Fedora :: Text Size In Console Got Sidetracked To Discussing Fbterm?

A thread on text size in console got sidetracked to discussing fbterm. In an effort to not (further) hijack that thread, I've started this one.[URL].. Anyway, I was asked how I got ibus-fbterm working. I only really got it working in ArchLinux, not Fedora, but I suspect if someone works enough at it, they can get it working in Fedora as well. I do a minimal installation, installing X and fluxbox or openbox. One also needs to have framebuffer working--if you have nomodeset in grub, due to, for example, using an NVidia driver, this won't work. You will have a /dev/fb0. In Arch, this is owned by root:video. When installing fbterm, there's a message that one should add themselves to the video group in order take advantage of this.

I used it with ibus-anthy. First, I made sure that that worked properly in X. I then installed fbterm and ibus-fbterm. So, to get it working, first be sure that ibus and your desired input method is working in X. Then, you have to have rights to /dev/fb0--in Arch, this was easy, making myself a member of the video group, not sure about the best way to do it in Fedora. As a temporary experiment, I just did a chmod 777 on it, which is obviously not the best solution.

Now in console, start ibus
ibus-daemon --xim
Before running fbterm, run the command
setcap 'cap_sys_tty_config+ep' /path/to/fbterm

as root or with root privilege. In Arch, the setcap command was there, in Fedora, I had to install it. I'm afraid I forget what program provided it, I had to use yum provides */setcap Then call ibus-fbterm with ibus-fbterm-launch You'll see that your console looks slightly different. Now, if it works, you should be able to hit ctl+space and then input the language of your choice (in my case Japanese.) In Fedora, it didn't work. I would hit shift space and enter characters, but nothing happened.

In Arch, it was a bit better--I'd hit ctl+space and enter something. Then, when I hit enter, I would see the results of what I'd typed. I couldn't edit it until I'd left input mode by hitting ctl+space again. That is, after hitting enter, I'd see the result of what I typed, but couldn't backspace.or otherwise go back. What it would do is, when I was trying to select kanji, by hitting the space bar after t yping the phonetic, is, after the second or third hit of the space bar, it would show the kanji choices and I could pick one.