software synths

[Michael Whapples]

> What version of speechd-up have you made into a debian package? Hopefully 
> the latest. I can be more specific now and say that speech-dispatcher in 
> debian is 0.6.4 (or at least there is a version available on the debian 
> server). Looks like for debian users no need to go to compiling software 
> to get software speech for speakup (thanks to John for doing that 
> speechd-up package). I don't know if espeak is a later enough version (is 
> 1.26 high enough), but if it isn't then it isn't hard to install espeak 
> from source. I nearly forgot, to use espeak with the espeak specific 
> module, you will need to install libespeak as well (in my mind possibly 
> easier to install it manually by getting the binaries or source from 
> http://espeak.sf.net, but may be that's why I am a slackware user).
>
> From
> Michael Whapples
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "John Heim" <jheim at math.wisc.edu>
> To: "Speakup is a screen review system for Linux." 
> <speakup at braille.uwo.ca>
> Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2007 8:01 PM
> Subject: Re: software synths
>
>
>>I don't think speechd-up is available as a debian package through a 
>>regular debian archive.  But I build a deb file and posted it on my web 
>>site at the University of Wisconsin Department of Mathematics. For 
>>instructions on installing it, see:
>>
>> http://www.math.wisc.edu/~jheim/debian/
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Michael Whapples" <mwhapples at aim.com>
>> To: "Speakup is a screen review system for Linux." 
>> <speakup at braille.uwo.ca>
>> Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2007 11:32 AM
>> Subject: Re: software synths
>>
>>
>>
>>>I don't know if you have worked out how to install all you need, but as 
>>>you
>>> said you are using debian, here is a guide. Use apt to get and install 
>>> the
>>> stuff for you (use a command such as:
>>> apt-get install speechd-up speech-dispatcher espeak
>>> in fact you probably could miss out speech-dispatcher as it should be a
>>> dependency of speechd-up (not sure, so make sure that speech-dispatcher 
>>> gets
>>> installed if you don't specify it). Also the above assumes you wish to 
>>> use
>>> espeak. I don't know what versions of the software, so you may wish to 
>>> get
>>> the packages from their original sources and compile them yourself (not 
>>> too
>>> hard, just make sure you have everything required installed). It may be 
>>> only
>>> a few packages which need compiling, eg. speech-dispatcher may be 
>>> version
>>> 0.6.4, but if you wish to use espeak with it, then you need above a 
>>> certain
>>> version number (to use the espeak specific module), so it might be best 
>>> to
>>> compile the latest espeak).
>>>
>>> Once the above are installed, you may wish to edit speech-dispatcher's
>>> configuration files to get espeak as the default module. If you 
>>> installed
>>> speech-dispatcher through apt, the configuration file is probably
>>> /etc/speech-dispatcher/speechd.conf, and if from source it probably is
>>> /usr/local/etc/speech-dispatcher/speechd.conf unless you specified 
>>> otherwise
>>> in which case you should know where it is. This file is fairly well
>>> commented, a # symbol indicates a commented out line, some options may 
>>> need
>>> un-commenting. to use espeak as default synth, make sure the default 
>>> synth
>>> line is uncommented and set to espeak and make sure the espeak module 
>>> line
>>> is uncommented in the add module section (you may wish to comment out 
>>> unused
>>> modules). Now save and make sure the espeak module is set as you want. 
>>> This
>>> is in the modules/espeak.conf file in the speech-dispatcher 
>>> configuration
>>> directory (ie. if speech-dispatcher was installed through apt,
>>> /etc/speech-dispatcher/modules/espeak.conf). The main thing I would 
>>> suggest
>>> is to make sure that output is set to alsa (you will need to make sure 
>>> when
>>> compiling (if you compile speech-dispatcher) to have alsa support). Use 
>>> alsa
>>> as this is the current system for audio output, and offers better 
>>> features
>>> (particularly when using software speech, eg. software sound mixing 
>>> (have
>>> speech and music at the same time). save this and restart or start if 
>>> you
>>> previously didn't start speech-dispatcher to load the new settings, and
>>> change speakup output to sftsyn (I would use echo sftsyn
>>> >/proc/speakup/synth_name, but I am not sure how well this works with 
>>> >the
>>> modular structure used in the debian kernel). Now load speechd-up and 
>>> you
>>> should now have software speech from speakup. You can use scripts on 
>>> startup
>>> to load speech-dispatcher, speechd-up and change speakup output to 
>>> sftsyn,
>>> but I won't list it here, as I am more familiar with slackware start 
>>> scripts
>>> than debian ones.
>>>
>>> From
>>> Michael Whapples
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Speakup mailing list
>>> Speakup at braille.uwo.ca
>>> http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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