Re: UltraSonix screen-reader for X-windows available at BLINUX site

Re: UltraSonix screen-reader for X-windows available at BLINUX site

[michael malver]

hi
        pardon my ignorance.  I am glad to see that we can use x-windows,
but will this program also support standard unix shells such as bash, or
tcsh?  Also, are there plans to support other synthesizers?  I use a
keynnote gold internal.  I am pretty sure humanware would give the
documentation out to a programmer willing to attempt the task.
        also, I have heard work of trying to make a talking shell for the
blind.  This bothers me.  I like bas, other may like tcsh, ksh, or whatever.
Why can't a screen reader be written that is independent of the shell?
Sorry if this is off-topic.
Michael

At 11:10 AM 10/8/96 +0200, you wrote:
>aloha, y'all!
>
>the new Linux port of the UltraSonix screen reader for the X Window System
>is now available at the BLINUX FTP ARCHIVE:
>
>	ftp://leb.net/pub/blinux
>
>filename: UltraSonix.source-7.0.tar.Z  (2.4 MB)
>
>you will also find the UltraSonix.FAQ in the BLINUX FTP ARCHIVE...
>gregory.
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>		http://leb.net/blinux
>		ftp://leb.net/pub/blinux
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Re: UltraSonix screen-reader for X-windows available at BLINUX site

[brian]

Hello Michael,

>         pardon my ignorance.  I am glad to see that we can use x-windows,
> but will this program also support standard unix shells such as bash, or
> tcsh?  

Absolutely!  Running a shell in a X-terminal is peanuts
compared to many more complicated applications.  UltraSonix is not written
with any particular application in mind.  You want shells?  We got shells!

> Also, are there plans to support other synthesizers?  I use a
> keynnote gold internal.  I am pretty sure humanware would give the
> documentation out to a programmer willing to attempt the task.

Absolutely again.  The more, the merrier!  UltraSonix has
a good interface so as to make the addition of other devices
reasonably straightforward.

>         also, I have heard work of trying to make a talking shell for the
> blind.  This bothers me.  I like bas, other may like tcsh, ksh, or whatever.
> Why can't a screen reader be written that is independent of the shell?

There is, of course, Emacspeak, which does much more
than just run shells.  Emacspeak doesn't care which shell you run, and it speaks
quite nicely.

> Sorry if this is off-topic.

Your questions are directly *on topic*.

> Michael

Brian.
-- 
---------------
Brian L. Sellden - brian@henge.com, brians@usa.net
User of Emacspeak 4.0,  making Unix talk.
http://www.henge.com/~brian

Re: UltraSonix screen-reader for X-windows available at BLINUX site

[AARON HOWELL]

Um. whats with the supposed port of UltraSonix to linux? the source on
ftp.leb.net looks remarkably like the original source released by The
University of Georgia. It certainly doesn't build under linux, and typing
make depend reveals an awful lot of sunos dependancies. I thought it was a
little too quick to be true.
People, I suggest you don't waste your time with downloading this one
unless you want to port it to linux yourself.
Oh and with regards to support of the keynote gold internal, Humanware are
distributors in the U.S, the people to contact for programming information
are Pulse Data PTY LTD in New Zealand, 
http://www.pulsedata.co.nz The email address is on the web site.
Last time i checked you still had to sign a non-disclosure agreement to
get the specs, though this may have changed due to the fact that almost
noone was supporting keynote hardware due to the difficulty in getting
programming specs for it. (smells suspiciously like creative labs/diamond
technologies to me).
Anyway, if someone is working on a linux port for UltraSonix, that would
be cool, and be sure to let us know what happens with it.
Regards
Aaron

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aaron Howell.	Q.U.T Equity Department, Technical Support/Training.
work: a.howell@qut.edu.au	Linux/Networking Support.
home: a.howell@student.qut.edu.au	phone +61-19-956-467
www: http://www.cnl.com.au/~aaron	irc: DaRkAnGeL
MODULE disclaimer; FROM STextIO IMPORT WriteString,WriteLn; BEGIN;
WriteString("The opinions herein are mine, and do not in any way");
WriteString(" Reflect those of Q.U.T."); WriteLn; END disclaimer.

UltraSonix scope and screen-reader issues (was: Re: UltraSonix screen-reader for X-windows available at BLINUX site)

[Nikhil Nair]

On Wed, 9 Oct 1996, michael malver wrote:

>         pardon my ignorance.  I am glad to see that we can use x-windows,
> but will this program also support standard unix shells such as bash, or
> tcsh?

First, I'm no expert on UltraSonix, so take this with a pinch of salt ....
My guess would be `no, unless you run them from inside X'.  The reason I
say this is that the techniques needed for the physical screen-reeading
part are very different - on Linux you would use /dev/vcs* to read the
screen outside X, but this varies between different platforms.  They must
have thought of this problem, though, so maybe I'm just being pessimistic
...

> Also, are there plans to support other synthesizers?  I use a
> keynnote gold internal.  I am pretty sure humanware would give the
> documentation out to a programmer willing to attempt the task.

I think this is the idea, once the port is done.  Again, I'm not really in
touch with the current project, but I can say that UltraSonix was designed
to make this easy.

>         also, I have heard work of trying to make a talking shell for the
> blind.  This bothers me.  I like bas, other may like tcsh, ksh, or whatever.
> Why can't a screen reader be written that is independent of the shell?

I'd be inclined to agree with you - IMHO Braille/speech access software
should be completely independent of applications, shells etc. (not meaning
to take anything away from EmacSpeak, but that may not help vi users
much).  Again, though, I'm afraid I don't actually know about this project
...

