Note: The following instructions are out of date. Please see this thread: https://discourse.suttacentral.net/t/insert-pali-and-sanskrit-characters-with-diacritical-marks-on-discourse-and-operating-systems/311/
A few years ago Galia Shy (Mahacitta) designed a method for easily inserting Pali/Sanskrit special characters in Ubuntu. Since then Ubuntu has changed a few things, and the old instructions do not work. I have revised the instructions to work with a fresh install of Ubuntu 12.10. (It may work with 12.04, but I haven’t tested it).
You can download the file and instructions from here.
Let me know if this works for you. Needless to say, no guarantees!
Sujato’s Blog 
Dear Bhante Sujato
Apologies, don’t think this is the right site to post this question but thought since the first word of the title is Pali, so am placing the question here.:-)
The question that came to mind after reflecting on the current issue and the reference to the sutta and the translations ;
Understanding that your scholarship in Pali due to your passion in for the Dhamma without any need for examination (apologies if wrong assumption). But then not everybody can have such ability as yours, so what is your view on the removal of Pali from the main examination of Civil Services since they also has been instrumental in keeping the language alive?
My grasp of the Pali language is not so good, so apologies if there is any wrong references made.
Metta
_/\_
Save Pali, ancient classical Indian language of Buddhism in India
by Prof. Dr. Siddharth Singh, The Buddhist Channel, Apr 16, 2013
New Delhi, India — The Government of India has recently removed Pali – an ancient classical language – as a subject from the main examination of the Civil Services (popularly known as Indian Administrative Services i.e. IAS) of India, 2013, which were under the purview of the UPSC (Union Public service Commission).
….???
http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=70,11414,0,0,1,0
62. Niruttipathasutta
Sāvatthinidānaṁ. “Tayome, bhikkhave, niruttipathā adhivacanapathā paññattipathā asaṁkiṇṇā asaṁkiṇṇapubbā, na saṅkīyanti, na saṅkīyissanti, appaṭikuṭṭhā samaṇehi brāhmaṇehi viññūhi. Katame tayo? Yaṁ, bhikkhave, rūpaṁ atītaṁ niruddhaṁ vipariṇataṁ ‘ahosī’ti tassa saṅkhā, ‘ahosī’ti tassa samaññā, ‘ahosī’ti tassa paññatti; na tassa saṅkhā ‘atthī’ti, na tassa saṅkhā ‘bhavissatī’ti.
……..
Yā saññā… ye saṅkhārā jātā pātubhūtā, ‘atthī’ti tesaṁ saṅkhā, ‘atthī’ti tesaṁ samaññā, ‘atthī’ti tesaṁ paññatti; na tesaṁ saṅkhā ‘ahesun’ti, na tesaṁ saṅkhā, ‘bhavissantī’ti.
Yaṁ viññāṇaṁ jātaṁ pātubhūtaṁ, ‘atthī’ti tassa saṅkhā, ‘atthī’ti tassa samaññā, ‘atthī’ti tassa paññatti; na tassa saṅkhā ‘ahosī’ti, na tassa saṅkhā ‘bhavissatī’ti.
Ime kho, bhikkhave, tayo niruttipathā adhivacanapathā paññattipathā asaṁkiṇṇā asaṁkiṇṇapubbā, na saṅkīyanti, na saṅkīyissanti, appaṭikuṭṭhā samaṇehi brāhmaṇehi viññūhi. Yepi te, bhikkhave, ahesuṁ ukkalā vassabhaññā ahetukavādā akiriyavādā natthikavādā, tepime tayo niruttipathe adhivacanapathe paññattipathe na garahitabbaṁ nappaṭikkositabbaṁ amaññiṁsu. Taṁ kissa hetu? Nindā¬ghaṭṭa¬nabyā¬rosa-upā¬rambha¬bhayā”ti.
Majjhimapaṇṇāsakassa upayavaggo paṭhamo.
http://www.suttacentral.net/new/sn22.53-62/pi/#sn22.62
21. 2. 1. 10.
(62) Niruttipatha Ý Ways of Expression
1. I heard thus. At one time the Blessed One was living in the monastery offered by Anàthapiõóika in Jeta’s grove in Sàvatthi.
2. From there the Blessed One addressed the monks:
3. ßMonks, these three are pure ways of expression, ways of saying, ways of making known, not blamed not blamed in the past, will not be blamed in the future and not blamed by wise recluses and brahmins. What three?
……..
19. ßMonks, these three, are pure ways of expression, ways of saying, ways of making known, not blamed not blamed in the past, will not be blamed in the future and not blamed by wise recluses and brahmins.
20. ßMonks, even those who deny a cause, those irresponsible for their actions and those who say there is nothing and speak like bondsmen should not think to blame and belittle these three ways of expression, ways of saying and making known.
ßWhat is the reason? It’s out of fear, to cause anger displeasure.û
http://www.metta.lk/tipitaka/2Sutta-Pitaka/3Samyutta-Nikaya/Samyutta3/21-Khandha-Samyutta/02-01-Upayavaggo-e.html
TEACHINGS OF THE BUDDHA
The Connected Discourse of the Buddha
A Translation of the Samyutta Nikaya
By
Bhikkhu Bodhi
III The Book of Aggregates (Khandavagga)
22. Khandasamyutta (pg 905/906)
62 (10) Pathways of Language
At Sāvatthi. “Bhikkhus, there are these three pathways of language, pathways of designation, pathways of description, that are umixed, that were never mixed, that are not being mixed, that will not be mixed, that are not rejected by wise ascetics and brahmins. What three?
……..
“Bhikkhus, even Vassa and Bañña of Ukkalā, proponents of noncausality, of the inefficacy of action, and of nihilism, did not think that these three pathways of language, pathways of designation, pathways of description should be criticized or scorned.
For what reason? Because they fear blame, attack, and condemnation.”
Dear Sujato,
Thank you for the instructions!
I tried to follow them on Ubuntu 15.04 but I’m getting Pali greyed out (see screenshot here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4OjWPdv2TXoY2hYNEp1LWZXYnM/view?usp=sharing).
Do you have any idea what could cause that?
Thanks,
Ron
These instructions are now out of date. There is a thread here that gives a much easier method for more recent Ubuntu and other operating systems.
https://discourse.suttacentral.net/t/insert-pali-and-sanskrit-characters-with-diacritical-marks-on-discourse-and-operating-systems/311/
Sujato, thank you, that worked really well!
I noticed though that setting a key to be the ComposeKey disables it from its regular use. Do you know of any alternative way to input Pali in Ubuntu, e.g. using a key combination?
I just use my right ctrl key, no problems.