speakup & fDisk

[Janina Sajka]

Hi, Glen:

You should use diskdruid, even though you're unfamiliar with it. The
reason is that you need to provide mount points for your partitions, and
fdisk won't let you do that. So, anyway you slice it, your choices are
automatic or diskdruid for at least part of the process. I think we
discuss the druid at length in the HOWTO, and this is why.

NOTE: the mount point is the partition's name/function, as /home or /usr
or just / (pronounced slash) for the root partition--the first one you
should create.


As to knowing where you are, yes there's both a bug here, with one of
the libraries, and a trick to pick up.

When you tab around, try the 4 key on the numeric to check where you
are. Reason? The cursor is just beyond the word that's highlighted, so 5
comes up empty. But, 4 will get you OK or BACK, etc., as the case may
be.

On many of the menus where you arrow up and down, the cursor is likewise
providing false information to Speakup. You're actually hearing the item
beyond/beneath the one that's active. If you need verification for any
selection, check the attributes with Insert+period on the numeric, the
wide key in the lower left, and the thin one in the middle on the bottom
row. The highlighted entry will have forground/background colors like no
other selection.

You will encounter this for the first time in the language selection
menu, where Speakup says "French," even though you're really on
"English." The most important place to be careful, of course, is in
partitioning, as you correctly note. But take heart, you'll get another
chance to check whether or not you got it right on the next screen. And,
remember the best news of all, making the edits in the diskdruid screen
doesn't actually do anything except select how things are to be done.
The actual partitioning doesn't happen for many more screens--not until
after you've picked all the packages you're installing.

Glenn Ervin writes:
> From: "Glenn Ervin" <glennervin at cableone.net>
> 
> I have 2 concerns going on here.
> I have reached the point where I have to select a tool for disk
> partitioning, and I felt that fDisk was the best choice, since I did not
> complete the fDisk in DOS , on the drive I am preparing to devote entirely
> to Linux.
> And I am fairly comfortable with disk partitioning, as I have done it
> successfully several times with the other OS.
> But before I get to the problem with fDisk, I have some problem with speakup
> which I know should not be there.
> I noticed that as I move around the screen with tabs, I always get 2 or 3
> items read to me.
> I have figured out that the last item is usually the item selected, but this
> is quite difficult, especially when I need to be careful to not format my
> /dev/hda1 drive.
> The 8 key on the number pad either says nothing or the incorrect item.  And
> I have tried using the numpad enter key to shift the focus, and it does not
> help.
> But when I ran the incorrect boot disk, not the one from my ISO, I did not
> get this double speaking problem, but I cannot use the wrong boot disk, as I
> eventually get an error with the wrong disk.
> * So I guess my question is: How do I get fDisk to know I want to format
> /dev/hdb?, as /dev/hda1 seems to be the only option.
> And is there a way to effect the verbosity of speakup so it does not give me
> this double talk?
> Thanks.
> 
> "Live long and prosper",
> O. Glenn Ervin (Lenny)
> N0YJV
> Northeast Nebraska
> e-mail:
> glennervin at cableone.net
> The above address can also be found on MSM.
> or my work e-mail:
> gErvin at ncbvi.state.ne.us
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Speakup mailing list
> Speakup at braille.uwo.ca
> http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup

-- 
	
				Janina Sajka, Director
				Technology Research and Development
				Governmental Relations Group
				American Foundation for the Blind (AFB)

Email: janina at afb.net		Phone: (202) 408-8175