Re: the push to get rid of CONFIG_VT in the kernel and the future of Speakup

[Chris Brannon <chris@the-brannons.com>]

Janina Sajka <janina@rednote.net> writes:

> If the answer is that the console needs to stay, then we need console
> based a11y.

Yes, console access is still useful and relevant for lots of us.

The whole point of the message that started this thread
is that  We need to be aware of possible future developments in Linux,
so that our community can adapt without being caught off-guard.
I'd really like to know how long we will have the current console code
in the kernel.  For now, the answer is "indefinitely", but there's a
real possibility that the situation could change in coming years.

I guess the next step is to start making a contingency plan.
How will a screen reader be integrated with the coming userspace console
solution?  Should it be included directly in that codebase, or should it
be some sort of third-party add-on?
I think the latter approach is probably the best, because it can be
maintained by the people who care the most about console a11y.  Also, it
allows for multiple interchangeable implementations, independent of the
userspace console server itself.  That means we will need some method of
hooking into the console server for accessibility purposes, in much the
same way as we use the kernel-provided keyboard and VT notifier
mechanism today.  For that, we'll have to come up with some sort of API,
and we can't do that in a vacuum.  At some point, we're going to have to
open a dialog with the folks who are working on the userspace console
server, so that our concerns can be addressed.

-- Chris