[tlug] Getting Japanese input working

[Brian Chandler <brian@example.com>]

I am trying to set up a new computer: I have xubuntu installed, and the 
first Task is to get Japanese input working. I have installed Ibus: it's 
there, a bizarre "icone" consisting of two-letter language codes in the 
darkest possible blue on a black background. If I click it, it changes 
from EN to RU to JA. (Oh yes, I need Cyrillic as well) But it has no 
effect on keyboard input at all.

I found no help on the web. Can anyone here help? Are there any other 
suggestions of Better Ways of Doing It, particularly for more than two 
character sets? (I have it working on another machine, and the problem 
is that pression ctrl-space always switches to Another character set, 
chosen by an algorithm too complicated to internalise, so a lot of time 
is wasted.

Thanks in advance.
(I am subscribed to this list from chandler@example.com, which has 
become a read-only account.)

Brian Chandler