David, I forgot to mention: Including the statements I described in the /etc/rc.d/rc.local file means that the software speech begins talking in time to serve as a prompt for the first login screen upon bootup. So in my case, I could actually just forget about the "ltlk" device and select "none" as my default synth, letting the "speakwith" script start the software speech just prior to displaying the login screen. Chuck -- The Moon is Waning Crescent (1% of Full) Home page at http://www.mhcable.com/~chuckh Speakfreely at hhs48.com:2074
