## Install


### Requirements

The core components of scim-lib generally depends on ``NOTHING``: if you have a c++ compiler, you would be able to compile it. However should you prefer Gtk GUIs, then Gtk2 is required. scim-lib comes with several config modules, one of which is `gconf` config module: you would need gconf (which is depend on other Gnome2 packages) to compile and make use of it. 

(If you prefer KDE/Qt GUIs, then you would like to try [[Software.ScimKDE][skim|Software.ScimKDE][skim]].) 


### Install scim-lib from source

There are two choices to install scim-lib from source code:  One is using released tarballs, the other is checking out from !CVS.  The releases are relatively well tested and more stable, but may be a little outdated.  The !CVS checkout is very bleeding-edge, but it's in heavy development, so more error-prone. 


#### Install from releases

After downloading and uncompressing the released tarballs: 

    $ ./configure --prefix`/usr --sysconfdir`/etc
    $ make
    # make install

If you don't use options in `configure`, SCIM is going to be installed in `/usr/local`. 


#### Install from !CVS

First, checkout the source from !CVS 

    $ export CVS_RSH="ssh"
    $ cvs -z3 -d:ext:anoncvs@savannah.nongnu.org:/cvsroot/scim checkout -P scim-lib
    $ cd scim-lib

After checking out the source: 

    $ ./bootstrap
    $ ./configure --prefix`/usr --sysconfdir`/etc
    $ make
    # make install

If you prefer KDE, you can checkout [[Software.ScimKDE][skim|Software.ScimKDE][skim]], the procedure is just the same as above, you only need to replace scim-lib with skim. 


#### Gentoo

All the SCIM packages are included in the official portage, so all you have to do is 

    # emerge scim

If you want Pinyin (Simplified Chinese) input method, please emerge `scim-chinese`; If table based (including Simplified/Traditional Chinese, Japanese, Russian etc.) input method is prefered, please emerge `scim-table`; If you are the users of `[[Software.uim][UIM]]`, then `scim-uim` (and/or `scim-m17n`) is (are) what you want. 

(Do not forget to specify the `ACCEPT_KEYWORDS`"~x86"= before you emerge anything in SCIM if the latest versions are desired) 

If `-gtk` (and/or `-gnome`) is included in your `USE` variable, or *KDE/Qt* is prefered, then probably you should also emerge `[[Software.ScimKDE][skim]]`. 

-- Main.[[LiuCougar]] - 18 Jul 2004 


## Configure locales

On many systems, it will also be necessary to configure the locales.   

For some versions of the locales package, you should edit the file (as user `root`) 

    /etc/locale.gen

and for at least locales version 2.3.18, you should edit such a file as 

    /var/lib/locales/supported.d/zh

(or "/jp", depending on the language) to include a locale and encoding appropriate for your purposes.   For example, to use Simplified Chinese  with Unicode encodings, insert the line 

    zh_CN.UTF-8 UTF-8

See `/usr/share/i18n/SUPPORTED` for a list of locales supported on your system. 

Then create and install the locales in your system by running 

    locale-gen

See `man locale` for more information on locales. 


## Environment

If your system is set up for a language other than the target language, an application to be used with  SCIM will need to run in an environment set up for the target language. 

For example, in a terminal running the `bash` shell, type 

    export XMODIFIERS=@im=SCIM
    export LC_CTYPE=zh_CN.UTF-8

Now if SCIM is running, you can run, say, `gedit` from this terminal session, and use SCIM within that application to type Simplified Chinese. 

To use the SCIM input methods in GTK applications (and in Gnome generally) 

    export GTK_IM_MODULE=scim

To use the SCIM input methods in Qt applications (KDE desktop) 

    export QT_IM_SWITCHER=imsw-multi
    export QT_IM_MODULE=scim

Of course, one can simplify this process by writing scripts that set the environment and run the desired application at once.  For example, put the following in a file named "chinese", and make the file executable, and put it in your `PATH`. 

    #!/bin/bash
    # Launches argument program in an environment appropriate to use
    # with SCIM Chinese input method.  Launches scim as daemon if it
    # doesn't find it running.
    export XMODIFIERS=@im=SCIM
    export GTK_IM_MODULE=scim
    export QT_IM_SWITCHER=imsw-multi
    export QT_IM_MODULE=scim
    export LC_CTYPE=zh_CN.UTF-8
    
    scim_running=`ps cax | grep -c ' scim'`
    
    if [ $scim_running == 0 ]; then
    scim -d
    fi
    
    exec $@

Then for example the command `chinese gedit` will bring up gedit with everything set up properly.