Re[2]: debian vs redhat

Re[2]: debian vs redhat

[Martin Courcelles]

Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit



My friend and I have been able to create a Debian boot disk which runs with
brltty.  So if you're using braille, you're set.  
     As fore Redhat, I've given up on that one.  I've tried a few things, but
they use a few wierd processes and if it's graphical, well that's another
hurtle.  

     Slakware is also moderately easy to create a brltty boot disk.  If you
use a serial terminal, there are also ways of doing that with debian and
Slakware. 
Regards, Martin Courcelles



At 08:02 PM 1/19/98 -0500, you wrote:
>Installation: Slackware installation is the best documented.  I
>have not found a way to install Debian without sighted assistance.  I
>don't know about Red Hat.

Redhat's Installer disk is graphical, and doesn't seem to be operable by
blind users.  Redhat 5 does support an automated install procedure (can't
remember what it is called right now).  This procedure takes all of the
installation info from a file, and it is very similar to the related
install methods for Windows 3.1 and Windows 95.  This method only works for
installs from the Redhat CD or over NFS.  You can not install from an MsDOS
partition with this method (although I don't know why not).

Someone should seriously bug Redhat for a terminal based installation.

>However, I am sighted, so there are no doubt other issues I am not
>aware of.  

Jim, I had no idea you were sighted.  When you speak of Emacspeak, however,
you do so as if you were a user.  This is strange to me.

Best,
Bryan

--
Bryan R. Smart
E-Mail: bsmart@pobox.com

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Re: Re[2]: debian vs redhat

[G John Lapeyre]

	Is your Debian boot disk for brltty packaged for debian or
available on the debian archive ?  If not , I can help you get it in
order. (I am a debian "developer".)  Being a developer just requires
signing up and getting a PGP key.
	It would be great if we could include the boot disk in the section
with the others.

On Tue, 20 Jan 1998, Martin Courcelles wrote:

> My friend and I have been able to create a Debian boot disk which runs with
> brltty.  So if you're using braille, you're set.  

G John Lapeyre <lapeyre@physics.arizona.edu>
Tucson,AZ     http://www.physics.arizona.edu/~lapeyre

Re: Re[2]: debian vs redhat

[Nicolas Pitre]

On Tue, 20 Jan 1998, Martin Courcelles wrote:

> My friend and I have been able to create a Debian boot disk which runs with
> brltty.  So if you're using braille, you're set.  
>      As fore Redhat, I've given up on that one.  I've tried a few things, but
> they use a few wierd processes and if it's graphical, well that's another
> hurtle.  

I managed to hack a RedHat 5.0 bootdisk so it runs with BRLTTY.  RedHat's
installation isn't graphical.  It's in text mode with fancy boxes and
scroll bars but still usable with BRLTTY.  

Since RedHat's installation program seems to stick close to the real
console, I don't think that an installation can be easily made from a
serial terminal just by tweaking the bootdisk.  Modifying the install
program's source code might be necessary.  However, if a true vcsa-based 
speech package becomes available and can fit in about 100k or so, then
it'll work with speech too.

But, as Ramman said, you shouldn't be installing your Linux everyday.  So
if you aren't pleased by the perspective of installation disk hacking by
yourself, then just get some sighted assistance for once and forget about
the installation afterwards.

> 
>      Slakware is also moderately easy to create a brltty boot disk.  If you
> use a serial terminal, there are also ways of doing that with debian and
> Slakware. 
> Regards, Martin Courcelles
> 
> 
> 
> At 08:02 PM 1/19/98 -0500, you wrote:
> >Installation: Slackware installation is the best documented.  I
> >have not found a way to install Debian without sighted assistance.  I
> >don't know about Red Hat.
> 
> Redhat's Installer disk is graphical, and doesn't seem to be operable by
> blind users.  Redhat 5 does support an automated install procedure (can't
> remember what it is called right now).  This procedure takes all of the
> installation info from a file, and it is very similar to the related
> install methods for Windows 3.1 and Windows 95.  This method only works for
> installs from the Redhat CD or over NFS.  You can not install from an MsDOS
> partition with this method (although I don't know why not).
> 
> Someone should seriously bug Redhat for a terminal based installation.
> 
> >However, I am sighted, so there are no doubt other issues I am not
> >aware of.  
> 
> Jim, I had no idea you were sighted.  When you speak of Emacspeak, however,
> you do so as if you were a user.  This is strange to me.
> 
> Best,
> Bryan
> 
> --
> Bryan R. Smart
> E-Mail: bsmart@pobox.com
> 
> ---
> Send your message for blinux-list to blinux-list@redhat.com
> Blinux software archive at ftp://leb.net/pub/blinux
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> with subject line: unsubscribe
> 
> 
> ---
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> Blinux software archive at ftp://leb.net/pub/blinux
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> with subject line: unsubscribe
> 
> 

Nicolas Pitre, B. ing.
nico@cam.org