pkg-ime: ibus TODO list

Brief description

This page summarizes status and TODOs for ibus related packages for the wheezy release.

Challenges

Upstream URL tracking (code.google.com -> github.com): done for ibus, other packages ???
ibus 1.4 -> 1.5: done
inclusion of ibus-xkbc into ibus (Tracking Fedora): done
Python binding (ibus-python -> python3-gi/python-gi based gobject introspection bindings): done
python2 to python3: done
drop ibus-python: done

Why /usr/lib/ibus for the plug-in executable

Unlike Fedora/RedHat, Debian does not use /usr/libexec directory for the plug-in executable. We should use directory under /usr/lib for both shared library and plug-in executable.

Filesystem Hierarchy Standard: /usr/lib : Libraries for programming and packages states "/usr/lib includes object files, libraries, and internal binaries that are not intended to be executed directly by users or shell scripts." (Debian policy)
GNU Coding Standards: 7.2.5 Variables for Installation Directories has description for "libexecdir" as "The definition of ‘libexecdir’ is the same for all packages, so you should install your data in a subdirectory thereof. Most packages install their data under $(libexecdir)/package-name/ ...". (It is always good idea to follow GNU unless it conflicts with Debian policy)
Some ibus programs assumed these plug-ins are all located in a single directory, historically, and searched for them. (There seems to be a new XML mechanism these days to avoid this assumption and locate them ...) (Practical needs)
These plug-ins are executable daemons and setup-tools with "arch: foreign" so the installation path should not have arch-dependent part such as /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu . (default path set for the Multi-arch case. See https://wiki.debian.org/Multiarch ) (Technical requirement)
bug script in the ibus package used by the reportbug assumes you installed *-setup and *-engin in /usr/lib/ibus. This makes things easy to track.

Thus, the autotools' ./configure script needs to be run with "--libexec=/usr/lib/ibus".

override_dh_auto_configure:
        dh_auto_configure -- --libexec=/usr/lib/ibus

Japanese

There are few popular ones which is aimed for wheezy

ibus-anthy : Older GPL
ibus-kkc : Need to be accepted, Newer GPL
ibus-skk : GPL, EMACS egg-like
ibus-mozc

ibus-python removal

This is done. (2014/June)

ibus-pinyin: fixed
ibus-array: fixed

My removal plan and rationale:

ibus-xkbc: ask removal since it is now a part of ibus
ibus-el: 746971
ibus-googlepinyin -> ibus-pinyin should serve the audience

The pinyin method has several similar functionality packages:

ibus-pinyin
ibus-libpinyin
ibus-sunpinyin
ibus-rime and some data packages

Packages

Debian pkg-ime: http://qa.debian.org/developer.php?login=pkg-ime-devel%40lists.alioth.debian.org
Fedora: http://arm.koji.fedoraproject.org/koji/search?match=glob&type=package&terms=*ibus* (You can get a rough idea on other distros.)

How to contribute?

Please send patches to the pertinent packages or post useful messages to the IME Packaging Team <pkg-ime-devel@lists.alioth.debian.org>.

TeamsIMEPackagingTeamibus