Avro Bangla - Cross-Platform Phonetic Input Method

A native, system-wide Bangla phonetic input method for FreeBSD, GhostBSD, NomadBSD, Windows 10/11, and other operating systems. This engine replicates the exact behavior of the popular Avro Phonetic keyboard (formerly by OmicronLab) using modern, efficient code.

Type naturally in Latin characters (e.g., ami banglay likhi) and get beautiful Bengali text (আমি বাংলায় লিখি) in any application.

🌍 Platform Support

Platform	Status	Build Type	Installation
FreeBSD / GhostBSD / NomadBSD	✅ Stable	Go + IBus	Binary + XML
Windows 10/11	✅ Stable	C + IME	DLL Registration
Linux (with IBus)	🟡 Untested	Go + IBus	Similar to FreeBSD

✨ Features

• 100% Compatible with Avro Rules: Uses the same logic as the original Avro Phonetic engine.
• System-Wide: Works in all applications on your operating system.
• Native Performance:
  • FreeBSD: Written in pure Go with IBus framework
  • Windows: Pure C with Windows IME API
• Lightweight: Minimal memory footprint.
• Easy Installation: Simple build processes for each platform.
• Cross-Platform Development: Same conversion logic across all platforms.

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📖 Table of Contents

1. FreeBSD / GhostBSD / NomadBSD Installation
2. Windows 10/11 Installation
3. Troubleshooting
4. Project Structure
5. Contributing

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FreeBSD / GhostBSD / NomadBSD Installation

Prerequisites

Install dependencies using pkg:

sudo pkg install -y go ibus dbus-glib git pkgconf

Build & Install

cd /workspace
make build
sudo make install

Configure IBus

1. Start IBus daemon (if not running):

   ibus-daemon -drx

2. Add the engine:

   • Run ibus-setup
   • Click Add → Find Bengali → Select Avro Bangla Phonetic

3. Switch to Bangla:

   • Press Super + Space (Win + Space)
   • Or click keyboard icon in system tray

Usage Examples

ami banglay likhi    →  আমি বাংলায় লিখি
goner choto          →  গানের ছোট
bhalo achi           →  ভালো আছি

Uninstall (FreeBSD)

sudo make uninstall
ibus exit
ibus-daemon -drx

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Windows 10/11 Installation

🚀 Easy Installation (No Command Prompt!)

We now provide a one-click installer!

1. Download avro-bangla-installer.exe from releases
2. Double-click to run it
3. Click "Install"
4. Done! ✅

The installer automatically:

• Copies files to the correct location
• Registers the keyboard with Windows
• Makes "Avro Bangla" available in Win+Space

Manual Installation (Advanced)

If you prefer manual control or want to build from source:

Build the DLL

From FreeBSD (Cross-compile):

cd windows
make windows

From Windows (MinGW):

cd windows
gcc -shared -o avro-bangla.dll main.c avro_engine.c -limm32 -lole32 -luuid

Install Using Batch Script

Create install.bat:

@echo off
copy avro-bangla.dll "C:\Program Files\Avro Bangla\"
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\IMM\ImeFile" /v "Avro Bangla" /t REG_SZ /d "C:\Program Files\Avro Bangla\avro-bangla.dll" /f
echo Installation complete! Restart your computer.
pause

Run as Administrator, then restart.

Usage

1. Press Win + Space to switch keyboards
2. Select Avro Bangla
3. Type phonetically: ami banglay likhi → আমি বাংলায় লিখি

See windows/README-WINDOWS.md for detailed instructions.

Uninstall

Easy way: Run avro-bangla-uninstaller.exe

Manual way: Create and run uninstall.bat as Administrator:

@echo off
reg delete "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\IMM\ImeFile" /v "Avro Bangla" /f
del "C:\Program Files\Avro Bangla\avro-bangla.dll"
echo Uninstallation complete!
pause

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Troubleshooting

FreeBSD/GhostBSD Issues

IBus doesn't show "Avro Bangla"

1. Verify XML file exists: ls /usr/local/share/ibus/component/org.avro.bangla.xml
2. Restart IBus: ibus exit && ibus-daemon -drx
3. Log out and log back in

Typing produces Latin instead of Bangla

• Ensure Avro Bangla is selected (check system tray)
• Use Super + Space to cycle input methods

Build fails with missing headers

sudo pkg install pkgconf
make clean && make build

Windows Issues

IME doesn't appear in keyboard list

• Ensure DLL is 64-bit for 64-bit Windows
• Check registration: reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\IMM\ImeFile"
• Restart Windows Explorer or reboot

Typing doesn't convert

• Verify Avro Bangla is active (check taskbar language indicator)
• Press Space after typing to commit
• Try switching to another keyboard and back

Application compatibility

• Some UWP apps have limited IME support
• Test in traditional Win32 apps first (Notepad, Word, Chrome)

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Project Structure

avro-bangla-ibus/
├── README.md                 # This file
├── LICENSE                   # MIT License
├── Makefile                  # FreeBSD build & install
├── go.mod                    # Go module definition
├── main.go                   # IBus engine (FreeBSD)
├── avro.go                   # Core Avro parsing logic
├── avro_rules.go             # Complete Avro rule set
├── org.avro.bangla.xml       # IBus component (FreeBSD)
└── windows/                  # Windows IME implementation
    ├── README-WINDOWS.md     # Detailed Windows guide
    ├── Makefile              # Windows build script
    ├── main.c                # Windows IME entry point
    └── avro_engine.c         # Cross-platform Avro logic (C)

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Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Areas for improvement:

• FreeBSD: Better TSF integration, more test coverage
• Windows: Migrate to Text Services Framework (TSF) for better Windows 10/11 support
• Both: Additional Avro features, emoji support, custom dictionaries

Please submit issues or pull requests on GitHub.

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📄 License

MIT License - See LICENSE file for details.

🙏 Acknowledgments

• Original Avro Phonetic by OmicronLab
• IBus Framework developers
• Windows IME/TSF documentation
• FreeBSD community

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Built with ❤️ for BSD and Windows users worldwide.