Monday, September 10, 2012

Keyboard input for Japanese Hiragana and Chinese Pinyin

21 Syawal 1433H, Sa.

Assalamualaikum warahmatullah.


Part A: The Japanese Hiragana

My cousin asked how to make the Hiragana script (one of the Japanese scripts) available on Ubuntu because the script is available on Gwibber but not available system-wide. She noted that it was Katakana that is available system-wide.

The modern Japanese writing is dividable into three scripts:
  1. Hiragana which looks like this: ひらがな (reads: hiragana)
  2. Katakana which looks like this: カタカナ (reads: katakana)
  3. Kanji which looks like this: 漢字 (reads: kanji)
Romanized Japanese is called Romaji.

Read more about the Japanese writing system, here:
Japanese writing system - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_writing_system)

You may find this webpage (one of Jim Breen's webpages) to be useful:
WWWJDIC: Text/Word Translation
(http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~jwb/cgi-bin/wwwjdic.cgi?9T)



Part B: The Chinese Pinyin

Romanized Chinese is called Pinyin.

You may find this online dictionary to be very helpful:
Xiaoma Cidian - Chinese English Dictionary
(http://www.xiaoma.info/)

"Romaji is to Japanese as Pinyin is to Chinese"



Part C: How to "activate" Hiragana

After some googling, i found this blog:
Japanese Input on Ubuntu Linux 10.04 LTS Lucid Lynx - Localizing Japan
(http://www.localizingjapan.com/blog/2010/06/15/setting-up-japanese-input-on-ubuntu-linux-10-04-lts-lucid-lynx/)

which was mentioned, here:
How do I get keyboard to write hiragana instead of katakana? - Ask Ubuntu
(http://askubuntu.com/questions/28669/how-do-i-get-keyboard-to-write-hiragana-instead-of-katakana)


1. Accessing the Language Support window.


1.1. In the Launcher, see Pic 1, click the Dash Home icon, see Pic 2.

Pic 1 - Refer to Step 1.1. Accessing the Language Support window.


Pic 2 - Refer to Step 1.1. The Dash Home icon in the Launcher.


1.2. In the Search field, type-in "language", see Pic 1.


1.3. Click the Language Support icon, see Pic 3.

The Language Support window will appear, see Pic 4.

Pic 3 - Refer to Step 1.3. The Language Support icon.


2. Step 2 to Step 4 is to install the packages for the language.

In the Language Support window, under the Language tab, click the Install/Remove Languages... button, see Pic 4,.

The Installed Languages window will appear, see Pic 5.

Pic 4 - Refer to Step 2. The Language Support window.


3. In the Installed Languages window, see Pic 5, search for the Japanese language.

Put a tick in the box under the Installed column for the Japanese language.

Then click the Apply Changes button.

Pic 5 - Refer to Step 3. The Installed Languages window.


4. The Authenticate window, see Pic 6, will appear to ask for your password.

Key-in you password in the Password field.

Then click the Authenticate button.

The Applying changes window, see Pic 7, will appear to show the progress. Allow some time for the process.

Pic 6 - Refer to Step 4. The Authenticate window.


Pic 7 - Refer to Step 4. The Applying changes window.


5. Step 5 to Step 9 is to setup the input method.

In the Language Support window, see Pic 8, under the:
Keyboard input method system:
choose:
ibus
Then the Language Support window can be closed.

Pic 8 - Refer to Step 5. Setting the keyboard input method system.


6. Setting up the input method.


6.1. In the Launcher, see Pic 9, click the Dash Home icon, see Pic 2.

Pic 9 - Refer to Step 6.1. Accessing the IBus Preferences window.


6.2. In the Search field, type-in "ibus", see Pic 9.


6.3. Click the Keyboard Input Methods icon, see Pic 10.

Pic 10 - Refer to Step 6.3. The Keyboard Input Methods icon.


7. A nameless window, see Pic 11, will appear with:
Keyboard Input Methods (IBus Daemon) has not been started. Do you want to start it now?
Click the Yes button.

The IBus icon, see Pic 12, will appear in the Panel.

Pic 11 - Refer to Step 7. Nameless window-1.


Pic 12 - Refer to Step 7. The IBus icon which appears in the Panel. Note that the Keyboard Layout icon has nothing to do with the IBus icon.


8. Another nameless window, see Pic 13, will appear with:
IBus has been started! If you can not use IBus, please open System Menu -> System Settings -> Language Support and set the "Keyboard Input Method" to "ibus", then log out and back in again.
Click the OK button.

