L.A.P.O. dot it

How-to input chinese in FreeBSD/XFree86

I'm writing this mini-how-to because... well, I found no existing how-to written in english!
First of all you need to install a XIM server, e.g. one of the following ports:

Anyway I'll talk only of chinese/chinput3 as I didn't manage to use xcin (though probably it does work perfectly and I just don't know the correct keyboard trigger).

This is the list of commands you need to install and try chinput (please notice that I'm using the bash shell, not the FreeBSD default tcsh shell, though you should easily adapt the commands for you shell of choice):


$ cd /usr/ports/chinese/chinput3/

$ sudo make install clean

$ export LANG="zh_CN.EUC"

$ export XMODIFIERS="@im=Chinput"

$ chinput

$ mozilla &

Of course Mozilla is just an example of XIM-aware application.

And now be ready for the key information that you just need to input chinese text: the key that activates XIM input!
I guess that chinput's FAQ covers that topic, but I really don't know, as it is only available in chinese.
What was I talking about?
Ah! The key info: very easy, just hit ctrl-space to switch between 'normal' and 'chinese' input mode, and then you can just write in pinyin and obtain chinese symbols.

Keys I discovered reading the only readable parts of chinput's online manuals:

control-space: switch between 'normal' and 'chinese' input mode
control-shift: changes input type
control-comma: switch between 'normal' and 'chinese' puntuaction
1-9: select correct form (I still haven't figured how to avoid using the mouse to change between pages, and most written pinyin have more than 10 possible meanings)

That's all, folks.
As I learn more I'll write more.