Can someone else be more helpful here?

Nikhil.

--
Nikhil Nair
Trinity College, Cambridge, England
Tel.: +44 1223 368353
Email: nn201@cus.cam.ac.uk
       nnair@debian.org

Re: UltraSonix screen-reader for X-windows available at BLINUX site

[John Covici]

on Wed, 9 Oct 1996 17:44:02 -0600 brian@henge.com in
<199610092344.RAA01844@zygote.ivory.com> wrote:
>Hello Michael,
>
>>         pardon my ignorance.  I am glad to see that we can use x-windows,
>> but will this program also support standard unix shells such as bash, or
>> tcsh?
>
>Absolutely!  Running a shell in a X-terminal is peanuts
>compared to many more complicated applications.  UltraSonix is not written
>with any particular application in mind.  You want shells?  We got shells!


But can you do the simple thing, i.e. set up a computer with Linux and
run something from the console which will speak everything?

Would have been nice to have something in the kernel for some of the
basic sdreen reader functionality.



--
         John Covici
          covici@ccs.covici.com

Re: UltraSonix screen-reader for X-windows available at BLINUX site

[Nicolas Pitre]

On Thu, 10 Oct 1996, John Covici wrote:

> But can you do the simple thing, i.e. set up a computer with Linux and
> run something from the console which will speak everything?
> 
> Would have been nice to have something in the kernel for some of the
> basic sdreen reader functionality.

I really think that screen reading functionalities must not be in the
kernel source.  The kernel already offers the contents to all virtual
console screens (text and attributes) through /dev/vcsa* and it is also
possible to simulate key strokes with those devices.  So any screen
reading software may actually be designed as a daemon.  The BRLTTY package
works that way and I actually hacked it to make it read the screen with my
voice synthesizer.

The only thing I don't know is how to intercept keystrokes from the
console keyboard...  But it is done in dosemu (the kernel may let a raw
keyboard access).

So the actual kernel offers every tools needed for a vocal screen reading
daemon.  It just need somebody to write it.



nico@cam.org
Nicolas Pitre
ing. stag.

Re: UltraSonix screen-reader for X-windows available at BLINUX site

[John Covici]

on Fri, 11 Oct 1996 01:25:27 -0600 root <Brian@henge.com> in
<199610110725.BAA01013@zygote.ivory.com> wrote:
>Hello John,
>> But can you do the simple thing, i.e. set up a computer with Linux and
>> run something from the console which will speak everything?
>
>  UltraSonix is, of course, an X-windows
>application.  It will not install
>Linux, or solve all our problems.
>If you want speech from the console, there are tools for that.
>
>> Would have been nice to have something in the kernel for some of the
>> basic sdreen reader functionality.
>
>Luckily, Linux has an ever-changing kernel.  So, since the purpous of
>this list is to discuss these things, let's hear your ideas, develop some code,
>and submit it to Linus!

Well, I don't have the thing -- I just have one computer working now so
I was never able to install it since a terminal is required.

I would look forward to other contributions -- that is why I have
subscribed to this list.

--
         John Covici
          covici@ccs.covici.com

Re: UltraSonix screen-reader for X-windows available at BLINUX site

[BLINUX Documentation Project]

aloha, brian!

you are correct in stating that there is no linux port of the ultrasonix
source code at the present time, hence the filename:

	UltraSonix.source-7.0.tar.Z  (2.4 MB)

and, as you noted, 
>The file
>listed above is the original public release of the UltraSonix sources
>which were written for a SPARCstation + Solaris.
>  There is a Linux port under way, but it has
>only just begun.

now, a question...

since you're working on the port, would you be willing to keep the members
of blinux-list, as well as linux-access and uab-l, apprised of the port's
progress?  i've linked your web pages concerning the port to the blinux
web site (http://leb.net/blinux) and would like, when you are ready for
such a step, to add a link to the "Betas in Search of Testers" page...
and, with your permission, i'd like to mirror the port update page
in ASCII form at the BLINUX FTP Archive,

	ftp://leb.net/pub/blinux

as for the rest of you hackers, once you download the public 
non-commercial release of the UltraSonix source code 
(ftp://leb.net/pub/blinux/UltraSonix.source-7.0.tar.Z) please keep the
rest of us apprised of you work/progress and let us know when you need
our input--after all, that's the primary purpose of these lists... 

thanks for the clarification brian--i apologize for any misunterstanding
and confusion i may have caused with my original post...

gregory.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
	   Gregory J. Rosmatia, oedipus@leb.net or blinux@leb.net
			http://leb.net/blinux
			ftp://leb.net/pub/blinux
			ftp://leb.net/incoming/blinux
  electronic archivist and webmaster for The BLINUX Documentation Project
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

UltraSonix screen-reader for X-windows available at BLINUX site

[BLINUX Documentation and Development Project]

aloha, y'all!

the new Linux port of the UltraSonix screen reader for the X Window System
is now available at the BLINUX FTP ARCHIVE:

	ftp://leb.net/pub/blinux

filename: UltraSonix.source-7.0.tar.Z  (2.4 MB)

you will also find the UltraSonix.FAQ in the BLINUX FTP ARCHIVE...
gregory.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Distributed by the BLINUX Documentation and Development Project
		http://leb.net/blinux
		ftp://leb.net/pub/blinux
		ftp://leb.net/incoming/blinux
The BLINUX Documentation Project is an outgrowth of BLINUX-LIST
	to subscribe to BLINUX-LIST, send an emessage with the subject line
		subscribe
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