fcitx5-wetypex

Project Overview

When you want the WeChat keyboard's dictionary, cloud candidates and device sync on a Linux desktop, WeTypeX provides a compatibility layer that plugs into Fcitx5. It extracts the input core and dictionaries from the official macOS package, runs them behind a Mach-O ABI host that maps Darwin-only interfaces onto Linux, and routes networking through the system TLS and WebSocket stack. The adapter is written in C++, its engine host and account commands run inside a Bubblewrap sandbox, and the combination tested so far is Arch Linux with KDE Plasma on Wayland.

Item	Value
Platform	Linux x86_64
Host	Fcitx5
Input core	Official 2.2.3.657
Language	C++ / CMake
License	MIT

The input core and dictionaries still come from the official package; WeTypeX only fills the layer missing between Linux and Fcitx5.

Supported Hosts

• Fcitx5: loads as a native input method plugin and leaves candidates, preedit, paging and selection to Fcitx5
• Fcitx5 settings page: hotkeys, candidate count, theme and fuzzy pinyin appear there through the ExternalOption extension
• NixOS: the flake exposes packages.x86_64-linux.fcitx5-wetypex and a default alias
• Older framework: glibc 2.31 systems such as Ubuntu 20.04 need Fcitx5 5.0.14+, fcitx5-qt 5.0.10+ and LibIME 1.0.11+

Key Features

• Pinyin input: full pinyin, double pinyin and Wubi share the official 2.2.3.657 core and dictionaries, so candidate order matches the original
• Merged cloud candidates: local and desktop cloud candidates form one list, and new cloud entries are marked separately
• Cross-device clipboard: text and raw PNG images sync both ways after devices pair with the official six-digit code
• Voice input: streams from PipeWire or PulseAudio and reuses the original engine for VAD, recognition and live preedit
• Ask AI: press = with no active composition to send the text before the cursor, or open a separate answer window
• Air transfer: official transfer codes and QR codes over the original Flurry LAN and WXP2P direct or relay channels
• V toolbar: V opens calculators, clipboard, phrases and symbols, and a result can be committed straight into the field
• WeChat stickers: suggested only inside a recognised WeChat client, using artwork from the installed package
• Dictionary and phrases: stored locally, with the device-group syncer already wired in

Install and Enable

1. On Arch Linux run sudo pacman -U ./fcitx5-wetypex-2.2.3.657-16-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst, or install from the AUR with paru -S fcitx5-wetypex
2. On Debian or Ubuntu run sudo apt install ./fcitx5-wetypex_2.2.3.657-16_amd64.deb; glibc 2.31 systems switch to the fcitx5-wetypex-legacy package
3. On Fedora run sudo dnf install ./fcitx5-wetypex-2.2.3.657-16.x86_64.rpm
4. Run fcitx5-wetypex-setup --archive /path/to/WeType_2.2.3_657.zip to extract the official runtime, or add --download --accept-upstream-license to let the script fetch it
5. Run fcitx5-wetypex-setup --check and confirm both manifest.txt and image.macho exist
6. Add WeTypeX in the Fcitx5 configuration tool, then run fcitx5-remote -r to reload it
7. On NixOS add this flake as inputs.wetypex and put wetypex.packages.${pkgs.stdenv.hostPlatform.system}.fcitx5-wetypex into i18n.inputMethod.fcitx5.addons

Shortcuts and Daily Use

• Shift: toggles Chinese and English input, enabled by default
• Ctrl + .: toggles Chinese and English punctuation
• - and =: page up and down while a pinyin composition is active
• V: opens the quick toolbar; press V, Esc or the close button to leave
• Ctrl + Win: hold to talk and release to stop; Ctrl + Win + Shift toggles a session instead
• fcitx5-wetypex-account: group-info, pairing-code and sync-now inspect the device group, mint a six-digit code and sync immediately

Data Directories

Content	Default path
Official core and dictionaries	~/.local/share/fcitx5-wetypex/runtime
Account identity and service state	~/.local/share/fcitx5-wetypex/account
User dictionary, phrases and sync state	~/.local/share/fcitx5-wetypex/state
Extracted interface assets	~/.local/share/fcitx5-wetypex/ui
WeTypeX settings	~/.config/fcitx5/wetypex.json

Removing the system package leaves these directories untouched. Back them up and delete account and state/sync-state.json only when you want to pair again, never during a normal upgrade.

Notes

• Official runtime required: the package ships only the adapter, so the input core and dictionaries still come from WeType_2.2.3_657.zip and a mismatched version stops the core from starting
• Sandbox boundaries: password contexts never reach the input core, clipboard history or AI, while ordinary sensitive fields in a browser still work
• Test scope: only Arch Linux with KDE Plasma on Wayland has been verified, so other distributions must match library versions themselves
• Build-time switches: the four Nix booleans enableAI, enableVoice, enableLayerShell and enableWeTypeTheme are fixed at build time and cannot be re-enabled from the interface
• Preference limits: defaultSettings may not exceed 16 KiB once serialised, the initial file is created with mode 0600, and existing files or symlinks are never overwritten