Porteus 5.0 icake Chinese language packages
 

The Porteus team has released Porteus version 5.0 final (32 and 64 bit) on July 5, 2022.

more information and discussions: https://forum.porteus.org/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=10183

Download iso: http://porteus.org/porteus-mirrors.html

I have created 5 half-Chinese language modules and 2 Chinese language modules for Porteus version 5.0 final separately for 32 and 64 bit systems. These Chinese language modules will provide Chinese support to the Porteus systems in 2 stages.

(A) Stage 1 - Half-Chinese-Language-Module:
Stage 1 adds 2 functions to the system. The first function is to install Chinese fonts to display Chinese characters (otherwise the Chinese characters will be shown as squares “□”). The second function is to install a Chinese Language Input Platform with various Chinese input methods so that users can input Chinese in applications.

Under stage 1, all system user interfaces, desktop menus, sub-menus, pop-up tool-tips are still English.

Stage 1 was achieved by installing an icake half-Chinese language module (names contain en-zh). Each half-Chinese language module includes 1 Chinese input method platform: fcitx, gcin, hime, scim or yong:
a. 64 bit:
018-fcitx64_4.2.9-en-zh-bionic-221.0.1.xzm (29 input methods)
018-gcin64_2.9.0-en-zh-bionic-221.0.1.xzm (16 input methods)
018-hime64_0.9.11-en-zh-bionic-221.0.1.xzm (10 input methods)
018-scim64_1.4.15-en-zh-bionic-221.0.1.xzm (24 input methods)
018-yong64_2.5.0-en-zh-bionic-221.0.1.xzm (25 input methods)

b. 32 bit:
018-fcitx32_4.2.9-en-zh-bionic-220.0.1.xzm (23 input methods)
018-gcin32_2.9.0-en-zh-bionic-220.0.1.xzm (16 input methods)
018-hime32_0.9.11-en-zh-bionic-220.0.1.xzm (10 input methods)
018-scim32_1.4.15-en-zh-bionic-220.0.1.xzm (23 input methods)
018-yong32_2.5.0-en-zh-bionic-220.0.1.xzm (25 input methods)

(B) Stage 2 – Chinese-Language-Modules:
Stage 2 will change all system user interfaces, desktop menus, sub-menus, pop-up tool-tips into Chinese (either Traditional Chinese or Simplified Chinese).

To get stage 2 Chinese support, you have to install one of the Chinese language modules. There are 2 classes of Chinese language modules, Traditional Chinese language modules (names contain zhhk) and Simplified Chinese language modules (names contain zhcn). To function normally, stage 2 modules assume that an appropriate half-Chinese-language-module has already been installed in the system to enable it to display and input Chinese characters.

Chinese-Language-Modules:
64 bit
Simplified Chinese: 019-porteus-xfce-v5.0-x86_64-zhcn-221.0.1.xzm
Traditional Chinese: 019-porteus-xfce-v5.0-x86_64-zhhk-221.0.1.xzm

32 bit
Simplified Chinese: 019-porteus-xfce-v5.0-i586-zhcn-220.0.1.xzm
Traditional Chinese: 019-porteus-xfce-v5.0-i586-zhhk-220.0.1.xzm

(C) To use:
1. You must install a half-Chinese language module first before installing any Chinese language module.

2. To get Stage 1 Chinese support to your system, install an appropriate half-Chinese language module as follows:
In an Porteus Linux system:
a. change user to root: (open a terminal; type: su root; press: enter; type password: toor; press: enter; type: startx; press: enter )
b. left click on the name of the selected half-Chinese module and confirm that you want to activate it.
c. After the installation process finished, please restart X server manually by opening a terminal, type: startx, press: return.

3. After installing an appropriate half-Chinese language moudle, the Porteus system can input and display Chinese.
To input Chinese:
a. open an application that allows user input (e.g. terminal or text editor).
b. put the cursor inside a user input field, then press Ctrl + space. This will activate the Chinese input platform and a Chinese input window will appear on the screen.
c. to setup, select or change Chinese input method, click on specific area of the Chinese input window (in the tray on top right corner of screen) and you will see the options
d. to input Chinese, move cursor to the input area of the application and start entering Chinese using the rules of the select Chinese input method

4. To get Stage 2 Chinese support to your system, you need to install an appropriate half-Chinese language module first. After getting Stage 1 Chinese support to your system, you can get Stage 2 Chinese support to your system by installing an appropriate Chinese language module.
Under your Porteus Linux system:
a. change user to root: (open a terminal; type: su root; press: enter; type password: toor; press: enter; type: startx; press: enter )
b. left click on the name of the selected Chinese language module and confirm that you want to activate it.

After the installation, please restart X server manually by opening a terminal, type: startx, press: return.

5. When you have Stage 2 Chinese support to your system, you will have Chinese display, Chinese input, plus your desktop menu, sub-menu, mouse move over pop-up tool-tips are mostly shown in either Simplified Chinese or Traditional Chinese.

(D) user guide
More details about these half-Chinese and Chinese language modules can be found in a pdf user guide written in English, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese“20210829_icake_porteus_chinese_module_user_guide.pdf”.

(E) Other notes:
1. There are still unresolved issues that prevent the yong Chinese input platform program to run on a number of applications in Porteus version 5.0.
These include:
a. terminals: UXterminal, LXterminal
b. browsers: only seamonkey works, cannot run in palemoon, firefox, chromium, opera, light, brave
c. office: Libreoffice

2. I have attempted to run fcitx5 and ibus Chinese input platforms on the Porteus version 5.0 system and still have unsolved issues.

icake
Oct 4, 2022