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I have just installed Lubuntu 14.04.1 LTS (Trusty Tahr) and I need to input Chinese traditional and simplified characters. I have successfully installed Language Support. But in "Keyboard Input Methods" no Chinese options are there of any kind. The window I get is called "IBus Preferences" and there is a tab, "Input Method." There is a "show all input methods" that presumably exhausts available languages. Chinese is not there.

I can open another window in "Preferences" called "Input Method." Unfortunately I do not understand the jargon in the series of windows that follow.

I can only understand step by step instructions in lay terminology. I have no expertise in computers and no experience with Ubuntu. Thank you!

Allen
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  • You might need to install the language first: http://askubuntu.com/questions/10853/how-do-i-switch-to-another-language/10858#10858 – jmunsch Nov 14 '14 at 16:11
  • Thanks for the link. I have read it and cannot find system>administration>Language Support in my system, Lubuntu 14.04.1 LTS. There is also no such options on my login screen, as the link suggests. I suspect it's talking about a different system. As far as understand, I have already installed language support: (1) bottom left button (2) preferences (3) language support. In resulting window click "install / remove languages." In the new window that comes up, "installed languages," I already have my languages check-marked and "apply changes" is greyed out. – Allen Nov 15 '14 at 07:14

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Had the exact same problem: after adding Chinese in Language Support, Chinese was still not showing as an input option to add in Lubuntu 14.04. Specifically trying to add via IBus Preferences which can be launched via Preferences menu -> Keyboard Input Methods, or by right-clicking the LXPanel's language keyboard digraph (ie "US") on the bottom right and selecting Preferences ... then selecting the Input Method tab and then Add but Chinese did not appear in the list of languages.

Ultimate solution was to
- 1) ensure Chinese was successfully added in Language Support, and that Language Support was updated (automatically checks when you launch the GUI via the Preferences menu)
- 2) THEN do a good ol' reboot (logout would probably work fine, too).

Violà! 成功！ Chinese appears third on the list, after English and Arabic

(Note: from within PRC this instance i first had to connect to a VPN for Language Support to auto-update properly, but it's worked in the past without.)

Matt
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  • I connected to VPN, remove and reinstall language and then reboot. Works now. No idea which one makes it work. – Evan Hu Aug 14 '16 at 05:13
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There should be a little flag or a two letter code on the right side of the LXPanel. Right click that and choose "Keyboard Layout Handler Settings". On the right side of the window you will see under Advanced setxkbmap Options, "Keep system layouts". It is probably checked. Un-check it. On the left side of the window you will see "Keyboard Layouts" which has suddenly become available to change. Choose "Add" and then scroll down to Chinese. Select it. Move it up to where you want it. Then re-check "Keep system layouts". It will take effect upon reboot or a new session.

Rex
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  • Thanks! Worked like a charm and I learned what the LXPanel is too. – Allen Nov 14 '14 at 07:20
  • Oops, spoke a little too soon maybe. Everything worked that you said Rex, and I can now click to switch between language codes (EN, CN, JP) bottom right of LXPanel. But I must have missed something. I rebooted my machine. I have tried switching to CN and typing in Firefox in this window, and tried as well in a google search bar. I expect at least a menu to pop up with a list of characters when I switch to CN and type-- but nothing. If it makes any difference, if I click on the keyboard icon (the one right next to the two-letter language codes) I can see only English and Japanese, no Chinese. – Allen Nov 14 '14 at 07:58
  • Go to PCManFM and under View check "show hidden". Now go to /etc/default/keyboard and make sure it reads XBKLAYOUT="en,cn,jp" XBKVARiant="nodeadkeys". Does the language code for Chinese, cn show up when you toggle the little flag or the two letter code? If it does not I would repeat the operation. Are you sure that you re-checked "keep system layouts"? – Rex Nov 14 '14 at 15:52
  • I forgot to re-check "keep system layouts." Now done. In /etc/default/keyboard I found the following: XKBLAYOUT="us" XKBVARIANT="" and changed it to XKBLAYOUT="en,cn,jp" XKBVARIANT="nodeadkeys" Upon closing the file a window says "the file 'keyboard' already exists, overwite?" I click "yes," and get another window, "can't open file to overwrite." So I tried saving it as "keyboard1" (with the idea of later renaming it to "keyboard"). It won't let me save the file. Also, I could toggle between two-letter language codes in the tray yesterday, but not anymore. Sorry for the bad news. – Allen Nov 14 '14 at 20:30
  • Out of curiosity have installed the Chinese language pack? – Rex Nov 15 '14 at 18:09