Linux 9 stretch What to do about reviving speakup?

Thu Mar 28 15:43:39 EDT 2019

Hi Martin,
Firstly, speakup is a kernel module, so is likely installed with your 
kernel packages, I.E. linux-image-some_numbers./
You can try to do:
modprobe speakup_soft
and if that just comes back to your prompt, the speakup_soft module 
loaded, prooving that speakup itself is fine.
In that case, I would suggest you do:
apt-get install --fix-missing
which would try to sort out your half-installed packages.
Then try to re-install espeakup.
HTH, Willem

On Thu, 28 Mar 2019, Didier Spaier wrote:

> [The e-mail server of the sender could not be verified (SPF Record)]
>
> 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
>> 
> _______________________________________________
> Speakup mailing list
> Speakup at linux-speakup.org
> http://linux-speakup.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/speakup