions and
which settings are fine for the Tamil SCIM keymaps you have. If your
Ubuntu is any older version please let me know as  I have to check
older files to see any variations had been there.


You can enter the following command in a terminal after any set up
change such as above (followed by log-out and log-in):

env |grep IM

And it should respond  you with 3 lines of settings - for example in
Hardy and later the following 3:

QT_IM_MODULE=scim
XMODIFIERS=@im=SCIM
GTK_IM_MODULE=scim

Some earlier versions had not included QT_IM_MODULE setting which had
to be done manually (if one needs QT_IM_MODULE setting also, i.e.
using qt-based apps like Konqueror, Kate etc)

Please inform the version of Ubuntu, whether you use GNOME or KDE or
xFce Desktop, whether you have included skim and also what you find
when above steps are carried out.

I will also add on steps for including more Tamil keymaps from m17n in
my next reply.

Sethu

p.s.: I am Ccing this to ubuntu-tam mail-list also.