I type in the root terminal the following command : "sudo apt-get install scim "and the terminal asked me to insert the Debian Etch installation CD into my DVD drive and I followed his instructions , then it shows : done . Then I checked Desktop>>Preferrences, and found a SCIM Input Method Setup there , I opened it , but had no idea what to do to input Chinese . Then I typed in " sudo apt-get install scim-chinese " , (the installation CD still in the DVD drive ) , after a while , the terminal shows : done . I opened the SCIM Input Method Setup again and found that there is a PinYin input method in the IMengine , yet I still did not have any faintest idea what do I gotta do to USE the PinYin input method . I feel really frustrated . Who can help me ???

Any suggestions and tips would be greatly appreciated.
Thanx in advanc

Try updating the packages from the internet (although from Beijing that might be a bit problematic, try a Chinese or European mirror, not an American one ) Did you change the keyboard preferences to the Chinese character set?