Setting Up Rime Input Method on Arch Linux

Waken 2024-04-02

Switched to Rime for Chinese input on Arch Linux. Here’s my setup with the rime-ice dictionary.

Install Rime

Using iBus framework:

sudo pacman -S ibus-rime

Dictionary: rime-ice

Instead of default dictionary, I use rime-ice - better Chinese input with modern vocabulary.

On Arch:

# Follow instructions from:
# https://github.com/iDvel/rime-ice?tab=readme-ov-file#arch-linux

# Install via AUR or manual setup

Configuration

Config location: $HOME/.config/ibus/rime/

Main config file: default.custom.yaml

patch:
  schema_list:
    - schema: rime_ice

Package Management (Optional)

Rime has plum for package management:

cd ~/playground/rime/plum
bash rime-install <package-name>

Useful for installing additional schemas or dictionaries.

Deploy

After config changes:

  1. Right-click iBus tray icon
  2. Select “Deploy”
  3. Wait for rebuild

Or restart iBus entirely.

Why Rime?

  • Open source
  • Highly customizable
  • Works offline
  • No privacy concerns
  • Active community with good dictionaries

rime-ice specifically has excellent modern Chinese vocabulary that other input methods lack.