Hmmm, this is interesting...
Doesn't seem to be connected to the export DISPLAY command.
I put the export... command into .xinitrc, so don't have to export the display once in XQt to run debian.
Now, after XQt comes up, the Qtopia input methods work.
After chroot, they work.
When I start a Windows Manager then, like fvwm or ice, they cease to work.
However when I exit the WM, while being in debian, they start working again.
What's going on here?