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im-config for Debian Osamu Aoki <osamu@debian.org>
(2026-03-18)
This is updated note on the im-config package. The im-config package
only configures desktop environments (DEs) running on the X11 server.
== Quick introduction ==
If you want to disable im-config and manually set up IM without
any interference from im-config, set im-config command to "none".
If you are on Wayland (with or without xwayland) based DEs, this does
nothing and can be safely removed ignoring recommendation of Debian
package dependency system.
If you are on recent GNOME derivative DEs used with its default IM, this
does nothing and can be safely removed ignoring recommendation of Debian
package dependency system.
The target of this im-config package is people who need to type
non-latin1 characters (Indic, Chinese, Arabic, Japanese, Korean,
Vetonamese, Thai, ...) using the input method.
Please note that the installation of input method (IM) framework
packages and input method engine (IME) packages only offers mechanism to
convert keyboard inputs to the desired character code.
There are a few popular general purpose IMs and IMEs:
* iBus -- Default IM for GNOME Desktop (Yes, I use this and recommended)
* Japanese IME: ibus-mozc
* Korean IME: ibus-hangul
* Thai IME: ibus-libthai
* Chinese IME: ibus-chewing, ibus-libpinyin, ibus-pinyin, ...
* Others IME: ibus-m17n (indic, arabic,...)
* See https://wiki.debian.org/I18n/ibus
* Fcitx5 -- Good IM alternative (popular with Chinese users)
* Chinese IME: fcitx5-chinese-addons ...
* See https://wiki.debian.org/I18n/Fcitx5
Installing any IME packages sets up a functional IM system using Debian
paclkage dependency system.
IMEs need to be enabled by using configuration tool:
* `ibus-setup` (from a command line or GUI menu.)
* GNOME Settings (from "Add Input Source")
You should consult the im-config(8) manpage for the details of this
command behavior.
Please also read
* https://wiki.debian.org/Keyboard
* https://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/debian-reference/ch08.en.html#_the_keyboard_input
== DE identification ==
Due to some historical complications and backward compatibility support
needs, this im-config uses IM_CONFIG_CURRENT_DESKTOP generated mainly
from XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP in /usr/share/im-config/initializer to detect
DE. XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP defined in the "Desktop Entry Specification"
since its version 1.2. XDG_SESSION_DESKTOP is not used since it is
non-standard and DESKTOP_SESSION is used for backward-compatibility.
See
https://specifications.freedesktop.org/menu/latest/onlyshowin-registry.html
I see following XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP values in the source code of session
packages but actual DE identification should use verbose logging
outputs.
* budgie-session GNOME
* cinnamon-session (cinnamon or X-Cinnamon)
* gnome-flashback GNOME-Flashback:GNOME
* gnome-session GNOME
* lxqt-session LXQt
* lxsession LXDE (this code mentions Lubuntu migration, and has example with qt/platform=lxqt)
* mate-session-manager MATE
* plasma-workspace KDE
* xfce4-session XFCE
== Verbose execution ==
Verbose logging to systemd is possible by uncommenting as
`IM_CONFIG_VERBOSE="true"` in /etc/default/im-config.
See "journalctl -b --user -t im-config" (reportbug runs this)
Please use verbose log for reporting bug.
=============================================================================
== Note on DEs on Wayland with integration of IM ==
For modern DEs such as GNOME (Wayland) or Plasma/KDE (Wayland), they
integrate input method configuration. So, im-config can be safely
removed and let the DE configure input method.
* GNOME 50 on (Wayland) -- integrated without xwayland.
* Install one of the followings:
* ibus framework: ibus-<your_input_method_engine_name> package
* KDE Plasma DE (Wayland) -- integrated without xwayland
* Install one of the followings:
* ibus framework: ibus-<your_input_method_engin_name> package
* fcitx5 framework: fcitx5-<your_input_method_engin_name> package
* Select an input method framework as the virtual keyboard
== Note on DEs on Wayland without integration of IM ==
If your DE uses Wayland (possibly with xwayland) without integration of
input method, this package does nothing and you need to manually setup
input method. For ibus and fcitx5, see upstream resources:
* https://github.com/ibus/ibus/wiki/WaylandDesktop for ibus
* https://fcitx-im.org/wiki/Using_Fcitx_5_on_Wayland for fcitx5
Please note both ibus and fcitx5 Debian packages install autostart
script under /etc/xdg/Xwayland-session.d to support keyboard input for
classic X and xwayland applications.
Since Wayland DEs are run as a user process, both of these methods use
environment configuration files under the user's home directory
== NOTE: History of native input method support for Wayland ==
Native input method support for Wayland is the moving target and
still evolving. See:
* Wayland and input methods
https://dorotac.eu/posts/input_method/ (2020)
* State of input method
https://dorotac.eu/posts/input_broken/ (2024)
* Wayland input method project post-mortem
https://dorotac.eu/posts/im-finished/ (2026)
== Why im-config doesn't configure IM on Wayland from im-config ==
The configuration of IM involves 2 phases. For ibus, this involves
something like:
* Phase 1: Set up IM environment variables.
* `GTK_IM_MODULE=ibus`
* `QT_IM_MODULE=ibus`
* `QT_IM_MODULES=wayland,ibus`
* `XMODIFIES=@im=ibus`
* Phase 2: Start the needed daemon processes andpanel programs
* `ibus start --type wayland`
For the 1st phase, unfortunately, conditionally setting system-wide
environment variable is non-trivial. Files in /etc/environment.d/ can
set system-wide environment variable but they can't use conditional
script. Not-all DEs (including KDE) parse files in /etc/profile.d/* to
set system-wide environment variable. So this is non-trivial task.
For the 2nd phase, both ibus and fcitx5 packages already provide this
functionality as desktop file for autostart. So im-config shouldn't do
anything for this phase.
-- Osamu Aoki <osamu@debian.org>, Sat, 14 Mar 2026 13:04:47 +0000
# vim: set tw=72 sts=4 sw=4 ai si et:
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