Recently, I found that many people in the "archlinuxcn" group are using fcitx5, so I decided to give it a try.
Note: fcitx5 does not support Sogou Input Method, Baidu Input Method, and others. Users who prefer these input methods can ignore this article.
Author's environment: archlinux + kde.
Installation#
Currently, archlinux has complete support for fcitx5. For arch users, you only need to:
# Uninstall fcitx4 related programs
sudo pacman -Rs $(pacman -Qsq fcitx)
# Install fcitx5 framework, configuration tool, and input method modules
sudo pacman -S fcitx5-im
# Install input method engines, currently available options are fcitx5-chinese-addons/fcitx5-rime/fcitx5-chewing
# Rime configuration is more complex, and I have not used chewing personally. This article uses chinese-addons
sudo pacman -S fcitx5-chinese-addons
This will successfully install fcitx5.
Next, if you want to enable fcitx5 in programs, you need to set the environment variables:
# Write the following content in ~/.xprofile
export INPUT_METHOD=fcitx5
export GTK_IM_MODULE=fcitx5
export QT_IM_MODULE=fcitx5
export XMODIFIERS=@im=fcitx5
Auto Start#
By default, fcitx5 does not start automatically. To enable automatic startup, you can choose one of the following methods:
-
Add fcitx5 through the desktop environment's autostart settings (using kde as an example):
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Execute the following command:
sudo cp /usr/share/applications/fcitx5.desktop ~/.config/autostart/
Then restart your computer and add the desired input method in the "fcitx5 configuration" (for general users, please choose Pinyin):
Skins#
Currently, there are limited skins available. It is recommended to use the more visually appealing fcitx5-material-color:
sudo pacman -S fcitx5-material-color
For users of other desktop environments, please refer to the project's README.md file to modify the configuration file.
KDE users can switch the theme through "Settings -> Regional Settings -> Input Method -> Additional Configuration Components -> Classic User Interface -> Theme":
Word Library#
Next is the crucial step of configuring the word library. Currently, the repository provides two word libraries:
fcitx5-pinyin-zhwiki: Chinese Wikipedia entriesfcitx5-pinyin-moegirl: Moegirl Encyclopedia entries
For users using the fcitx5-chinese-addons input method engine, the installation package will automatically enable the word library.
In addition, we can also import Sogou word library:
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For KDE users, you can import the Sogou word library through "Settings -> Regional Settings -> Input Method -> Pinyin -> Dictionary -> Import".
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For other users, you need to manually open the "Fcitx5 Configuration" software and manually configure it in the Pinyin input method.
Encountering Problems?#
- Refer to the "arch wiki": Troubleshooting.
- Leave a comment under this article and I will try my best to answer.
Summary#
In my opinion, a well-configured fcitx5 is just as good as Sogou Input Method and even more stable. I recommend using it.