IBus on Ubuntu

Install Chinese Input Method

If you choose English when you install ubuntu, there is not a Chinese input method installed, but you can install it with commands in the terminal.

Update Your System

Before you install input method, you should update your software.

If you want to stay in 20.04(or what you are using), DON’T upgrade your system. Just update the software.

Update your software repository and upgrade your software
Use ctrl+alt+t to start a terminal, and run the command to update

sudo apt update     # Update the software repository
sudo apt upgrade    # Update the software. If failed, type `sudo apt upgrade --fix-missing` to try again.  
reboot              # Restart your computer.

Or just click Install Now when the window pop up.

If you don’t see the pop-up window, you still have 2 ways to start the update.

or

Install the Pinyin Input Method

Install ibus-pinyin

sudo apt install ibus-pinyin

You’d better restart your system or log out and log in again for the ibus to load its profile again.

Setup IBus

So what is IBus?

IBus

The Intelligent Input Bus (IBus) is an input method framework for multilingual input in Unix-like operating systems. It’s called “Bus” because it has a bus-like architecture.

ibus-setup

Click Input Method-Add and choose Pinyin (or Bopomofo if you like to).

Add Input Source

Add input source in system settings by Settings-Region & Language-Input Sources, click the + and add Chinese input method.

Click Super(Win)+Space to switch your input method to Chinese and you can happily type Chinese.