Nimf is an input method framework which has a module-based client-server architecture in which an application acts as a client and communicates synchronously with the Nimf server via a Unix socket.
GTK2 Application +------------------------ nimf -------------------+
+ GtkIMContext | NimfServer signal: "engine-changed" |
+ im-nimf-gtk2.so -----+ | |
| | +---- service modules ---+ |
GTK3 Application | | | implement NimfService | |
+ GtkIMContext | UNIX socket | | | |
+ im-nimf-gtk3.so - NimfIM --------------- nimf-nim.so | |
| | | | +-- NimfNimIC ----+ |
Qt4 Application | | +-------- nimf-xim.so | NimfServiceIC ----+ |
+ QInputContext | | | | | +-- NimfXimIC ---+ | | | |
+ im-nimf-qt4.so ----+ | | +----- nimf-wayland.so | | | | |
| | | | | +-- NimfWaylandIC ------+ | | |
Qt5 Application | | | | | | | | |
+ QPlatformInputContext | | | | | nimf-preedit-window.so - NimfPreeditable | |
+ im-nimf-qt5.so ------+ | | | | nimf-candidate.so - NimfCandidatable -+ |
| | | | nimf-indicator.so - "engine-changed" | |
X Application | | | +------------------------+ | |
+ libX11 ------------ X Server ----+ | | | |
| | +------ engine modules ---+ | |
Wayland Application + | | nimf-anthy.so ------+ | |
+ libwayland-client - Wayland compositor | | nimf-libhangul.so ----+ | | |
| | nimf-m17n-*.so - NimfEngine ------+ |
| | nimf-rime.so -----+ | |
| | nimf-system-keyboard.so -------+ |
| +-------------------------+ |
+-------------------------------------------------+
Nimf uses the lock.pid file to create a single-instance daemon and uses the
socket file for security reasons.
These files are located in the $XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/nimf directory.
/run/user/<uid>/nimf/lock.pid
/run/user/<uid>/nimf/socket