Adding the ability to type in Russian is simple in Ubuntu. All the packages that you need are already installed on your computer, you just need to turn on the Russian keyboard layout. Below are instructions and a video showing how to configure Ubuntu for typing in Russian.
Step 1: Open the Keyboard preferences (System -> Preferences -> Keyboard).
Step 2: Click on the “Layouts” tab.
Step 3: Click the “Add” button.
Step 4: Choose “Russian Federation” from the “Country” drop-down menu.
Step 5: Click “Add.”
To configure the keyboard shortcut for switching languages to be similar to Windows, continue with these instructions:
Step 1: On the “Layout” tab of the Keyboard preferences, click “Options.”
Step 2: Click the “+” next to “Key(s) to change layout.”
Step 3: Check the box next to “Alt+Shift.”
Now you should see the keyboard layout indicator near the top right of your screen (next to the sound and network indicators). To toggle the keyboard layout, simply click the indicator. You can also change the language with the keyboard combination “Alt+Shift” (or with whatever keyboard combination you chose during setup).
If you don’t have Russian letters on your keyboard, you can buy an English-Russian keyboard or some keyboard stickers for your existing keyboard.
