Speakup with Ubuntu

Speakup with Ubuntu

[Terrence van Ettinger]

Hello,
Has anyone had any success running Speakup under Ubuntu using a software 
synth?  I'd like to use speakup on the consoles as I prefer it to Yasr. 
My box is a Compaq laptop with 512 ram; I can't remember how fast the 
processor is.

Thanks,
Terrence

Re: Speakup with Ubuntu

[Hermann]

Hi Terrence,
you need Speech-Dispatcher, speechd-up and a synth of your choice to do 
this. Ubuntu comes with Festival, which is supported by 
Speech-dispatcher. You can add supported synts, such as Festival-Lite or 
Espeak.
Install Speech-Dispatcher and Speechd-up, and then check the following 
files to set SD up:
/etc/speech-dispatcher/speechd.conf
and
/etc/speech-dispatcher/modules/yoursynth.conf
that means search in that directory for the file that configures the 
synth of your choice.
It runs without any problems on a less powerful machine; I use a 1 Ghz 
AMD-Duron with 240 MBs of RAM. Problems with slow processors and not 
enugh memory start when you use Gnome with Orca. But that's a different 
story.
Hermann

Re: Speakup with Ubuntu

[Terrence van Ettinger]

Hi Herman,
 	I have the configuration files you mensioned; my default output 
module is Festival, and there's a festival.conf file in the modules 
directory.  So what do I need to do then to get speakup running?

Thanks,
Terrence

Re: Speakup with Ubuntu

[Hermann]

Hi Terrence,
first try speech-dispatcher by starting it:
speech-dispatcher
then type:
spd-say "hello world"
or any text you like. Do you hear it?
If so type:
apt-get install speechd-up
as root.
After the installation type:
modprobe speakup_sftsyn
Does Speakup work now?
If so, type:
update-rc.d speech-dispatcher defaults
to make SD start with your system.
If you want Speakup have started with your system open
/etc/modules
an put in
speakup_sftsyn
also as root.
Reboot your machine and enjoy.
If there are problems, I need the exact error messages.
Hermann

Re: Speakup with Ubuntu

[Terrence van Ettinger]

OK...speakup works now, but Orca has shut up, and I do use X occasionally 
for a few things.

Terrence

Re: Speakup with Ubuntu

[Hermann]

Hello Terrence,
you should tell a bit more: What did you do to set up Speakup? What's the 
configuration of Orca? Which synth do you use for Speakup and for Orca? Do 
you use a braille display, and if, does it work?
Hermann

Re: Speakup with Ubuntu

[Terrence van Ettinger]

Hmm...I *am* using festival for both; could that be an issue?  I suppose I 
need to change one of them?

Re: Speakup with Ubuntu

[Hermann]

Hello Terrence,
I suspect that using Festival with Speakup and Orca could cause the problem.
How did you manage to get Festival work with Speech-dispatcher and 
Speakup? I tried this and didn't succeed.
Orca and Speakup both need the Festival server running, and that is 
maybe what causes the trouble.
Do you use Ubuntu 7.04? If so, you can use Orca with Espeak.
Switch to it in the orca speech settings by choosing Espeak as speech 
synthesizer.
Hermann

Re: Speakup with Ubuntu

[Jan Buchal]

>>>>> "H" == Hermann  <steppenwolf2@onlinehome.de> writes:

    H> Hello Terrence, I suspect that using Festival with Speakup and
    H> Orca could cause the problem. How did you manage to get Festival
    H> work with Speech-dispatcher and Speakup? I tried this and didn't
    H> succeed. Orca and Speakup both need the Festival server running,
    H> and that is maybe what causes the trouble.
Sure no. I use speechd-up, orca and speechd-el with festival via speech
dispatcher and works fine.

Best

-- 

Jan Buchal
Tel: (00420) 24 24 86 008
Mob: (00420) 608023021

Re: Speakup with Ubuntu

[Tomas Cerha]

Hermann wrote:
> Orca and Speakup both need the Festival server running, and that is 
> maybe what causes the trouble.

It is possible if you run Orca with the Speech Dispatcher backend (see 
http://live.gnome.org/Orca/SpeechDispatcher).

The only problem I can think of would be if Orca tries to start the 
Gnome Speech Festival driver at startup.  A very dirty solution to this 
problem would be to remove "gnomespeechfactory" form the configuration 
variable 'speechFactoryModules' in the file 'settings.py' within your 
Orca instalation directory 
('/usr/local/lib/python2.4/site-packages/orca/' by default).  Please let 
me know if that helps.  If that's the case, I'll try to find way to 
avoid this conflict without such dirty tricks.

Best regards, Tomas

speakup with ubuntu

[Jude DaShiell]

The ubuntu boot: prompt to be useful would need a single beep as it 
appeared on the screen and a short double beep when it left the screen. 
This way totally blind users with some useable hearing would be able to 
gauge when to do the keyboard commands to get ubuntu talking.  For the 
existing boot prompt, first is it possible to choose two accessibility 
options and what number would be usd to disable mouse input?  I need to 
get a rather large track ball to replace the mouse since that mouse ends 
up getting knocked around the desk and when hooked up gets me into no end 
of trouble with software.

speakup with ubuntu

[Jude DaShiell]

What number do you hit after f5 to disable the mouse, that is have all 
input taken from the keyboard?  I would want the screen reader turned on 
and the mouse turned off since I get along better with heavy track balls 
than mice.  Unfortunately I haven't got a heavy track ball yet.

re: speakup with ubuntu

[Jude DaShiell]

Some of what's already put on the boot: line by default likely will fight 
with speakup; unless text as a boot: parameter is supported.  Why not poll 
the keyboard for just the alt key being held down?  If that happens, 
perhaps have ubuntu bing up speakup if it can with software speech at 
first.  Maybe also not start up X at all automatically, and tell the user 
about a ubuntu accessibility directory on the livecd.  If less or zless 
can be used, would-be users might find out how to customize ubuntu livecd 
before doing install say with a good ks.cfg file placed on a floppy.  So 
long as boot parameters can be read from a ks.cfg file and those get 
described well enough this might be a possibility.  If ubuntu can read a 
floppy with vfat format and read a ks.cfg file from it we're almost good 
to go.

