answered
2020-03-10 15:29:47 +0300
This is the case for all keyboard layouts, not just the Chinese one.
Edit: I initially did not understand, that the Chinese keyboard layout seems to not work at all, if XT9 is not installed.
This has been mentioned a couple of times here at TJC and at TMO, see e.g. https://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?p=1565910#post1565910
For paid SailfishOS licenses, the predictive text input ("XT9") is offered when booting SailfishOS the first time and can also be installed any time later from the Jolla Store.
Hence your "request and recommendation [...] when someone enables another virtual keyboard" is IMO not helpful, because ...
- this is independent from how many keyboard layouts and which ones one has activated.
Even with a single layout one may create this situation, because ... - technically this has nothing to do with the virtual keyboard or its layouts.
The text prediction is a separate component, which can be installed & uninstalled, activated & deactivated independent of the virtual keyboard. - some people do (want to) use a alternative text prediction, e.g. Presage.
- Jolla's XT9 text prediction is proprietary licensed and only available for paying licensees ("Sailfish X").
XT9 is not offered or available for those using Jolla's free (of charge) / trial version or a community port of SailfishOS.
IMO it is just a few users missing to read the on-screen instructions for the first boot of SailfishOS thoroughly and later complaining about functionality they did not select.
See "Edit" above (second line).
