How to Fix Keyboard Language Input Switch Indicator on Ubuntu with Wayland

• This article explain how to fix the keyboard language input switch indicator on Ubuntu 22.04 with Wayland.
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If you are using Ubuntu 22.04 with Wayland as your display server, you may have noticed that the keyboard language input switch indicator does not work properly. This indicator is supposed to show you which language you are typing in, and allow you to switch between different languages with a keyboard shortcut or a mouse click. However, on Wayland, the indicator may not appear at all, or it may show the wrong language, or it may not change when you switch languages.

This is a known bug that affects many users of Ubuntu 22.04 with Wayland. In this article, I will explain why this bug happens, and how you can fix it with a simple workaround. I will also answer some frequently asked questions related to this topic.

Why does the keyboard language input switch indicator not work on Wayland?

The keyboard language input switch indicator is part of the GNOME desktop environment, which is the default desktop environment for Ubuntu 22.04. GNOME uses a component called IBus to handle input methods for different languages. IBus communicates with the display server to show the indicator and switch languages.

However, Wayland is a new display server that replaces the old X11 display server. Wayland has many advantages over X11, such as better security, performance, and compatibility with modern hardware. However, Wayland also has some limitations and compatibility issues with some applications and features.

One of these features is the keyboard language input switch indicator. IBus does not work well with Wayland, and therefore the indicator does not function properly. This is a problem that affects not only Ubuntu, but also other Linux distributions that use GNOME and Wayland, such as Fedora.

How can I fix the keyboard language input switch indicator on Wayland?

There are two possible ways to fix the keyboard language input switch indicator on Wayland:

• Switch back to X11 display server
• Use a different input method framework

Method 1: Switch back to X11 display server

The easiest way to fix the keyboard language input switch indicator on Wayland is to switch back to X11 display server. This will restore the functionality of the indicator, but you will lose some of the benefits of Wayland.

To switch back to X11 display server, follow these steps:

1. Log out of your current session
2. On the login screen, click on your username
3. On the bottom right corner of the screen, click on the gear icon
4. Select “Ubuntu on Xorg” from the menu
5. Enter your password and log in

You should now see the keyboard language input switch indicator working as expected.

Method 2: Use a different input method framework

Another way to fix the keyboard language input switch indicator on Wayland is to use a different input method framework instead of IBus. There are several alternatives available, such as Fcitx or uim. These frameworks may work better with Wayland, but they may also have some drawbacks or limitations.

To use a different input method framework, follow these steps:

1. Install the framework of your choice from the software center or the terminal
2. Log out of your current session
3. On the login screen, click on your username
4. On the bottom right corner of the screen, click on the gear icon
5. Select “Ubuntu” from the menu
6. Enter your password and log in
7. Open the settings menu and go to Keyboard section
8. Click on the + plus sign to add a new keyboard layout
9. Select your desired language and layout from the list
10. Repeat this step for any other languages you want to use
11. Click on the three dots to see more options
12. Select “Manage Installed Languages” from the menu
13. Click on “Language Support” tab
14. Under “Keyboard input method system”, select the framework you installed from the drop-down menu
15. Click on “Apply System-Wide” button
16. Restart your computer

You should now see a new keyboard language input switch indicator working with Wayland.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some common questions and answers related to this topic:

Question: How can I tell if I am using Wayland or X11 display server?

Answer: You can check which display server you are using by opening a terminal and typing echo $XDG_SESSION_TYPE. If it says wayland, you are using Wayland. If it says x11, you are using X11.

Question: How can I change the keyboard shortcut for switching languages?

Answer: You can change the keyboard shortcut for switching languages by opening the settings menu and going to Keyboard section. Click on the “Customize Shortcuts” button at the bottom of the window. Under “Typing”, you can find the shortcut for “Switch to next input source” and “Switch to previous input source”. You can click on the shortcut and press a new key combination to change it.

Question: How can I switch languages with the mouse?

Answer: You can switch languages with the mouse by clicking on the keyboard language input switch indicator on the top right corner of the screen. You can then select the language you want to use from the menu.

Question: How can I add more languages to my keyboard layout?

Answer: You can add more languages to your keyboard layout by opening the settings menu and going to Keyboard section. Click on the + plus sign to add a new keyboard layout. You can then select the language and layout you want to use from the list.

Question: How can I remove languages from my keyboard layout?

Answer: You can remove languages from your keyboard layout by opening the settings menu and going to Keyboard section. Click on the – minus sign next to the keyboard layout you want to remove. You can then confirm your choice by clicking on the “Remove” button.

Conclusion

In this article, I have explained why the keyboard language input switch indicator does not work on Ubuntu 22.04 with Wayland, and how you can fix it with two possible methods. I hope this article was helpful and informative for you. If you have any questions or feedback, please leave a comment below. Thank you for reading!

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. The author is not responsible for any damages or losses caused by following the instructions in this article. The user should always backup their data and system before making any changes. The user should also test the changes on a non-critical system before applying them to a production system.