Best Japanese IME (text entry) for FossaPup?

[Makoto]

I'm mainly just looking to be able to enter Japanese in my browsers, text editors, email, etc., at the moment. What would be the best/easiest/simplest setup to install? I can't recall what I was using under a special Japanese build of Puppy 4.3.1.

I've seen (recent?) posts where people are swearing by Google's IME/mozc, but I didn't even know Google had created their own IME. A quick glance at their homepage doesn't seem to indicate it can be installed on Linux, anyway. (It suggests using the open-source mozc.)

[thinkpadfreak]

There is a Japanized version of fossapup64, unless you would like to install an input method yourself.

Fossapup64 9.5 Japanized (simple) edition
https://sakurapup.com/forum1/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=3515

It includes fcitx + anthy to input Japanese.
When you use Chromium-based browsers run as spot, you will have to add a few words to the command. For example:

Code: Select all

# run-as-spot env GTK_IM_MODULE="xim" google-chrome-stable

[Makoto]

For now, I'd rather just install an IME myself. Even if it's probably more trouble than it's worth.

I'm currently using an old Win9X-era Japanese text editor through WINE for the purpose. Works okay, but it's a bit of a clunky process.

[thinkpadfreak]

Through PPM, you can install input methods. I suggest 2 options; scim + anthy and fcitx + anthy.
It is said that mozc is superior to anthy, but mozc as it is cannot be run as root.

You need to install the "scim-anthy" package and its dependencies, or the "fcitx-anthy" package and its dependencies. Sometimes PPM does not suggest all the necessary packages, which is a problem.
Scim does not support qt5 applications.

And you need to add some lines to /root/.xinitrc:

for scim

Code: Select all

export XMODIFIERS='@im=scim'
export GTK_IM_MODULE="scim"
export QT_IM_MODULE="scim"
scim -d

for fcitx

Code: Select all

export XMODIFIERS='@im=fcitx'
export GTK_IM_MODULE="fcitx"
export QT_IM_MODULE="fcitx"
fcitx

Edit
There is a pet package to japanize fossapup64. It is a package which I made before making a japanized iso.

fossa64_lang_ja-r6a.pet
https://sakurapup.com/forum1/viewtopic. ... 138#p27138

If you unpack the pet package, you will find the necessary .deb packages under the directory /root/my-documents/tmp.

[Makoto]

Sorry - ended up being busy pretty much the entire weekend.

Edit
There is a pet package to japanize fossapup64. It is a package which I made before making a japanized iso.

fossa64_lang_ja-r6a.pet
https://sakurapup.com/forum1/viewtopic. ... 138#p27138

If you unpack the pet package, you will find the necessary .deb packages under the directory /root/my-documents/tmp.

I installed all of the .deb files from that directory (and had chosen fcitx, because I'm fairly sure I used scim under Puppy 4.3.1 and found it a little clunky to use as well), but when I rebooted after making the changes to /root/.xinitrc, to be safe, FossaPup dumped me into the command line on boot. Nothing I did in xorgwizard seemed to help.
I then booted from the CD to try to roll back my changes, but when I looked at /root/.xinitrc, it seemed to be empty, as it had been before I edited it. And then it booted normally.

The .deb files are still installed, but I'm wary of editing .xinitrc and trying again.

[thinkpadfreak]

The .deb files are still installed, but I'm wary of editing .xinitrc and trying again.

I should have written more in detail.
Even if anything is wrong with the settings related to IME, I think X will start normally. In some cases IME may not function, though.

Run the following commands in case:
# gtk-query-immodules-2.0 --update-cache
# gtk-query-immodules-3.0 --update-cache

The best place where I think the inserted lines should go is:

(part of /root/.xinitrc)

Code: Select all

if [ -f $usermodmap ]; then
xmodmap $usermodmap
fi

xhost +local: 2>/dev/null

 export XMODIFIERS='@im=fcitx'
 export GTK_IM_MODULE="fcitx"
 export QT_IM_MODULE="fcitx"
 fcitx

CURRENTWM="`cat /etc/windowmanager`"
if [ "$CURRENTWM" = "startkde" ];then
/sbin/pup_event_frontend_d & #130525
exec startkde
fi

After editing .xinitrc, restarting X is necessary.

