.TH IM\-CONFIG 8
.\" NAME should be all caps, SECTION should be 1-8, maybe w/ subsection
.\" other parms are allowed: see man(7), man(1)
.SH NAME
im\-config \- set up input method configuration for X Window System
.SH SYNOPSIS
.TP
.B im\-config [OPTION]

.SH OPTIONS
.TP 8
.B \-a
List all; force to list all possible input methods in menu or STDOUT
even if any associated packages are not installed on the system.
.TP 8
.B \-c
Use console dialogue.
.TP 8
.B \-x
Use X dialogue with zenity.
.TP 8
.B \-s
No action; perform a simulation of events that would occur but do
not actually change configuration files.
.TP 8
.B \-l
List all available input method configuration settings to STDOUT.
Unless
.B \-a
is used, list only ones with associated packages installed.
.TP 8
.B \-m
List configuration values to STDOUT:
.RS 12
.ie n \{\
\h'-04'\(bu\h'+03'\c
.\}
.el \{\
.sp -1
.IP \(bu 2.3
.\}
active configuration (system)
.RE
.RS 12
.ie n \{\
\h'-04'\(bu\h'+03'\c
.\}
.el \{\
.sp -1
.IP \(bu 2.3
.\}
active configuration (user)
.RE
.RS 12
.ie n \{\
\h'-04'\(bu\h'+03'\c
.\}
.el \{\
.sp -1
.IP \(bu 2.3
.\}
automatic configuration for the current locale
.RE
.RS 12
.ie n \{\
\h'-04'\(bu\h'+03'\c
.\}
.el \{\
.sp -1
.IP \(bu 2.3
.\}
override configuration for the current locale
.RE
.RS 12
.ie n \{\
\h'-04'\(bu\h'+03'\c
.\}
.el \{\
.sp -1
.IP \(bu 2.3
.\}
automatic configuration for most locales
.RE
.RS 8
If the active configuration is \fBcustom\fP, the user made
a custom configuration and im-config should not change it.
.RE
.TP 8
.B \-n
.I <input method name>

Set input method to \fI<input method name>\fP. This option is for other
configuration tool to set the input method.  Since the default value of
\fI<input method name>\fP is "auto", you usually do not need to use this from
other configuration script.

Specifying invalid \fI<input method name>\fP causes the error exit. Updating
the configuration file which was not updated by \fBim-config\fP also causes the
error exit.

When this \fI<input method name>\fP is "REMOVE" then it always removes the
configuration file even if it was not updated by \fBim-config\fP.
.TP 8
.B \-o
.I <input method name>

Print the localized description of the input method \fI<input method name>\fP to
STDOUT.
.PP
The \fB-l\fP, \fB-m\fP, \fB-n\fP, and \fB-o\fP options are meant to be API for other
programs to control the im-config.