Pic 13 - Refer to Step 8. Nameless window-2.


9. The IBus Preferences window, see Pic 14, will appear.

Go to the Input Method tab.

Put a tick in the box next to:
Customize active input methods

From the Select an input method menu, choose Japanese > Anthy.

Click the Add button.

Then close the window.

Pic 14 - Refer to Step 9. Adding the input method.


10. Giving Hiragana a try.

Open LibreOffice Writer or any other program.

Click the IBus icon in the Panel, see Pic 15.

In the menu, change from Input method Off to Japanese - Anthy then type-away.

To write, you type in romaji, e.g. nihongo. As you type, that would be replaced by hirigana にほんご. Hit space and that would be replaced with the kanji 日本語. Hit space again and you get a menu of other ways to represent it, which is important as Japanese has many homonyms.

Source: How do I get keyboard to write hiragana instead of katakana? - Ask Ubuntu
(http://askubuntu.com/questions/28669/how-do-i-get-keyboard-to-write-hiragana-instead-of-katakana)

When you're done, remember to change the input method back to Input method Off.

Pic 15 - Refer to Step 10. Changing the input method.



Part D: Starting IBus the next time

11. If the input method is giving you trouble, try restarting the application automatically by choosing Restart from the menu, see Pic 15.

If the problem persists, simply Quit the application, see Pic 15, and restart it manually, see Step 12.


12. Next time, to start the application, in the Launcher, see Pic 9, click the Dash Home icon, see Pic 2.

In the Search field, type-in "ibus".

Click the IBus icon, see Pic 16.

Pic 16 - Refer to Step 12. The IBus icon.



Part E: How to "activate" Pinyin

I don't think the Pinyin input in my system came with the Japanese language package shown in Step 3 to Step 4. i think it came with some other packages that were installed in the previous version of Ubuntu.

Pic 17 - The added input methods.


13. If you need to add Pinyin, repeat Step 3 to add the package.

Search for the Chinese (simplified) language package see, Pic 18.

Pic 18 - Refer to Step 13. Adding the language package.


14. Repeat Step 9 to add the input method.

In the IBus Preferences window, see Pic 17, go to the Input Method tab.

In the Select an input method menu, add Chinese > Pinyin.

Then click the Add button.



Wassalam.

Thursday, September 6, 2012

How to update Ubuntu using the Terminal or Update Manager [Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin]

Updated: 28 Syawal 1433H / 15th Sep 2012M, Sa.

19 Syawal 1433H, Kh.

Assalamualaikum warahmatullah.

I've just upgraded from Ubuntu 11.10 Oneiric Ocelot to Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin.

For some reasons the system has given me internal errors since the last two start-ups.

My cousin suggested the reason to be the dual-boot thus not everything was upgraded. To try iron out the problems, she suggested updating the system manually using the Terminal. Then remove unneeded packages using the Terminal as well.

The command line has changed since Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala. The old post:
How to update Ubuntu using the Terminal or Update Manager [Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala]
(http://ubuntudigest.blogspot.com/2010/03/how-to-update-ubuntu-using-terminal-or.html)

I stopped using the Terminal after i had some problems with the update or something and have been updating using the Update Manager since. The problem happened some releases back. That's why i haven't update that post although aware of the change in command line. But there's no reason not to make a new post now.


Part A: Update using the Terminal

Pic 1 - The Terminal window.


1. Run the Terminal window.

i'm used to the Launcher being auto-hidden in Ubuntu 11.10 so i had the Launcher hidden for Ubuntu 12.04 as well.

In 12.04 - the launcher is not hidden by default.

Source: configuration - How do I configure Unity 2D? - Ask Ubuntu > 11.10 & above
(http://askubuntu.com/questions/32667/how-do-i-configure-unity-2d)

1.1. Go all the way to the left of the screen to call-out the Launcher. Skip this step if your Launcher is not auto-hidden.


1.2. In the Launcher, click the Dash Home icon, see Pic 2 and Pic 3.

Pic 2 - Refer to Step 1.2. The Dash Home icon in Launcher.


Pic 3 - Refer to Step 1.2. Accessing the Terminal.


1.3. In the Search field, type-in "terminal", see Pic 3.

The search results will auto-filter.


1.4. In the filtered results, click the Terminal icon, see Pic 4.

The Terminal window will appear, see Pic 1.

Pic 4 - Refer to Step 1.4. The Terminal icon.


2. To get the list of packages, type into the Terminal the command line, see Pic 5:
sudo apt-get update
then press the Enter button.

Pic 5 - Refer to Step 2. Getting the updates.


