Thanks to everyone who provided information on the null-modem cable installs -- you all have been most helpful! For posterity, here's a summarization of the suggestions and outcomes: * Use Speakup instead to install Linux - I've been playing with Speakup too, and it works great. I knew that there were 2 ways to install Linux - Speakup and the null modem option. I can now say I've tested both... and Speakup wins! (Thanks Matt!) * The kernel included on the latest versions of the Red Hat and Debian boot and install disks *do not* support serial console. Slackware apparently used to support serial console on install, but I have no confirmation that it still does. Thus, unless the user chooses to recompile the installation kernel to include serial console support, installing over a null modem cable is not an option if you are using an i386 architecture machine and RH or Debian. If you're using some other distro... good luck, and let me know if it works! * Of course, the standard Linux kernel *does* have serial console support built in. So once you've installed and booted to the resident kernel, you can redirect your output to wherever you want it to go, including the com ports. (Thanks LCR!) BTW, with regards to the suggestion to convince the mainstream distros to integrate speech access, I think a project along this lines is already under way, courtesy of Alan Cox and Karl Dahlke. Refer to http://www.eklhad.net/linux/adapter-reqs.html for more info. And now, off to update the HOWTO... -jen