newbie question...

[Janina Sajka]

Both of the Access Solutions speech synths, their DEC Talk and their
Tripletalk, can talk to a USB port. However, Speakup does not yet
support USB port synths. More to the point, we do not yet have a
standards based mechanism whereby a usb serial device can by used during
bios, boot loader, and initial kernel boot stages. I think we need such
a standard--but that's another story. Suffice it to say that usb mice
and keyboards are supported like that, so why not output devices?

Chris Gray writes:
> Hi Janina:
> 
> I can appreciate what you're saying about a hardware synthesizer. 
> Have you seen any USB-based, Linux-compatible synthesizers yet? These 
> days, USB ports are the most available real estate on boxes from 
> manufacturers like Dell it seems.
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> Chris
> 
> On Wed, 
> 5 Jan 2005, Janina Sajka wrote:
> 
> >Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2005 19:03:55 -0500
> >From: Janina Sajka <janina at rednote.net>
> >Reply-To: Speakup is a screen review system for Linux.
> >    <speakup at braille.uwo.ca>
> >To: Speakup is a screen review system for Linux. <speakup at braille.uwo.ca>
> >Subject: Re: newbie question...
> >
> >Hi, Laura:
> >
> >The installation HOWTO for the Speakup Modified Fedora Distribution is
> >at:
> >
> >http://www.linux-speakup.org/ftp/disks/fedora/HOWTO_INSTALL.html
> >
> >However, you will not be able to install with software speech. And, if
> >you really want to admin your systems, I would highly advise you get a
> >hardware speech synth. The reason is that it will work even when your
> >system isn't working properly. Software speech, on the other hand,
> >requires your system to boot, and all your sound configurations to be
> >correct.
> >
> >I would look for a used synth on Ebay, or buy one of the currently
> >available synths from Access Solutions. But, I would get a hardware
> >synth. Am I repeating myself yet? <grin> Sorry about that.
> >
> >Laura Eaves writes:
> >>Hello -- I'm new to the list and am looking to get a new laptop on which i
> >>want to run linux with speakup.
> >>I am an experienced unix user, but switched to windows when my vision got 
> >>to
> >>the point where i could not read the screen with screen mag any longer, 
> >>and
> >>so i started using a windows screen reader.
> >>However now i understand there are quite good screen readers for linux, of
> >>which yasr, speakup, emacspeak and gnopernicus are recommended by various
> >>people.
> >>i want speakup as i want to administer my household linux box and so want
> >>control of the console as early in the boot process as possible.
> >>
> >>Ok, now after having read the blurbs on the speakup web pages, i have the
> >>following questions:
> >>
> >>I noticed one of the pages listed a project called Tuxtalk that was a
> >>minimal software synth compiled in with speakup in the kernel to eliminate
> >>the need for a hardware synth.  However, the page was dated 2002 and the
> >>project wasn't finished.
> >>Since i don't have a hardware synth (yet anyway), is there currently a
> >>version of speakup that runs without a hardware synth?
> >>If so, what are the hardware requirements? i.e., sound card etc.
> >>
> >>Also, i noticed speakup works with a bunch of hardwaare synths and also 
> >>most
> >>or all of the major linux implementations, but i couldn't find at first
> >>glance whether i needed to comppile the kernel myself or whether there 
> >>were
> >>binaries available.
> >>could someone point me to a place for newbie linux-speakup installers to
> >>learn about hardware requirements and how to build and/or select and 
> >>install
> >>the right version of linux with speakup?
> >>Can speakup with linux run well on a laptop?
> >>
> >>Thanks for any info on these topics!
> >>there is actually general interest among several people on another lisst 
> >>--
> >>and I have posted the address of this list for them to join if they want 
> >>--
> >>but if they don't id like to pass along any info I find out.
> >>Thanks in advance and happy new year!
> >>--le
> >>
> >>
> >>_______________________________________________
> >>Speakup mailing list
> >>Speakup at braille.uwo.ca
> >>http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup
> >
> >
> 
> -- 
> 
> Chris Gray, Sr. Technical Writer        Symantec Corporation
> 415-365-6199 voice                      301 Howard Street, Suite 1800
> 415-348-9636 fax             		San Francisco, CA 94105
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Speakup mailing list
> Speakup at braille.uwo.ca
> http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup

-- 

Janina Sajka				Phone: +1.202.494.7040
Partner, Capital Accessibility LLC	http://www.CapitalAccessibility.Com

Chair, Accessibility Workgroup		Free Standards Group (FSG)
janina at freestandards.org		http://a11y.org

If Linux can't solve your computing problem, you need a different problem.