speakup with ubuntu

John Heim jheim at math.wisc.edu
Mon Oct 30 11:30:57 EST 2006


I think what you're suggesting is acceptable. Although, I still think it 
would be better to have it speak by default. Instead of having a user have 
to do something to get speach, he'd have to do something to turn it off. I 
mean, sighted users don't have to press a key to make the monitor work, do 
they ? Imagine if you had to press some key combination like F5+<number> to 
get anything to show up on the screen.

But, realistically, most people use their eyes. So I can understand what 
you're doing.

I think the introductory messages to oralux are sound files written to the 
sound device and no speech is loaded at the beginning. Maybe you could do 
something like that. Get Kathleen turner to record a message that says 
"Welcome to ubuntu. For speech, press F5."

That would have the added benefit of showing that sound is working and 
everybody would learn the correct pronunciation of "ubuntu".


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Henrik Nilsen Omma" <henrik at ubuntu.com>
To: "Speakup is a screen review system for Linux." <speakup at braille.uwo.ca>
Sent: Sunday, October 29, 2006 4:09 PM
Subject: Re: speakup with ubuntu


> Booting from a ks.cfg file on a floppy is already much too complicated.
> We are trying to expand the availability of command line speech to more
> inexperienced users. It should all work directly from the live CD
> without any prior preparation.
>
> Holding down the Alt key would be an option, but pressing F5+<a number>
> is similarly easy and is our existing infrastructure for accessibility
> support (which also includes high contrast, magnification, keyboard
> enhancements, on-screen keyboard, in addition to screen reading).
>
> Once the 'speaking console' option has been selected by such an option
> then we can probably deal with the other boot options fairly easily and
> boot onto the command prompt instead of X.
>
> Henrik
>
> Jude DaShiell wrote:
>> Some of what's already put on the boot: line by default likely will fight
>> with speakup; unless text as a boot: parameter is supported.  Why not 
>> poll
>> the keyboard for just the alt key being held down?  If that happens,
>> perhaps have ubuntu bing up speakup if it can with software speech at
>> first.  Maybe also not start up X at all automatically, and tell the user
>> about a ubuntu accessibility directory on the livecd.  If less or zless
>> can be used, would-be users might find out how to customize ubuntu livecd
>> before doing install say with a good ks.cfg file placed on a floppy.  So
>> long as boot parameters can be read from a ks.cfg file and those get
>> described well enough this might be a possibility.  If ubuntu can read a
>> floppy with vfat format and read a ks.cfg file from it we're almost good
>> to go.
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Speakup mailing list
> Speakup at braille.uwo.ca
> http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup
>
> 





More information about the Speakup mailing list