3. The password prompt for user, see Pic 6:
[sudo] password for aisha:
will appear immediately below the command line in Step 2.

Type-in your password then press the Enter button.

The password itself (i.e., ABC123) or characters representing the password (i.e., ******) will not appear as you type-in your password. Even the cursor doesn't move as the password is typed-in, instead it remains blinking in the same spot.

The fetching is done when the line, see Pic 7:
Reading package lists... Done
appears.
Pic 6 - Refer to Step 3. The requested password.


Pic 7 - Refer to Step 3. Done fetching lists of packages.


4. To see the list of updates required for your system, type into the Terminal the command line, see Pic 8:
sudo apt-get install
then press the Enter button.


..., see Pic 9:


To install the updates, type into the Terminal, see Pic 10:
y
then press the Enter button.

Pic 8 - Refer to Step 4.

Pic 9 - Refer to Step 4. *No updates at the moment to make screenshot.*

Pic 10 - Refer to Step 4. *No updates at the moment to make screenshot.*



Note 1: Autoremove

Sometimes you get the, see Pic 11:
The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:
response.

Pic 11 - The no longer required packages.


5. To automatically remove obsolete/unnecessary packages, type into the Terminal the command line, see Pic 12:
sudo apt-get autoremove
then press the Enter button.

Pic 12 - Refer to Step 5. Removing the unnecessary packages.


6. When asked, see Pic 13:
Do you want to continue [Y/n]?

Type in:
y
to continue the removal process then press the Enter button.


Type in:
n
to quit the removal process then press the Enter button.


The removal process is done when the line (user@computer:~$), see Pic 14:
aisha@Lenovo-Aisha:~$
appears.

Pic 13 - Refer to Step 6. Confirming the removal process.


Pic 14 - Refer to Step 6. The removal process is complete.



Note 2: Upgrade

Sometimes you get the, see Pic 15:
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 35 not upgraded.
response.

Pic 15 - Packages need to be upgraded.


7. To upgrade the packages, type into the Terminal the command line, see Pic 16:
sudo apt-get upgrade
then press the Enter button.

The list of packages needing upgrade will be listed, see Pic 17.

Pic 16 - Refer to Step 7. Upgrading the necessary packages.


Pic 17 - Refer to Step 7. The list of packages needing an upgrade.


8. When asked, see Pic 18:
Do you want to continue [Y/n]?

Type in:
y
to continue the removal process then press the Enter button.


Type in:
n
to quit the removal process then press the Enter button.


The removal process is done when the line (user@computer:~$), see Pic 14:
aisha@Lenovo-Aisha:~$
appears.

Pic 18 - Refer to Step 8. Confirming the upgrading process.



Part B: Update using the Update Manager

Pic 19 - The Update Manager window.


9. Run the Update Manager window.


9.1. Go all the way to the left of the screen to call-out the Launcher. Skip this step if your Launcher is not auto-hidden.


9.2. In the Launcher, click the Dash Home icon, see Pic 2 and Pic 20.

Pic 20 - Refer to Step 9.2. Accessing the Update Manager window.


9.3. In the Search field, type-in "update", see Pic 20.

The search results will auto-filter.


9.4. In the filtered results, click the Update Manager icon, see Pic 21.

The Update Manager window will appear, see Pic 19.

Pic 21 - Refer to Step 9.4. The Update Manager icon.


10. In the Update Manager window, click the Check button to check for updates, see Pic 22.


Pic 22 - Refer to Step 10. *No updates at the moment to make screenshot.*


11. A tick mark is automatically put in the box next to the updates.

Click the Install Updates button to install the updates, see Pic 23.


Pic 23 - Refer to Step 11. *No updates at the moment to make screenshot.*



Note 3: Pinning the Update Manager to the Launcher

12. To "pin" the Update Manager icon in the Launcher, run the Update Manager. See Step 1.


13. Right-click the Update Manager icon in the Launcher, see Pic 24.

In the right-click menu, click Lock to Launcher.

Pic 24 - Refer to Step 13.



Wassalam.

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Finally, Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin is on my laptop

18 Syawal 1433H, Ra.

Assalamualaikum warahmatullah.

I've upgraded to Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin! See Pic 1.

Pic 1 - See, see, see! Desktop screenshot.


This decision came after a suggestion from my cousin.

The first error i encountered was an internal error with my bluetooth.

The first tweak was to auto-hide the Launcher (Dash Home). Followed the steps, here:
How do I configure Unity 2D?
(http://askubuntu.com/questions/32667/how-do-i-configure-unity-2d)


Wassalam