Bug#1122957: gnome-core DEPENDING on ibus breaks existing user configs using other input method frameworks

[Mad Horse]

> On Sun, Dec 14, 2025 at 9:16 PM Mad Horse <equu at openmail.cc> wrote:
>> From 1:49+8, gnome-core starts to DEPEND on ibus, which makes ibus being
>> forcefully installed when existing users upgrade their gnome-core, and breaks
>> existing gnome user configs using other input method frameworks such as fcitx.
> Could you provide a detailed test case of how exactly ibus being
> installed causes breakage?
>
> We added the Depends because ibus not being installed broke some
> keyboard input on GNOME on Wayland, at least for a fr_BE.UTF-8 locale
> as described in the original bug https://bugs.debian.org/1115532 .
>
> Thank you,
> Jeremy Bícha
>
Before upgrading to 1:49+8, I used to use fcitx5 (only present input framework, being the default one) along with gnome, but after upgrading to gnome-core 1:49+8, a bare core ibus was installed without any actual input engine, and further more, ibus was chosen as the default input framework under gnome, making me lose access to any installed input engines. (if launching another desktop environment, the default input framework remains fcitx5) I should either start to use ibus instead and install actual input engines for ibus, or manually set fcitx5 as my input framework with im-config.

If you need a test case, you can install task-gnome-desktop, remove gnome-core, ibus, and install fcitx5, then install gnome-core and observe the change of launched input framework.