Nimf Input Method Framework

🇺🇸 English | 🇰🇷 한국어

---

Nimf is a lightweight, fast and extensible input method framework that supports Korean, Japanese, Chinese, and many other languages through multilingual input engines.

📋 Table of Contents

• About
• Key Features
• Installation
• Build from Source
• Contributing

🎯 About

Nimf is maintained by the HamoniKR Team as a continuation of the original nimf project. This fork ensures the sustainability of this essential input method framework for Korean and multilingual text input on Linux systems.

What's New

• Full GTK4 support with backwards compatibility (GTK2/3/4)
• Modular packaging: Core package + optional multilingual extension (nimf-i18n)
• Enhanced platform support across major Linux distributions
• Improved Wayland compatibility and environment integration

⚡ Key Features

🌐 Multilingual Input Support

• Korean: Advanced Hangul input with libhangul (Dubeolsik, Sebeolsik, etc.)
• Japanese: Comprehensive hiragana/katakana/kanji input via Anthy
• Chinese: Traditional and simplified Chinese with librime engine
• 100+ Languages: Extended multilingual support through m17n library

🖥️ Universal Compatibility

• Toolkit Support: GTK2, GTK3, GTK4, Qt5, Qt6
• Display Protocols: X11 and Wayland native support
• Desktop Environments: GNOME, KDE, XFCE, and others

🚀 Performance & Usability

• Lightweight: Minimal resource usage and fast startup
• System Integration: Native desktop indicator and configuration tools
• Customizable: Flexible keyboard layouts and input preferences

📦 Supported Platforms

Architecture	Distributions
x86_64	Ubuntu 24.04+, Debian 12+, Fedora 33+, openSUSE 15.6+, Arch Linux
arm64	Ubuntu 24.04+, Debian 12+, Arch Linux

🚀 Installation

Automatic Installation (Recommended)

Install the latest version with a single command on all supported distributions:

# Using curl
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/hamonikr/nimf/master/install | sudo bash

# Or using wget  
wget -qO- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/hamonikr/nimf/master/install | sudo -E bash -

This script automatically:

• ✅ Detects your distribution and installs the appropriate package
• ✅ Handles ibus conflicts (disables ibus-daemon if present)
• ✅ Configures environment variables for all desktop environments
• ✅ Sets Nimf as the default input method

Manual Installation

For advanced users who prefer manual installation, download the appropriate package from Releases and install using your distribution's package manager.

Examples:

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo dpkg -i nimf_*.deb && sudo apt-get install -f

# Fedora/RHEL  
sudo dnf install nimf-*.rpm

# Arch Linux
sudo pacman -U nimf-*.pkg.tar.zst

# openSUSE
sudo zypper install nimf-*.rpm

Note: Manual installation requires additional configuration steps. The automatic installation script above is recommended for most users.

⚙️ Configuration

GNOME Desktop Environment

On GNOME desktops (especially Fedora), you may need to install the AppIndicator extension to see the Nimf system tray icon:

# Fedora/RHEL
sudo dnf install gnome-shell-extension-appindicator

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt install gnome-shell-extension-appindicator

# Arch Linux
sudo pacman -S gnome-shell-extension-appindicator

After installation:

1. Log out and log back in (or restart GNOME Shell with Alt+F2 → r)
2. Enable the extension in GNOME Extensions app or via command line:

   gnome-extensions enable appindicatorsupport@rgcjonas.gmail.com

3. The Nimf icon should now appear in the system tray

Reference: How to use Nimf in GNOME

🔧 Build from Source

Quick Start

git clone --recurse-submodules https://github.com/hamonikr/nimf
cd nimf
./autogen.sh
./configure --prefix=/usr/local
make -j "$(nproc)"
sudo make install

Docker-based Package Building (Recommended)

For cross-platform package building:

# Build for specific distributions
./scripts/build-docker.sh ubuntu.2404
./scripts/build-docker.sh debian.bookworm  
./scripts/build-docker.sh fedora.latest
./scripts/build-docker.sh arch

# Generated packages will be in dist/ folder
find dist/ -name "*.deb" -o -name "*.rpm" -o -name "*.pkg.tar.*"

📚 Detailed Documentation:

• Docker builds: DOCKER-BUILD.md
• Source builds: BUILD.md
• Platform guides: Wiki

🤝 Contributing

Quick Links

• 🐛 Report Issues: GitHub Issues
• 💬 Community: HamoniKR Community
• 🔗 Additional Resources: Project Wiki

How to Contribute

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add amazing feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
5. Open a Pull Request

License

This project is licensed under the GNU Lesser General Public License v3.0.

See the LICENSE file for details.

---

Maintained by HamoniKR Team 💙
Ensuring sustainable multilingual input for the Linux ecosystem