Shane's kernels

[Samuel Thibault]

Tony Baechler, le Thu 17 Jul 2008 02:41:58 -0700, a écrit :
> Samuel Thibault wrote:
> >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
> >  
> I'm sorry, I didn't know about that and I didn't see it announced on 
> debian-accessibility.

Right, I should probably have announced it, I just didn't take the time
to do it.

> Still, I think that's modules, not an actual kernel image with the
> Speakup core built-in.

Indeed.  The reason is that debian kernel packagers don't want to apply
patches to the kernel except bug fixes.  Having it as modules is fine
for most usage, though, and people who need non-module are probably able
to patch/recompile their own kernel.  One could argue that the speakup
package could provide an easy way to do it (just like the old
speakup-patch package used to).  Just another thing to do on top of the
long list...

> >Etch _does_ have braille already.
> >  
> Again, I'm sorry.  I don't use Braille and I thought Braille was somehow 
> dropped for Etch.

Why so?

> Maybe I was confused with Sarge which had Speakup support.

Well, there were "accessibility" disks indeed, but that wasn't
convenient.

> I read the Etch release notes and don't remember seeing a 
> section on Braille in the installer,

So the release team forgot to add it.  That's the kind of things
that people can (without technical knowledge) and should help in
debian-accessibility.

> >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.

Well, just a warning: this image may not work any more at that time if
the archive change :) (it seems to do work currently).

> >Just contribute.
> I'm not a programmer

See the documentation issue above.

> I don't really have time to write docs

But you have time to write complains and spread FUDs :)

> and wouldn't understand the code anyway.

Documentation is _not_ about code.  It's about user knowledge.

> I am very disappointed that the install team dropped the ball with
> Etch as far as Speakup,

Well, as usual, it's not a problem of policy, it's a problem of
workforce.  The accessibility disks got dropped because they weren't
maintained, and the debian installer doesn't fit on them any more
anyway.  Debian-installer people are not against accessibility (yes,
that's what people would understand from your "dropped the ball"
expression), they just don't know how to test it etc. so can not
maintain it themselves, they need help.

Samuel