[Bug 1839984] [NEW] Don't create ~/.xinputrc unless user changes the IM framework setting explicitly

[Gunnar Hjalmarsson]

Public bug reported:

The Language Support GUI includes a control for setting the im-config
user configuration. The selected value is saved in the im-config file
~/.xinputrc.

When there is no file, language-selector-gnome has up to now used the
system wide default and automatically - behind the scenes - saved that
value as an explicit user setting by creating ~/.xinputrc. The rational
for doing so has been that it's not desirable that the installation of
an additional IM framework or changed display language automatically may
change the selected IM framework for all users on the system.

However, there are other use cases where this automatic file creation
isn't optimal. One example is a system which is installed without any IM
framework, which makes the system default to be "none" (meaning that im-
config does not do anything). If a user later decides to start using
some input method which requires an IM framework, im-config would
automatically start to launch and configure that framework if it wasn't
for that ~/.xinputrc file. Due to the file, the user also needs to open
Language Support and change the IM framework setting.

So there are pros and cons, but I think that a smooth behavior in the
latter case carries greater weight. Hence language-selector-gnome should
stop creating ~/.xinputrc automatically.

** Affects: language-selector (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Medium
     Assignee: Gunnar Hjalmarsson (gunnarhj)
         Status: In Progress

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1839984

Title:
  Don't create ~/.xinputrc unless user changes the IM framework setting
  explicitly

Status in language-selector package in Ubuntu:
  In Progress

Bug description:
  The Language Support GUI includes a control for setting the im-config
  user configuration. The selected value is saved in the im-config file
  ~/.xinputrc.

  When there is no file, language-selector-gnome has up to now used the
  system wide default and automatically - behind the scenes - saved that
  value as an explicit user setting by creating ~/.xinputrc. The
  rational for doing so has been that it's not desirable that the
  installation of an additional IM framework or changed display language
  automatically may change the selected IM framework for all users on
  the system.

  However, there are other use cases where this automatic file creation
  isn't optimal. One example is a system which is installed without any
  IM framework, which makes the system default to be "none" (meaning
  that im-config does not do anything). If a user later decides to start
  using some input method which requires an IM framework, im-config
  would automatically start to launch and configure that framework if it
  wasn't for that ~/.xinputrc file. Due to the file, the user also needs
  to open Language Support and change the IM framework setting.

  So there are pros and cons, but I think that a smooth behavior in the
  latter case carries greater weight. Hence language-selector-gnome
  should stop creating ~/.xinputrc automatically.

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