Re: Linux accessibility for artic

Re: Linux accessibility for artic

[Ken Perry]

Nope nothing out there yet that I have been able to find and I have been
using linux now for 3 years via ethernet..  The only two access softwares
out there are the braille terminal and emacs speak.  I hear a few people
are trying to make emacs speak work for some of the more affordable
synthisisers but  I have looked through that code and since the writer of
Emacs speak has made it for Dec talk using the voices it is not as easy a
task as would be hoped.  If you happen to find something out there that I
have missed though please let me know cause like you there is no way I am
going to buy a dec talk at that price.

Ken /whistler

On Tue, 3 Dec 1996, Ben Van Poppel wrote:

> I haven't actually got Linux yet but I thought I'd better start 
> researching. I have only found one voice access program for Linux, that 
> being Emacspeak. However, I haven't the resources to by a DecTalk 
> synthesizer and a terminal system doesn't appeal to me either. Are there 
> any voice access systems for Linux that can use Artic, either TransPort 
> or Double Talk speech synthesizers?
> 
> 
> ---
> Send your message for blinux-list to blinux-list@redhat.com
> Blinux software archive at ftp://leb.net/pub/blinux
> Blinux web page at http://leb.net/blinux
> To unsubscribe send mail to blinux-list-request@redhat.com
> with subject line: unsubscribe
> 

Re: Linux accessibility for artic

[Ken Perry]

All I will say is this was not intended as a flame against Emacs or its
writer although it looks as it was taken as one.  I have tryed to write a
driver and I am a programmer in more languages than I can count.  I don't
care to learn a new language (emacs).  I also have talked to at least 3
others that tryed to write a driver and gave up.  I just say the proof is
in the pudding and I see no other drivers popping up so it must not be as
easy as you say.  I am not knocking  Emacs cause from what I hear it with
Dectalk are a very good speech synth program for Linux and any unix for
that matter.  Oh I have a question I know that Emacs has been ported to
Windows NT have you tryed Windows NT through emacs  speak?  
One more question then I will shut up.  I use dectalks at school where I
work.   I have set up 5 dos machines all with dectalks and  10 machines
with Double talk.  I have found that the dectalks slow the dos machines
down conciderably doing normal tasks like formating drives and even
copying files if I remove the dectalks and use another synth card like
double talk the machine runs at normal speed.  The question is what does
dectalk do to your unix machines speed  I am hoping since unix is a multi
user multi device OS it doesn't affect the speed of the machine like it
does dos.

Ken /whistler

On Tue, 3 Dec 1996, T. V. Raman wrote:

> Ken Perry writes:
>  > 
>  > out there are the braille terminal and emacs speak.  I hear a few people
>  > are trying to make emacs speak work for some of the more affordable
>  > synthisisers but  I have looked through that code and since the writer of
>  > Emacs speak has made it for Dec talk using the voices it is not as easy a
>  > task as would be hoped.  If you happen to find something out there that I
> 
> The above statement --"the author of emacspeak has made it dectalk voices
>   specific" is grossly untrue
> Emacspeak does provide aural syntax coloring using Dectalk voices if you
>   happen to have a dectalk, but this is a user toggle that can be turned on
>   and off. 
> 
> And though the author of the note I am following up to chooses to say "I have
> looked through that code ..."
> I bet you that anyone who is motivated enough to develop a driver for other
> synthesizers would be able to develop a voice locking module for other speech
> boxes if he/she so chooses.
> 
> 
> In the free software world, things never happen if one just chooses to ask for
> things; one has to be prepared to give as well.
> 
> 
> 
>  > have missed though please let me know cause like you there is no way I am
>  > going to buy a dec talk at that price.
>  > 
>  > Ken /whistler
>  > 
>  > On Tue, 3 Dec 1996, Ben Van Poppel wrote:
>  > 
>  > > I haven't actually got Linux yet but I thought I'd better start 
>  > > researching. I have only found one voice access program for Linux, that 
>  > > being Emacspeak. However, I haven't the resources to by a DecTalk 
>  > > synthesizer and a terminal system doesn't appeal to me either. Are there 
>  > > any voice access systems for Linux that can use Artic, either TransPort 
>  > > or Double Talk speech synthesizers?
>  > > 
>  > > 
>  > > ---
>  > > Send your message for blinux-list to blinux-list@redhat.com
>  > > Blinux software archive at ftp://leb.net/pub/blinux
>  > > Blinux web page at http://leb.net/blinux
>  > > To unsubscribe send mail to blinux-list-request@redhat.com
>  > > with subject line: unsubscribe
>  > > 
>  > 
>  > ---
>  > Send your message for blinux-list to blinux-list@redhat.com
>  > Blinux software archive at ftp://leb.net/pub/blinux
>  > Blinux web page at http://leb.net/blinux
>  > To unsubscribe send mail to blinux-list-request@redhat.com
>  > with subject line: unsubscribe
> 
> -- 
> Best Regards,
> --raman
> 
>       Adobe Systems                 Tel: 1 (408) 536 3945   (W14-129)
>       Advanced Technology Group     Fax: 1 (408) 537 4042 
>       (W14 129) 345 Park Avenue     Email: raman@adobe.com 
>       San Jose , CA 95110 -2704     Email:  raman@cs.cornell.edu
>       http://labrador.corp.adobe.com/~raman/raman.html (Adobe  Internal)
>       http://www.cs.cornell.edu/Info/People/raman/raman.html  (Cornell)
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
>     Disclaimer: The opinions expressed are my own and in no way should be taken
> as representative of my employer, Adobe Systems Inc.
> ____________________________________________________________
> 
> ---
> Send your message for blinux-list to blinux-list@redhat.com
> Blinux software archive at ftp://leb.net/pub/blinux
> Blinux web page at http://leb.net/blinux
> To unsubscribe send mail to blinux-list-request@redhat.com
> with subject line: unsubscribe
> 

Linux accessibility for artic

[Ben Van Poppel]

I haven't actually got Linux yet but I thought I'd better start 
researching. I have only found one voice access program for Linux, that 
being Emacspeak. However, I haven't the resources to by a DecTalk 
synthesizer and a terminal system doesn't appeal to me either. Are there 
any voice access systems for Linux that can use Artic, either TransPort 
or Double Talk speech synthesizers?

