Since I’m sizing down my whole setup - including the systems I’m using 1 and while at the same time being interested in alternative input methods, I found that ibus-typing-booster2 is real nice.

Installing on Mate is straightforward.

  1. Install the package: ` sudo apt install ibus-typing-booster`
  2. In Mate, go to “System Settings”
  3. Go to the “Other” Section and “iBus Preferences”; if disabled, enable it and continue with step 4, otherwise, go to step 6
  4. Only if iBus was disabled: Add variables to ~/.bashrc (See optional section below)
  5. Now log out from mate and login again
  6. Now that ibus is certainly enabled, in “iBus Preferences” go to tab “Input Method” and press the “Add” Button.
  7. Several languages are presented, but click the three dot icon for “Other”
  8. Scroll down” until you see the “Other” entry and select it
  9. Select “Typing Booster” and click “Add”.

I do not find this very intuitive and depending on your GNOME version your mileage will vary.

Anyway, now it’s enabled.

Bonus: When you want it to work in the kitty terminal emulator, too, add export GLFW_IM_MODULE=ibus to your .profile. #Win!

Optional: Add variables to ~/.bashrc

Add the following lines to your ~/.bashrc:

export GTK_IM_MODULE=ibus
export XMODIFIERS=@im=ibus
export QT_IM_MODULE=ibus

References

  1. Shenzhen GPD Technology Co., Ltd., “GPD MicroPC.” https://www.gpd.hk/gpdmicropc (accessed Jun. 26, 2022). ↩

  2. The ibus-typing-booster team, “ibus-typing-booster.” https://mike-fabian.github.io/ibus-typing-booster/ (accessed Jun. 26, 2022). ↩