Linux distros (was Re: RH9 disks on the net.)

[Doug]

Lorenzo,

I see both the default synth and the keymap stuff in
the kernel config. It appears to me that even in its
existing form, it should be possible to create two
kernels, one with default synth equals 'none' and
the speakup keymap disabled, another with the default
synth set to your favorite synth and the speakup
keymap enabled.

Then, I *think* both could be in lilo. The first
one in lilo could be the speakup enabled one, set
to automatically boot with speakup after a timeout.
Then, the second option could boot another kernel
with synth = none and normal keymap.

I will be testing this in the next few days.
The slackware precompiled kernel sets the default
synth to none, because it supports many different
synthesizers, therefore you need a parameter. But
if you build your own kernel with the speakup
patches, you can configure the kernel to use a
specific synth automatically. I assume this
means that no kernel boot parameters are needed.

   -- Doug


Lorenzo wrote:


>Well, that's basically why we use speakup_synth=none.  So sighted people
>don't have to use speakup.  Unfortunately, however, that does absolutely
>nothing for the keymap, which locks out the numeric keypad to sighted
>users.  The best option is to have the speakup patch in the official
>source, and of course the patch includes the config options that default
>to Speakup not being included in the build unless you tell it yes.  Then
>if there are blind people and sighted people both using the same computer,
>the system would be configured with Lilo to boot with a choice of two
>kernels, one with Speakup and the other without it.  That is, of course,
>unless a boot parameter could have the same function of turning both
>Speakup and its keymap on or off.
>
>Lorenzo