I get the impression you're asking too much at once. Speakup and an external serial synth would give the boot to power down access you asked for and all the cli stuff. Software speech is bound to come up later and by then, have missed some of the boot sequence. I would guess software speech and the gui would have their own combination and work independently of the first mentioned speakup and an external; but I didn't go past the cli bit so can't describe any further. You'll get some or more, but not all is my guess. RobH. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Christopher Bartlett" <bridgeweaver@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: <blinux-list@xxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Monday, October 15, 2007 2:37 AM Subject: Beginner, soliciting input for where to begin. I have decided it is time I get into the world of Linux. I've flirted with the idea for years, but I'm ready to take the plunge at this point. I am going to have a dedicated linux machine to work with. Here are the considerations I want to take into account, and I am asking for opinions on which of the several access solutions I should adopt. First of all, I am reasonably technically literate, and am not afraid of a learning curve. When all is said and done, I am looking for comprehensive access to my system as I intend to learn to be a Linux power user. The access solution I adopt must provide comprehensive coverage of the environment so that I can get in and tweak what I need to tweak. I'd prefer a system that provides coverage from boot up to shutdown, rather than something that I have to start up after the system boots up. I am happy learning (or relearning) how to operate in a command-line environment. I was a DOS user back in the day, and have actually used Unix shell accounts, though it has been a long time. That said, I would like to be able to use a GUI environment to have access to applications that work under x-windows. If I can prove to myself that I don't need this access then so much the better, but I want to be able to perform word-processing and other office applications, browse the web and use audio editing/production software with the same facility that I can under Windows. I would like to learn how to use virtual machines so that I can run Windows applications in a native Windows environment rather than relying on emulation, which I understand isn't perfect. I want to be able to use software-synthesized speech; I don't own a hardware synth and I don't want to spend money on one; if I'm going to buy tech toys they are going to be music production gear. With all these considerations, what would folk recommend for the optimal access solution for learning to install, run and work in Linux? I am certainly willing to use multiple solutions if they play well together. Thank you. Christopher Bartlett _______________________________________________ Blinux-list mailing list Blinux-list@xxxxxxxxxx https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/blinux-list _______________________________________________ Blinux-list mailing list Blinux-list@xxxxxxxxxx https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/blinux-list