A conversion engine doesn't work

First, check if you installed conversion engines you want to use. With uim-sh, you can see the list of conversion engines you installed:

$ uim-sh
uim> installed-im-list

or

$ uim-sh
uim> installed-im-module-list

You can make use of the -e option in uim-sh if you are using uim 1.5 or later.^[1]

$ uim-sh -e installed-im-list
$ uim-sh -e installed-im-module-list

If you can't find engines you want to use, install them.

Second, check if the engines are enabled. You can do it with uim-sh:

$ uim-sh
uim> enabled-im-list

or (uim 1.5 or later)

$ uim-sh -e enabled-im-list

You can also use a GUI tool (uim-pref-gtk, uim-pref-qt or uim-pref-qt4):

$ uim-pref-gtk

"Global settings" -> "Input method deployment" -> "Enabled input methods" -> "Edit..."

Third, if you want to use Canna, Sj3 or Wnn, check if cannaserver, sj3server or jserver is running respectively.

$ ps aux | grep cannaserver # Canna
$ ps aux | grep sj3server   # Sj3
$ ps aux | grep jserver     # Wnn

Uim doesn't work with an application

First, check if required bridges are installed.^[2]

• uim-xim: X applications
• uim-gtk: GTK+ applications, including GNOME applications
• uim-qt3: Qt 3 (or earlier) applications, including KDE 3 applications
• uim-qt4: Qt 4 applications, including KDE 4 applications
• uim-fep: consoles
• uim.el: Emacs

In some distributions, uim-qt means uim-qt3. In others, it means uim-qt4.

X applications include GTK+ and Qt applications and you can use uim-xim to input in GTK+ and Qt applications, but using uim-xim isn't recommended because uim-xim has many limitations compared with uim-gtk, uim-qt3 and uim-qt4.

Some X applications don't use GTK+ or Qt. You need to install uim-xim to input in such applications.

You can check if uim-xim is running as follows:

$ ps aux | grep uim-xim

If uim-xim isn't running, run it:

$ uim-xim &

If the GTK+ immodule (uim-gtk) causes GTK+ application crashes or it doesn't work, try to force uim to use XIM in GTK+ applications:

$ GTK_IM_MODULE=xim firefox # force uim to use XIM in Firefox

If the Qt immodule (uim-qt3 and uim-qt4) causes Qt application crashes or it doesn't work, try to force uim to use XIM in Qt applications:

$ QT_IM_MODULE=xim opera # force uim to use XIM in Opera

Forcing uim to use XIM in GTK+ or Qt applications is not a true fix but just a workaround. If you notice a bug in uim-gtk, uim-qt3 or uim-qt4, report it to the freedesktop.org bugzilla, mailto:uim-en@googlegroups.com (English) or mailto:uim-ja@googlegroups.com (Japanese).

Second, check your environment variables:^[3]

$ echo $XMODIFIERS
@im=uim
$ echo $GTK_IM_MODULE
uim
$ echo $QT_IM_MODULE
uim

If these environment variables aren't correctly set, see Uim/Setup.

Third, check what conversion engine you are using. You can use an IM switcher or a toolbar to do it:

$ uim-toolbar-gtk

You may want to specify a default conversion engine:^[3]

$ uim-pref-gtk

"Global settings" -> "Input method deployment" -> "Specify default IM" (Check) -> "Default input method"

For GTK+ applications, see also Uim doesn't work with GTK+.

Uim doesn't work with GTK+

If you can use uim everywhere except in GTK+ applications, the problem lies most likely with the GTK immodule. You will need to:

1. Run the following commands:

 $ gtk-query-immodules-2.0 > /tmp/gtk.immodules.current
 $ diff -u /tmp/gtk.immodules.current $(locate gtk.immodules | grep gtk-2.0) > /tmp/gtk.immodules.diff

2. Send the following files and information to mailto:uim-en@googlegroups.com

• /tmp/gtk.immodules.current
• /tmp/gtk.immodules.diff
• Your OS distribution and version

Last resort

If you have tried everything in the book and nothing helps you can always:

1. Remove all uim-related packages (uim, dictionaries, GTK+ and Qt).
2. Reboot
3. Reinstall

This is, naturally, a lousy solution to any problem and it is impossible to predict its effectiveness, but we shouldn't complain if it gets the job done.

See also

• Support

References