Kaladi Tamil

Getting Started with Kaladi Tamil

Installation

  1. Download the installer for your platform (ARM64 or x64) from the home page.
  2. Run the MSI installer. Windows will prompt you to restart your computer.
  3. Restart your computer to complete the installation. The Tamil keyboard will not work until you restart.
Note: On some machines, the keyboard may require more than one restart before it is fully registered with Windows. If the keyboard does not appear in your language bar or does not respond after the first restart, please restart once more. This is because Windows caches input method registrations across multiple system services, and all of them need to pick up the new keyboard.

How to Use

After installation and restart, Kaladi Tamil runs as a tray icon in your system notification area (bottom-right of your taskbar).

  • Switch keymaps: Use the default hotkeys Alt+1 (Tamil99), Alt+2 (Phonetic), Alt+3 (Old Typewriter), Alt+4 (Bamini). Press Alt+0 to turn off Tamil input.
  • Right-click the tray icon to access Settings, change hotkeys, enable additional keymaps, or check for updates.
  • Per-window memory: Kaladi Tamil remembers which keymap you were using in each application window, so you can type in Tamil in one window and English in another.

Available Keymaps

Kaladi Tamil ships with 41 Tamil keymaps spanning 11 font encodings and 5 keyboard layouts:

  • Encodings: Unicode, Bamini, Shrilipi, TSCII, TAB, TAM, Vanavil, Softview, Diacritic, TACE, and Brahmi
  • Layouts: Phonetic, Tamil99, Bamini, Old Typewriter, and Inscript

By default, four Unicode keymaps are enabled. You can enable additional keymaps from Settings.

Troubleshooting

Keyboard not appearing after install

Restart your computer. On some machines, a second restart may be needed. Windows needs to restart several background services (ctfmon.exe, the language bar, and the input method cache in each application) for the new keyboard to become fully available.

Keyboard not working in a specific app

Some apps initialize their input method list at launch. If you installed Kaladi Tamil while the app was already running, close and reopen that app (or restart the computer).

Multiple Tamil keyboards in the language bar

If you also have Windows' built-in "Tamil Phonetic" or "Tamil Inscript" keyboard installed, both will share the same Tamil language entry in the language bar. Kaladi Tamil handles this correctly via TSF profile activation. Use Kaladi Tamil's own hotkeys (Alt+1/2/3/4) to switch keymaps rather than Win+Space.

How Kaladi Tamil Differs from NHM Writer

Kaladi Tamil is a ground-up rewrite of the classic NHM Writer, redesigned to fully adhere to modern Windows input protocols.

NHM Writer Kaladi Tamil
Input method Keyboard hooks (SetWindowsHookEx) Native TSF (Text Services Framework) input processor
Text insertion Simulated keystrokes (SendInput) Direct text composition via TSF edit sessions
Compatibility Blocked by some apps and security software Works with all TSF-aware apps (Office, browsers, VS Code, etc.)
Architecture 32-bit only Native x64 and ARM64 (with x86 compatibility layer)
Windows integration Standalone app, not visible in Windows language settings Registered as a Windows input method, appears in language bar and Settings
Security model Global hook DLL injected into all processes COM in-process server loaded only by TSF-enabled apps, with AppContainer support
Updates Manual download Built-in auto-update with signed MSI installers

By building on TSF, Kaladi Tamil works the way Windows expects an input method to work. It does not use keyboard hooks or simulated keystrokes, which means it is not blocked by antivirus software, works correctly in elevated (admin) windows, and integrates natively with the Windows language bar and input settings.

Need Help?

Send us your feedback or questions by email at nags [at] kaladi [dot] ai.

Installation

  1. Download KaladiTamil-0.1.0.pkg from the home page.
  2. Double-click the .pkg file and follow the installer.
  3. Log out and log back in to complete the installation. macOS registers the keyboard on next login.
Note: If the keyboard does not appear in your menu bar after logging back in, go to System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources → Edit → + → Tamil → Kaladi Tamil → Add.

How to Use

After installation, Kaladi Tamil runs as a tray icon in your menu bar.

  • Switch keymaps with hotkeys: Use the default hotkeys Opt+1 (Tamil99), Opt+2 (Phonetic), Opt+3 (Old Typewriter), Opt+4 (Bamini). Press Opt+0 to turn off Tamil input.
  • Click the tray icon to access Settings, change hotkeys, enable additional keymaps, or switch keymaps.
  • You can also switch via the macOS keyboard menu in the menu bar (🌐 key or Ctrl+Space).

Available Keymaps

Kaladi Tamil ships with 41 Tamil keymaps spanning 11 font encodings and 5 keyboard layouts:

  • Encodings: Unicode, Bamini, Shrilipi, TSCII, TAB, TAM, Vanavil, Softview, Diacritic, TACE, and Brahmi
  • Layouts: Phonetic, Tamil99, Bamini, Old Typewriter, and Inscript

By default, four Unicode keymaps are enabled. You can enable additional keymaps from Settings.

Settings

Click the Kaladi Tamil tray icon and choose Settings to:

  • Enable or disable keymaps
  • Assign custom hotkeys (modifier + key combinations)
  • Add custom XML keymaps via the keymaps folder

Troubleshooting

Keyboard not appearing in menu bar

Log out and log back in. macOS caches input methods and needs a fresh login session to discover new ones.

Keyboard not appearing after login

Go to System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources → Edit → +, search for Tamil, select Kaladi Tamil, and click Add.

Hotkeys not working

macOS may require Accessibility permission for global hotkeys. Go to System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility and ensure Kaladi Tamil is listed and enabled.

"App is damaged" error

If you see this error, open Terminal and run:

xattr -cr ~/Library/Input\ Methods/KaladiTamil.app

Uninstalling

Open the Kaladi Tamil tray app, go to Settings, and click Uninstall Kaladi Tamil at the bottom of the window. Log out and log back in to complete the removal.

System Requirements

  • macOS: 10.15 (Catalina) or later
  • Architecture: Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4) and Intel x86_64 (universal binary)
  • Disk Space: ~10 MB

Need Help?

Send us your feedback or questions by email at nags [at] kaladi [dot] ai.