Did you get my mail?

Gene Collins collins at gene3.cc.iastate.edu
Mon Mar 13 03:09:04 EST 2000


Hi Janina!  After you get Linux installed, you will need to modify your
/etc/lilo.conf file to get the dual boot capabilities, and to tell it
speakup is on ttyS1.  I'm including the lilo.conf file from my laptop,
so you can see what it looks like.

# Generated by liloconfig
# Specifies the serial device for use by lilo
# You should set this to 1 if you want to use it.
serial=0,9600N8

# specify the default image.  This determines which defined kernel image
# or OS will be the default system boot command after lilo is run.  It is
# normally linux, but you can change it.
default=linux

# Specifies the boot device (the installation process should have set
# this correctly!).
boot=/dev/hda2

# Specifies the device that should be mounted as root.
# If the special name CURRENT is used, the root device is set to the
# device on which the root file system is currently mounted. If the root
# has been changed with  -r , the respective device is used. If the
# variable ROOT is omitted, the root device setting contained in the
# kernel image is used. It can be changed with the rdev program.
root=/dev/hda2

# Enables map compaction:
# Tries to merge read requests for adjacent sectors into a single
# read request. This drastically reduces load time and keeps the map
# smaller. Using COMPACT is especially recommended when booting from a
# floppy disk.
compact

# Install the specified file as the new boot sector.
# If INSTALL is omitted, /boot/boot.b is used as the default.
install=/boot/boot.b

# Specifies the number of _tenths_ of a second LILO should
# wait before booting the first image.  LILO
# doesn't wait if DELAY is omitted or if DELAY is set to zero.
delay=80
# Specify a time out for the Lilo prompt.
timeout=80
# force the lilo prompt to appear on screen so you don't need to press
# control or shift to see it.
prompt
# Force lilo to use the last entered lilo command until a new one is typed.
lock
# Specify a text message file to be printed when the Lilo prompt
# appears.  This is just a plain ascii text file which can contain a
# brieff welcome message, and a short description of commands you have
# defined for lilo.  It can also contain a control-g or 2 or 3 to force
# a beep at the Lilo prompt.
message=/boot/boot.msg

# Specifies the location of the map file. If MAP is
# omitted, a file /boot/map is used.
map=/boot/map

# Specifies the VGA text mode that should be selected when
# booting. The following values are recognized (case is ignored):
#   NORMAL  select normal 80x25 text mode.
#   EXTENDED  select 80x50 text mode. The word EXTENDED can be
#     abbreviated to EXT.
#   ASK  stop and ask for user input (at boot time).
#   <number>  use the corresponding text mode. A list of available modes
#     can be obtained by booting with  vga=ask  and pressing [Enter].
vga=normal

# Define a Linux kernel image to use.  This should point to a vmlinuz
# symbolic link in your root directory, or to a kernel image in your boot
# directory.  The way it is shown here is the default.
image=/vmlinuz
# Define a label which will be used as the lilo boot command for the
above kernel image.  This on is a gotcha, since the original had upper
case letters in it.  I make all my labels lower case.
	label=linux
# When the above image is loaded, mount the root file system in
read-only mode first.  It will be remounted read-write later.  Do not
# change this, since fsck needs the file system mounted read-only in order
# not to damage it during possible repairs.
	read-only
# Automatically append the following speakup parameters to the boot
# commmand line for the above image.  Mine is set to 0, yours should be
# set to 1.
append="speakup_ser=0"

# Define an old bootable kernal image in case the default one breaks
# when installing a new kernel (grin).  Lilo changes this to automatically
# point at the previous working kernel when it is run after installing a
# new kernel.  Very useful for recovering from screw ups (grin).
image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.2.12.old
# The command to boot the previously working kernel is old.  The other
# options for this kernel image are documented for the default image
# above.  Notice we also need an append line for this image.
	label=old
	read-only
append="speakup_ser=0"

# If you have another OS on this machine (say DOS),
# you can boot if by uncommenting the following lines
# (Of course, change /dev/hda2 to wherever your DOS/Windows  partition is.)
# Mine is on /dev/hda1.
 other=/dev/hda1
# define the label/boot command for your other OS, ie. Windows, win95,
# dos, etc.
   label=dos

I've gone through and annotated the options in the above file.  If you
use the serial option described above, then your Litetalk will speak the
lilo boot message when it is printed on the screen.  This works for some
synthesizers, and not with others, so you'll have to experiment.  

Sometimes it just takes mail a while to reach me.  Sorry I didn't see
this sooner.  Hope this helps.

Gene

>Hi, Gene:
>
>Boy, some of my mail seems to be in a black hole. I'm afraid my mail to
>you is part of it! Hope you get this. If not, I'll ask Bill Acker to tell
>the reflector to tell you!
>
>Below, I'll paste the message I sent out a little earlier. It's what the
>reflector read.
>
>Meanwhile, my roo mates came home just now. Give em a few minutes to settl
>in, and I'll request a minute of sighted screen reading to figure out
>what's up.
>
>>From janina at afb.net Sat Mar 11 21:22:07 2000
>Date: Sat, 11 Mar 2000 18:50:15 -0500 (EST)
>From: Janina Sajka <janina at afb.net>
>To: Gene Collins <collins at gene3.cc.iastate.edu>
>Cc: speakup at speech.braille.uwo.ca
>Subject: Installed OK But No Speech
>
>Hi:
>This is mainly a note to Gene Collins who's been giving me a direct hand
>with a Debian install. But, I'm cc'ing the list to maximize my help
>resources! <grin>
>
>I've just concluded installing a base Debian 2.2 on my IBM Thinkpad 560Z.
>
>I'm pretty certain the install went smoothly. No complaints during the
>process, at least. Also, I know that lilo is working as it loads and I'm
>able to restart with a Control-Alt-Delete.
>
>I have no speech, however. Is that to be expected at this stage? The way I
>had speech during the installation was to pass speakup_ser=1 to the
>kernel. Seems linux sees my ir port as ttyS0, and my serial as ttyS1.
>
>Anyway, I'm in a new kind of funny position. I tried at first to linload
>following a floppy DOS boot. That didn't work because the something in the
>process accessed the floppy which just spun and spun. So, I booted Windows
>and did a shutdown to MS DOS. On the Thinkpad that forces a reboot into
>DOS. But now I can't get back to that DOS prompt because lilo never gave
>me the opportunity to specify a second OS. So, I can't now get back to a
>hard-disk boot of DOS in order to try and boot my installation from
>linload.
>
>Any ideas?
>
>				Janina Sajka, Director
>				Information Systems Research & Development
>				American Foundation for the Blind (AFB)
>
>janina at afb.net
>
>
>
>
>				Janina Sajka, Director
>				Information Systems Research & Development
>				American Foundation for the Blind (AFB)
>
>janina at afb.net
>
>
>




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