.SH "DESCRIPTION"
This manual page very briefly documents \fBim\-config\fP and the configuration
of the input method.
.PP
\fBim\-config\fP provides the framework to configure the input method on X
Window System with GTK 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.  The input method with the highest priority comes first.
The availability of the input method is judged by the installation of any
associated packages. After you make a choice for the input method, this
displays a guidance for associated packages to be installed.
.PP
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 environments installed and wish to switch
among them, you need to use this command.
.PP
If you have no idea for what package to install, \fBim\-config\fP invoked with
both \fB\-a\fP and \fB\-s\fP is a good start.
.PP
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
languages such as Indic and other Asian languages.
.PP
Some input methods such as IBus, fcitx, 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.
.PP
The im\-config package installs a hook script
\fB/etc/X11/Xsession.d/70im-config_launch\fP. When X starts, it sources this
file as a POSIX shell code.  Then this hook script tries to source the user
configuration file \fB~/.xinputrc\fP, if it exists.  Otherwise, this hook
script sources the system configuration file \fB/etc/X11/xinit/xinputrc\fP.
.PP
\fBim\-config\fP invoked from a user account updates the user configuration
file \fB~/.xinputrc\fP.  \fBim\-config\fP invoked from the root account updates
the system configuration file \fB~/etc/X11/xinit/xinputrc\fP.  The essential
contents of generated files are:
.PP
.B run_im \fI<input method name>\fP
.PP
When these files are sourced, the \fBrun_im\fP shell function instructs to
source the initialization code for the corresponding input method. This
initialization code is defined in the \fI<2 digits number>\fP_\fI<input method
name>\fP.\fBrc\fP file in \fB/usr/share/im-config/data\fP.
.PP
The im\-config hook script, \fB/etc/X11/Xsession.d/70im-config_launch\fP,
exports following variables to X programs: $XMODIFIERS, $GTK_IM_MODULE,
$QT_IM_MODULE, $QT4_IM_MODULE, and $CLUTTER_IM_MODULE.
.PP
The im\-config hook script, \fB/etc/X11/Xsession.d/70im-config_launch\fP,
also set $STARTUP to use \fB/usr/bin/im-launch\fP for starting required
daemons.
.PP
If you wish to create a custom configuration beyond what \fBim\-config\fP
can do for you, please copy one of these initialization code files into
\fB~/.xinputrc\fP or \fB/etc/X11/xinit/xinputrc\fP and edit it to suite your
need.  For example, \fB02_cjkv.rc\fP tells how input method can be customized
for each locale.  This script should be written to set environment variables if
"$IM_CONFIG_PHASE" = 1 and to start daemon programs if "$IM_CONFIG_PHASE" = 2 .
.PP
Please note that this \fI<2 digits number>\fP part of these
configuration files may change for every new releases of the im\-config
package.
.PP
When a user makes manual changes to \fB~/.xinputrc\fP or
\fB/etc/X11/xinit/xinputrc\fP without using \fBim\-config\fP, \fBim\-config\fP
will detect it using a md5sum hush 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 \fBim\-config\fP.
.PP
The \fI<2 digits number>\fP_\fI<input method name>\fP.\fBconf\fP files in
\fB/usr/share/im-config/data\fP provide the UI data for \fBim\-config\fP
and the heuristic logic of selecting desirable input method under the
auto mode.  The smaller number of the \fI<2 digits number>\fP indicates the
higher priority of \fI<input method name>\fP.
.PP
These \fI<2 digits number>\fP_\fI<input method name>\fP.\fBconf\fP files
define few variables and functions.  The value of \fBIM_CONFIG_SHORT\fP is the
short description of the input method for the menu.  The value of
\fBIM_CONFIG_LONG\fP is the long description of the input method explaining its
package dependency.  The \fBpackage_menu\fP shell function defines as a
function to return true if any associated input method packages are installed
to activate its menu entry.  The \fBpackage_auto\fP 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 \fBpackage_status\fP shell
function which takes package name as its argument and returns true if it is
installed properly.
.PP
The menu lists input methods with the \fI<2 digits number>\fP between \fB00\fP
and \fB89\fP.  The auto mode considers its input method candidate from \fI<2
digits number>\fP between \fB10\fP and \fB79\fP in this order.  The usage
convention of \fI<2 digits number>\fP is:
.TP 8
.B 00-09:
Input Method choice mode       (default/auto/cjkv/REMOVE)
.TP 8
.B 10-49:
Input Method supporting multiple languages.(auto ready)
.TP 8
.B 50-79:
Input Method supporting limited languages. (auto ready)
.TP 8
.B 80-89:
Input Method (deprecated one) (not for auto)
.TP 8
.B 90-99:
Used internally by \fBim\-config\fP (not for auto)
.PP
This structure ensures to have different input methods to be installed
side-by-side with minimal user configurations.

.SH "TROUBLESHOOT"
If you have any problem, see the first part of \fB~/.xsession-errors\fP and
look for the cause.  If you are running \fBim\-config\fP while Debian (sid)
system is undergoing a major library transition, you may need to manually set
up \fB~/.xinputrc\fP with adjusted library version number etc.  Please file a
bug report to the im\-config package using reportbug(1) describing your
resolution experience.

.SH "SEE ALSO"
.BR /usr/share/doc/im\-config/README.Debian.gz
.SH AUTHOR
This manual page was written by Osamu Aoki <osamu@debian.org>,
for the Debian GNU/Linux system (but may be used by others).