Re: speakup with ubuntu

[Henrik Nilsen Omma]

Booting from a ks.cfg file on a floppy is already much too complicated. 
We are trying to expand the availability of command line speech to more 
inexperienced users. It should all work directly from the live CD 
without any prior preparation.

Holding down the Alt key would be an option, but pressing F5+<a number> 
is similarly easy and is our existing infrastructure for accessibility 
support (which also includes high contrast, magnification, keyboard 
enhancements, on-screen keyboard, in addition to screen reading).

Once the 'speaking console' option has been selected by such an option 
then we can probably deal with the other boot options fairly easily and 
boot onto the command prompt instead of X.

Henrik

Jude DaShiell wrote:
> Some of what's already put on the boot: line by default likely will fight 
> with speakup; unless text as a boot: parameter is supported.  Why not poll 
> the keyboard for just the alt key being held down?  If that happens, 
> perhaps have ubuntu bing up speakup if it can with software speech at 
> first.  Maybe also not start up X at all automatically, and tell the user 
> about a ubuntu accessibility directory on the livecd.  If less or zless 
> can be used, would-be users might find out how to customize ubuntu livecd 
> before doing install say with a good ks.cfg file placed on a floppy.  So 
> long as boot parameters can be read from a ks.cfg file and those get 
> described well enough this might be a possibility.  If ubuntu can read a 
> floppy with vfat format and read a ks.cfg file from it we're almost good 
> to go.

Re: speakup with ubuntu

[John Heim]

I think what you're suggesting is acceptable. Although, I still think it 
would be better to have it speak by default. Instead of having a user have 
to do something to get speach, he'd have to do something to turn it off. I 
mean, sighted users don't have to press a key to make the monitor work, do 
they ? Imagine if you had to press some key combination like F5+<number> to 
get anything to show up on the screen.

But, realistically, most people use their eyes. So I can understand what 
you're doing.

I think the introductory messages to oralux are sound files written to the 
sound device and no speech is loaded at the beginning. Maybe you could do 
something like that. Get Kathleen turner to record a message that says 
"Welcome to ubuntu. For speech, press F5."

That would have the added benefit of showing that sound is working and 
everybody would learn the correct pronunciation of "ubuntu".


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Henrik Nilsen Omma" <henrik@ubuntu.com>
To: "Speakup is a screen review system for Linux." <speakup@braille.uwo.ca>
Sent: Sunday, October 29, 2006 4:09 PM
Subject: Re: speakup with ubuntu


> Booting from a ks.cfg file on a floppy is already much too complicated.
> We are trying to expand the availability of command line speech to more
> inexperienced users. It should all work directly from the live CD
> without any prior preparation.
>
> Holding down the Alt key would be an option, but pressing F5+<a number>
> is similarly easy and is our existing infrastructure for accessibility
> support (which also includes high contrast, magnification, keyboard
> enhancements, on-screen keyboard, in addition to screen reading).
>
> Once the 'speaking console' option has been selected by such an option
> then we can probably deal with the other boot options fairly easily and
> boot onto the command prompt instead of X.
>
> Henrik
>
> Jude DaShiell wrote:
>> Some of what's already put on the boot: line by default likely will fight
>> with speakup; unless text as a boot: parameter is supported.  Why not 
>> poll
>> the keyboard for just the alt key being held down?  If that happens,
>> perhaps have ubuntu bing up speakup if it can with software speech at
>> first.  Maybe also not start up X at all automatically, and tell the user
>> about a ubuntu accessibility directory on the livecd.  If less or zless
>> can be used, would-be users might find out how to customize ubuntu livecd
>> before doing install say with a good ks.cfg file placed on a floppy.  So
>> long as boot parameters can be read from a ks.cfg file and those get
>> described well enough this might be a possibility.  If ubuntu can read a
>> floppy with vfat format and read a ks.cfg file from it we're almost good
>> to go.
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Speakup mailing list
> Speakup@braille.uwo.ca
> http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup
>
> 

Re: speakup with ubuntu

[luke]

On Mon, 30 Oct 2006, John Heim wrote:

> I think the introductory messages to oralux are sound files written to the 
> sound device and no speech is loaded at the beginning. Maybe you could do 
> something like that. Get Kathleen turner to record a message that says 
> "Welcome to ubuntu. For speech, press F5."

That would require, would it not, fully booting the system, in order to 
first detect the sound hardware.
So, boot with speakup, but in an inactive state.  Set a key combination to 
activate it (loading modules, etc.).  Play the audio file as you suggest.  
If the user presses the key sequence, the system will switch into speech 
mode, at a text console.

That only covers speech, however.

Luke