Shane's kernels

[Tony Baechler]

Samuel Thibault wrote:
> It'd be good if people actually checked what is true before speaking :)
>
> Tony Baechler, le Tue 15 Jul 2008 03:36:50 -0700, a écrit :
>   
>> Well, the obvious thing that's missing is an already compiled kernel image 
>> which includes Speakup.  Unless I'm mistaken, the Speakup modules package 
>> is just source.
>>     
>
> Please see http://packages.qa.debian.org/linux-modules-extra-2.6
>
>   
Hi,

I'm sorry, I didn't know about that and I didn't see it announced on 
debian-accessibility.  Still, I think that's modules, not an actual 
kernel image with the Speakup core built-in.  I will look before saying 
more though.
>> One thing Daniel didn't mention is that the Lenny installer should
>> have accessible images with Braille and Speakup support, which Etch
>> will never officially have.
>>     
>
> ?!?!
>
> Etch _does_ have braille already.
>
>   
Again, I'm sorry.  I don't use Braille and I thought Braille was somehow 
dropped for Etch.  Maybe I was confused with Sarge which had Speakup 
support.  I read the Etch release notes and don't remember seeing a 
section on Braille in the installer, but again I don't use Braille.

> As for Lenny, I've put a preview mini-ISO of what the installer will be
> on
>
> http://brl.thefreecat.org/mini.iso
>
>   
Thank you!  This would be very good to have.  I intend to download it 
and use it the next time I do an install.

>> I think that Debian is officially supporting the blind, just not as fast 
>> as one would like or in the manner that Michael seems to think is 
>> necessary.
>>     
>
> Just contribute.
>
>   
I'm not a programmer and I still don't use Debian as my main OS.  I 
don't really have time to write docs and wouldn't understand the code 
anyway.  With that said, I have an idea which I'm thinking about but it 
would have more to do with Speakup itself than Debian.

> I'm desperate to hear people talking on the debian-accessibility lists.
> I sometimes raise issues there, and very few people answer.  I on the
> other hand often hear about debian accessibility the kind of complaints
> you've just made.  That doesn't help to find the will to work on it, you
> know...
>
>   
I was not complaining about Debian accessibility.  Michael was 
complaining and I was responding to him and Daniel.  I'm personally very 
happy with Debian, more than any other Linux distro.  I would like to 
see FreeBSD support accessibility, but they have nothing while Debian 
can be used successfully by the blind from installation to day to day 
tasks including using X and Orca.  I understand that Gentoo and 
Slackware might have "better" accessibility support, better being of 
course highly subjective, but I'm still staying with Debian because it 
is a "better" overall distro.  The only thing I don't like is their 
guidelines for determining free software, but that's a discussion for a 
different time.  I'm sorry if I came across like I was complaining.  I 
am very disappointed that the install team dropped the ball with Etch as 
far as Speakup, but I think Lenny will be better and will be worth the 
wait.  I have a lot of respect for you and the work you've done.