https://blog.margrop.net/en/tag/gnome/ Recent content in GNOME on Margrop Blog Hugo -- gohugo.io en-US Fri, 22 May 2026 16:05:00 +0800 https://blog.margrop.net/en/post/ubuntu2604-desktop-chinese-language-input-method/ Fri, 22 May 2026 16:05:00 +0800 https://blog.margrop.net/en/post/ubuntu2604-desktop-chinese-language-input-method/ <blockquote> <p><strong>Short version</strong></p> <p>After installing Ubuntu 26.04 Desktop, do not treat Chinese support as “just install one input method package.” The stable sequence is: update the system, install full Chinese language support, install CJK fonts, decide whether the desktop UI itself should be Chinese, add a Chinese input source, and only then choose between the GNOME-friendly IBus Intelligent Pinyin path and the more customizable Fcitx5 path.</p> </blockquote> <p>Ubuntu 26.04 LTS is a very usable desktop system out of the box, but Chinese users usually hit the same three issues soon after installation: the interface is partly translated or not translated at all, Chinese text looks thin or falls back to poor fonts, and the input method either does not appear or cannot be switched reliably.</p> <p>Those issues should not be fixed separately. On Ubuntu Desktop, language support and input methods are connected. Language packages provide translations, regional formats, fonts, dictionaries, and related desktop resources. The input method framework converts keyboard events into Chinese candidates. GNOME Settings connects those engines to the active desktop session. If you only install <code>ibus-libpinyin</code> or only install <code>fcitx5</code>, you may end up with a system that can technically type Chinese but still feels unfinished.</p> <p>This article is for users who have just installed Ubuntu 26.04 Desktop, and also for people who routinely prepare Linux laptops or desktops for family, coworkers, or new machines. The goal is not to build the most complicated input method setup. The goal is a clean baseline: Chinese text displays correctly, Chinese input switches reliably, and the English desktop can remain available if you prefer it.</p> <p>All screenshots in this article are real operation screenshots from public references and are stored locally on this site. One screenshot was cropped before being included to remove an unrelated remote-desktop title bar. Ubuntu 26.04 daily images, final release images, OEM builds, and later point releases may use slightly different labels, but the workflow and troubleshooting logic are the same.</p>