Re: Linux accessibility for artic

[T. V. Raman]

Ken Perry writes:
 > 
 > out there are the braille terminal and emacs speak.  I hear a few people
 > are trying to make emacs speak work for some of the more affordable
 > synthisisers but  I have looked through that code and since the writer of
 > Emacs speak has made it for Dec talk using the voices it is not as easy a
 > task as would be hoped.  If you happen to find something out there that I

The above statement --"the author of emacspeak has made it dectalk voices
  specific" is grossly untrue
Emacspeak does provide aural syntax coloring using Dectalk voices if you
  happen to have a dectalk, but this is a user toggle that can be turned on
  and off. 

And though the author of the note I am following up to chooses to say "I have
looked through that code ..."
I bet you that anyone who is motivated enough to develop a driver for other
synthesizers would be able to develop a voice locking module for other speech
boxes if he/she so chooses.


In the free software world, things never happen if one just chooses to ask for
things; one has to be prepared to give as well.



 > have missed though please let me know cause like you there is no way I am
 > going to buy a dec talk at that price.
 > 
 > Ken /whistler
 > 
 > On Tue, 3 Dec 1996, Ben Van Poppel wrote:
 > 
 > > I haven't actually got Linux yet but I thought I'd better start 
 > > researching. I have only found one voice access program for Linux, that 
 > > being Emacspeak. However, I haven't the resources to by a DecTalk 
 > > synthesizer and a terminal system doesn't appeal to me either. Are there 
 > > any voice access systems for Linux that can use Artic, either TransPort 
 > > or Double Talk speech synthesizers?
 > > 
 > > 
 > > ---
 > > Send your message for blinux-list to blinux-list@redhat.com
 > > Blinux software archive at ftp://leb.net/pub/blinux
 > > Blinux web page at http://leb.net/blinux
 > > To unsubscribe send mail to blinux-list-request@redhat.com
 > > with subject line: unsubscribe
 > > 
 > 
 > ---
 > Send your message for blinux-list to blinux-list@redhat.com
 > Blinux software archive at ftp://leb.net/pub/blinux
 > Blinux web page at http://leb.net/blinux
 > To unsubscribe send mail to blinux-list-request@redhat.com
 > with subject line: unsubscribe

-- 
Best Regards,
--raman

      Adobe Systems                 Tel: 1 (408) 536 3945   (W14-129)
      Advanced Technology Group     Fax: 1 (408) 537 4042 
      (W14 129) 345 Park Avenue     Email: raman@adobe.com 
      San Jose , CA 95110 -2704     Email:  raman@cs.cornell.edu
      http://labrador.corp.adobe.com/~raman/raman.html (Adobe  Internal)
      http://www.cs.cornell.edu/Info/People/raman/raman.html  (Cornell)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
    Disclaimer: The opinions expressed are my own and in no way should be taken
as representative of my employer, Adobe Systems Inc.
____________________________________________________________

Re: Linux accessibility for artic

[T. V. Raman]

Ken--

I'll answer your questions in order:

a) Dos boxes running screenreaders with dectalks may slow down if the speech
rate is set to be slow and the dos device driver continuously handshakes with
the dectalk for indexing.

emacspeak and linux perform fine with the dectalk express --I have the speech
going at 450 words a minute and it is chattering along as I work.

2) Windows NT:

I've been meaning to try this --haven't had time to write a driver for NT
--would have to be either Java or Visual Basic --since tclx does not run on NT
--select is a pretty unix-specific call --and this is what the unix driver
uses to sync with the dectalk.

This said, emacspeak should work happily on NT given the driver, but its
usefulness on that platform is questionable.

The reason why emacspeak is a complete solution on UNIX is
that  in UNIX-land X windows is meerely a graphical interface to the
underlying tools; you can write your own interface --and that is what
emacspeak does.

On NT, though emacspeak might make emacs talk, that would still not give you
access to the underlying machine or allow you to do system maintainance tasks
since all those things are inherently tied to the Windows GUI.

Finally, on the question of writing a driver;
I think the only serious attempt was by someone in Australia and he did make
considerable progress --I have now lost contact.

You might say "the proof is in the pudding" pointing at the absence of drivers
for other boxes; all I have to say is that if I had the time and motivation to
write drivers for these other boxes it would take less than a day for each
device.

-- 
Best Regards,
--raman

      Adobe Systems                 Tel: 1 (408) 536 3945   (W14-129)
      Advanced Technology Group     Fax: 1 (408) 537 4042 
      (W14 129) 345 Park Avenue     Email: raman@adobe.com 
      San Jose , CA 95110 -2704     Email:  raman@cs.cornell.edu
      http://labrador.corp.adobe.com/~raman/raman.html (Adobe  Internal)
      http://www.cs.cornell.edu/Info/People/raman/raman.html  (Cornell)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
    Disclaimer: The opinions expressed are my own and in no way should be taken
as representative of my employer, Adobe Systems Inc.
____________________________________________________________