Productivity & Office

IBus Chinese Input Method

Introduction

Chinese input is an important feature for office use on Linux desktops. By configuring the IBus Chinese input method, users can enter Chinese text in the Debian GNOME desktop environment for daily tasks such as document editing, web browsing, and instant messaging.

This document describes how to install, configure, and verify the IBus Chinese input method on the Quectel Pi M1 Debian system, helping users quickly set up a Chinese input environment.

Applicable Scenarios

After IBus is configured, Chinese text can be entered in applications such as:

  • Firefox browser

  • Text Editor

  • LibreOffice and other office applications

  • Terminal

  • Other applications that support GTK / Qt input frameworks

Applicable Platform

[电子表格]

Installation and Configuration

Install IBus Packages

Note: The following operations are performed through ABD Shell.

Update the package repository:

apt update

Install IBus and the Pinyin input engine:

apt install ibus ibus-pinyin

Configure User Environment Variables

Switch to the desktop user through ADB:

su - <username>    For example:su - pi

Create the .xprofile file:

cat > ~/.xprofile <<EOF
export GTK_IM_MODULE=ibus
export QT_IM_MODULE=ibus
export XMODIFIERS=@im=ibus
EOF

Check the configuration:

cat ~/.xprofile

The following content should be displayed:

export GTK_IM_MODULE=ibus
export QT_IM_MODULE=ibus
export XMODIFIERS=@im=ibus

This indicates that the IBus environment variables have been configured successfully.

Start IBus

Start IBus:

ibus-daemon -drx

Check the IBus processes:

ps -ef | grep ibus

Normally, IBus-related processes should be displayed, for example:

/usr/bin/ibus-daemon -drx
/usr/libexec/ibus-engine-simple
/usr/libexec/ibus-ui-gtk3

Configure GNOME Input Sources

Check the current input sources:

gsettings get org.gnome.desktop.input-sources sources

For example:

[('xkb', 'cn')]

Add the IBus Pinyin input source:

gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.input-sources sources "[('xkb','cn'),('ibus','pinyin')]"

Verify the configuration:

gsettings get org.gnome.desktop.input-sources sources

The following should be displayed:

[('xkb', 'cn'), ('ibus', 'pinyin')]

Configure the Shortcut Key

Set Ctrl + Space as the input source switching shortcut:

gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.wm.keybindings switch-input-source "['<Control>space']"

Verify the configuration:

gsettings get org.gnome.desktop.wm.keybindings switch-input-source

The following should be displayed:

['<Control>space']

Configure the IBus Input Engine

Configure the input engines to be loaded:

gsettings set org.freedesktop.ibus.general preload-engines "['xkb:us::eng', 'pinyin']"

Check the configuration:

gsettings get org.freedesktop.ibus.general preload-engines

The following should be displayed:

['xkb:us::eng', 'pinyin']

Configure the input engine switching order:

gsettings set org.freedesktop.ibus.general engines-order "['xkb:us::eng', 'pinyin']"

Check the configuration:

gsettings get org.freedesktop.ibus.general engines-order

The following should be displayed:

['xkb:us::eng', 'pinyin']

Disable the global engine:

gsettings set org.freedesktop.ibus.general use-global-engine false

Check the configuration:

gsettings get org.freedesktop.ibus.general use-global-engine

The following should be displayed:

false

Restart and Verify Chinese Input

After completing the above configuration, restart the device to apply the environment variables, GNOME input sources, and IBus settings.

LibreOffice Installation and Verification

Introduction

LibreOffice is a free and open-source office suite that supports common office functions such as word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, and drawing, making it suitable for everyday office use.

Install LibreOffice

apt install libreoffice -y

Function Verification

After the installation is complete, you can use the display module to verify the corresponding functions.

LibreOffice Main Interface

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Writer Function Verification

Open Writer. A new text document can be created successfully, and the editing interface is displayed correctly.

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Calc Function Verification

Open Calc. A new spreadsheet can be created successfully, and the worksheet and toolbar are displayed correctly.

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Impress Function Verification

Open Impress. A new presentation can be created successfully, and the default template can be loaded correctly.

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Draw Function Verification

Open Draw. A new drawing document can be created successfully, and the drawing page and toolbar are displayed correctly.

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Base Function Verification

Open Base. The Database Wizard opens successfully, allowing you to create a new database, open an existing database, or connect to an external database. The interface is displayed correctly.

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All office applications can be launched successfully, and their graphical interfaces are displayed correctly, meeting the daily office requirements of the Debian system.