I confirm that fcitx + anthy functions under the environment ja_JP.UTF-8.
I am not sure whether the locale setting will affect the function of the IME.

Edit
If you see a "keyboard" icon in the tray, fcitx is running. Pressing [Ctrl] + [space] will turn on Japanese input.
If nothing happens, right-click the keyboard icon, and go to "configure."
If anthy is not there, press the "+" button and add anthy. To enable the change, right-click the keyboard icon and select "restart."

[Makoto]

What I was saying, is that /root/.xinitrc showed up as completely blank when I tried to edit it. I then tried adding the lines and rebooting anyway, and that's when FossaPup just kept crashing to the command line on boot.

[thinkpadfreak]

What I was saying, is that /root/.xinitrc showed up as completely blank when I tried to edit it. I then tried adding the lines and rebooting anyway, and that's when FossaPup just kept crashing to the command line on boot.

I am sorry to hear that. But I don't think adding an IME will break Puppy. Of course it is important to take a backup of the save file before you add any changes.

It is inevitable to modify some system file(s) when you install an IME. Just installing the packages will not make necessary changes.
If you think modifying system files is dangerous, why not give a Japanized iso a try?

I often refer to ArchWiki, though there may be differences between Arch and Puppy.

Fcitx - ArchWiki
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/fcitx

[Makoto]

Oh, I agree (that it shouldn't be breaking anything). I'm just confused as to why .xinitrc is showing up as blank, when it doesn't seem to actually be empty, that's all.

I can't back up the save file this time around, though... when I decided to try FossaPup, I also decided to replace the system hard drive in the tower with an SSD, so I set it up as a bootable drive with FossaPup's USB install routines. That's also why I didn't think I could simply switch to the "Japanized" version - I'm guessing it would have no problems detecting a normal Puppy savefile and continue to use it?

I normally don't have a problem with editing system config files, but without the normal save file, it's harder to revert.

[thinkpadfreak]

That's also why I didn't think I could simply switch to the "Japanized" version - I'm guessing it would have no problems detecting a normal Puppy savefile and continue to use it?

It will detect save files with appropriate names and try to read them (one of them), but something unexpected may happen if there are differences in locale etc.
I recommend that you boot the Japanized version in RAM mode and make a new save file.

I normally don't have a problem with editing system config files, but without the normal save file, it's harder to revert.

If I were you, I would boot another Puppy, mount the save file temporarily, and salvage documents (data files). I would have to start again from making a new save file.

[Makoto]

But I don't have a save file.

I'd either have to add it as an option to the boot list, or - worst-case scenario - reformat the drive and start over, for it to be the only/primary OS. I'll keep it in mind as an option, but I'm not sure it's worth the hassle just so I can natively enter Japanese.

[thinkpadfreak]

I'd either have to add it as an option to the boot list, or - worst-case scenario - reformat the drive and start over, for it to be the only/primary OS.

You can boot fossapup64 in RAM mode, can't you? If you can, you will be able to make a new save file. You will have to reinstall additional applications, though. If you don't need to add applications, then it is easy to start over.

If you would like to install the Japanized version in addition to the original version, you could make use of grub2config to configure dual boot.

grub2config
https://forum.puppylinux.com/viewtopic.php?t=3360

[Makoto]

But I'm already not using a save file.

I used FrugalPup Installer to set everything up, and it's also supposed to do all the work for me if I want to set up a dual-boot with more than one Puppy. bigpup recommended it to me (with reference to this and this).

As I mentioned, though, I think I'm going to leave it alone for now - I'd rather figure out what's causing .xinitrc to appear blank than set up another install, and using the old text editor to enter Japanese as a workaround isn't that much of a hassle, for the moment. Because it really shouldn't be this much of a problem to install an IME. :/