How to use scim to input Romanized Pali and Sanskrit in Ubuntu 9.04

Updated on April 24, 2009 for Ubuntu 9.04.

Step 1. Install scim-m17n

sudo aptitude install scim-m17n

Step 2: create a new input method file for Transliteration

sudo gedit /usr/share/m17n/sa-translit.mim

The following is the complete content of the file which can be easily copied and pasted and tweaked according to your taste. Save it, before closing the file:

;;; <li> sa-translit.mim
;;;
;;; Input method for Sanskrit transliteration using the ITRANS scheme.

(input-method t sa-translit)

(title "sa-translit")

(map
(trans

("aa" "ā")
("AA" "Ā")
("ii" "ī")
("II" "Ī")
("uu" "ū")
("UU" "Ū")
(".r" "ṛ")
(".R" "Ṛ")
(".rr" "ṝ")
(".RR" "Ṝ")
(".l" "ḷ")
(".L" "Ḷ")
(".ll" "ḹ")
(".LL" "Ḹ")
(".M" "ṁ")
(".m" "ṃ")
(".h" "ḥ")
(".H" "Ḥ")
(";n" "ṅ")
(";N" "Ṅ")
("~n" "ñ")
("~N" "Ñ")
(".t" "ṭ")
(".T" "Ṭ")
(".d" "ḍ")
(".D" "Ḍ")
(".n" "ṇ")
(".N" "Ṇ")
(";s" "ś")
(";S" "Ś")
(".s" "ṣ")
(".S" "Ṣ")
))

(state
(init
(trans)))

Step 3: Check Scim setting (System->Preferences->SCIM Method Input Setup). Your new transliteration input method (t-sa-translit) should be available under the "Other" category.

ITRANS Method
aa = ā
AA = Ā
ii = ī
II = Ī
uu = ū
UU = Ū
.r = ṛ
.R = Ṛ
.rr = ṝ
.RR = Ṝ
.l = ḷ
.L = Ḷ
.ll = ḹ
.LL = Ḹ
.M = ṁ
.m = ṃ
.h = ḥ
.H = Ḥ
;n = ṅ
;N = Ṅ
~n = ñ
~N = Ñ
.t = ṭ
.T = Ṭ
.d = ḍ
.D = Ḍ
.n = ṇ
.N = Ṇ
;s = ś
;S = Ś
.s = ṣ
.S = Ṣ

For how to make scim work in Ubuntu: Read this:
http://thanhsiang.org/faqing/node/118

For Devanagari Input:
In scim, under Hindi input, choose hi-itrans

For Ubuntu 8.04 or earlier version, please see: amerikkanu's post "Sanskrit input (Devanagari and transliteration)" at:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=646207

For other method, see: http://thanhsiang.org/faqing/node/24

Can't find 'sa-translit.mim' file

Hi, thank you so much for this!

I use Debian Lenny. I downloaded and installed 'scim-m17n' but unfortunately, for some reason, in my '/usr/share/m17n' directory there's no such file as: 'sa-translit.mim'. So I still can't type in Pali.

Does anyone know how I could solve this problem?

Thank you very much!

Zac.

You need to create the file.

You need to create the file.

created the file, but still can't type in pali

Hello there! It's been a while since my last post. I'd given up typing in Pali, but now I'm back again.

Sorry, friend, only now did I get the idea! I have to create the file! I'd never done that before. Thanks for that!

However, when I pasted the content of the new file in the terminal, some characters (all characters containing a dot) didn't appear. They appeared only as those little "squares" (unrecognized characters). I suppose that's ok, though. It's probably happening only at the terminal.

Step 3 ["Your new transliteration input method (t-sa-translit) should be available under the "Other" category"] is also fine here.

Anyway, I still can't type in Pali, unfortunately. Can anyone help me try to understand what it is that I'm missing, please?

I'm running Debian Lenny.

Thank you so much!
Zac.

Use openoffice to type Pali

See here;
thanhsiang.org/faqing/node/147