[smc-discuss] Typewriter Malayalam keyboard layout

[Sebin Jacob]

Dear Amith / Sudeep

The keyboard is done. To invoke it, you should have ibus installed in your
system. Assuming that, you are using Ubuntu, it is there default. If it is
not there, install it from synaptic or by using apt-get install in command
line.

Shortest description:

Download ml-remington.mim
> Keep it in /usr/share/m17n
> Add the layout to your Ibus preferences.
> Use the keyboard.
>

Detailed description:
____________________________________________

For Arch Linux users, please follow the steps written down

first install yaourt from AUR

$ sudo pacman -S yaourt
>

Then install ibus and related packages using yaourt. Yaourt will take care
of packaging the source files for you.

$ yaourt -S ibus ibus-table ibus-table-extraphrase ibus-m17n ibus-qt
> ibus-table-others ibus-table-quick
>

(NB: Some of these packages may not be needed. )

______________________________________________

Common Steps:

Download the attached file.

[Assuming that, you have downloaded the same to ~/Downloads folder]
Go to Terminal and type as following. (The part after $ sign)

your-username ~ $ cd Downloads
> your-username ~ $ sudo mv ml-remington.mim /usr/share/m17n/
>

It will ask for password. Give it.

Now, edit your .bashrc file to include the below written lines. (Not
necessary in Ubuntu). Append it to the end of the file.

your-username ~ $ nano .bashrc
>

(Remember, there is a dot before bashrc as the file is hidden. To copy and
paste, just select the lines written below, go to the file, and click on the
middle mouse button.)

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

Use Ctrl+X to exit nano. It will ask whether to save. Give Y.

Now logout and re-login. If everything goes Okay, your keyboard is ready to
use.

Now, access Ibus preferences from

System >> Preferences >> Ibus Preferences (in Ubuntu.)
>

or

K >>  Applications >> Settings >> Ibus Preferences (in Arch linux)
>

Select the tab, <Input Method>.

There is a drop down menu <Select an input method>

Click on it and find remington (m17n) under Malayalam. Click on Add button.
As you have placed three lines in your .bashrc, the ibus would automatically
be invoked at startup. So better add ispell (m17n) under English too and
keep it as default. The first entry would be default. You could move it up
and down using the arrow keys.

(If you are in KDE, remember to switch off xkb layout by going to

K >> System Settings >> Hardware >> Input Devices >> Layouts >> Layout
Indicator

and uncheck both <Show layout indicator> and <Configure Layouts>.

Now you could use Cntrl + Space to turn Ibus off or on. Also, you could use
Ctrl + Shift to switch between different keyboard layouts. You could use as
many layouts as you please.

____________________________________

As SMC is still using non-atomic chillu characters, I have included them in
this map. But if anybody wants to input new chillu, either drop a mail or
manually edit the bin file.
_____________________________________

Warning: No testing has been done as I do not know to type with remington
layout. So please test it thoroughly and report any bugs.

-- 
സ്വതന്ത്ര മലയാളം കമ്പ്യൂട്ടിങ്ങ് - എന്റെ കമ്പ്യൂട്ടറിനു് എന്റെ ഭാഷ 
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