Linux 9 stretch What to do about reviving speakup?

Thu Mar 28 13:50:53 EDT 2019

Hello Martin,

as the issue you describe is about Debian Stretch, maybe
you will find help on the Debian accessibility mailing list? 

Best

Didier

On 28/03/2019 17:25, Martin McCormick wrote:
> I know that speakup was upgraded some time ago and it quit
> starting on every system I had upgraded to Debian Stretch.  I
> have a couple of systems that mersifully still talk and usually
> log in to the stretch systems with no problem but this isn't
> rightas the stretch systems should have the ability  to talk on
> their own so I am trying to get this ability back and the error
> salad is uniquely opaque.
> 
> 	I thought.  Let's just delete the speakup package and
> reinstall the new version and everything should be fine as we
> will get the new scripts.  Situation resolved right?
> 
> 	Not exactly.  Speech is always harder than you think
> uness it just works from the get go.
> 
> Here's what happened when I tried to do that:
> 
> root at wb5agz:~# apt-get purge speakup
> E: Unable to locate package speakup
> 
> Okay.  Then I should be able to install speakup right?
> 
> root at wb5agz:~# apt-get install speakup
> The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:
>   espeak espeak-data espeak-ng-data libespeak-ng1 libespeak1 libpcaudio0
>   libsonic0
> Use 'apt autoremove' to remove them.
> The following packages will be REMOVED:
>   espeakup*
> 0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 to remove and 25 not upgraded.
> 12 not fully installed or removed.
> After this operation, 79.9 kB disk space will be freed.
> Do you want to continue? [Y/n] y
> dpkg: error processing package espeakup (--remove):
>  package is in a very bad inconsistent state; you should
>  reinstall it before attempting a removal
> Errors were encountered while processing:
>  espeakup
> E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
> 
> 	My first response is, Ya.  Tell me something I don't
> already know.  Let's try the autoremove and see what happens.
> 
> root at wb5agz:~# apt-get autoremove
> 
> Reading package lists... 0%
> 
> Reading package lists... 100%
> 
> Reading package lists... Done
> 
> Building dependency tree... 0%
> 
> Building dependency tree... 0%
> 
> Building dependency tree... 50%
> 
> Building dependency tree... 50%
> 
> Building dependency tree... 60%
> 
> Building dependency tree... 75%
> 
> Building dependency tree... 91%
> 
> Building dependency tree       
> 
> Reading state information... 0%
> 
> Reading state information... 0%
> 
> Reading state information... Done
> The following additional packages will be installed:
>   espeakup
> The following packages will be upgraded:
>   espeakup
> 1 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 25 not upgraded.
> 12 not fully installed or removed.
> Need to get 0 B/37.2 kB of archives.
> After this operation, 0 B of additional disk space will be used.
> Do you want to continue? [Y/n] y
> Reading changelogs... 100%
>                           
> Reading changelogs... Done
> (Reading database ... 
> (Reading database ... 5%
> (Reading database ... 10%
> (Reading database ... 15%
> (Reading database ... 20%
> (Reading database ... 25%
> (Reading database ... 30%
> (Reading database ... 35%
> (Reading database ... 40%
> (Reading database ... 45%
> (Reading database ... 50%
> (Reading database ... 55%
> (Reading database ... 60%
> (Reading database ... 65%
> (Reading database ... 70%
> (Reading database ... 75%
> (Reading database ... 80%
> (Reading database ... 85%
> (Reading database ... 90%
> (Reading database ... 95%
> (Reading database ... 100%
> (Reading database ... 42616 files and directories currently installed.)
> Preparing to unpack .../espeakup_1%3a0.80-5+deb9u3_i386.deb ...
> Failed to stop espeakup.service: Unit espeakup.service not loaded.
> invoke-rc.d: initscript espeakup, action "stop" failed.
> dpkg: warning: subprocess old pre-removal script returned error exit status 5
> dpkg: trying script from the new package instead ...
> Failed to stop espeakup.service: Unit espeakup.service not loaded.
> invoke-rc.d: initscript espeakup, action "stop" failed.
> dpkg: error processing archive /var/cache/apt/archives/espeakup_1%3a0.80-5+deb9u3_i386.deb (--unpack):
>  subprocess new pre-removal script returned error exit status 5
> update-rc.d: warning: start and stop actions are no longer supported; falling back to defaults
> Failed to start espeakup.service: Unit espeakup.service is not loaded properly: Invalid argument.
> See system logs and 'systemctl status espeakup.service' for details.
> invoke-rc.d: initscript espeakup, action "start" failed.
> ● espeakup.service - Software speech output for Speakup
> 
> 	At this point, the output of the scripts is so garbled
> with binary stuff, I can not really include any more but suffice
> it to say, I seem to be hosed in removing the old speakup and
> installing a new one so what is the least destructive way to
> purge all that is causing trouble and replace it with the proper
> new environment for speakup to work again as it used to.
> 
> 	The version of espeakup shown right now is
> 
> ESpeakup 0.80
> 
> It was installed last November when I upgraded the system to
> stretch.
> 
> 	Since I can't seem to get rid of the old way to start and
> stop services for speakup, it is no surprise that it isn't
> working but I am not sure where to slash and burn next as the
> rest of the system is fine so let's do as little harm as
> necessary.
> 
> Thanks for any good ideas.
> 
> 	Martin McCormick  WB5AGZ
> _______________________________________________
> Speakup mailing list
> Speakup at linux-speakup.org
> http://linux-speakup.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/speakup
> 