Both of the Access Solutions speech synths, their DEC Talk and their Tripletalk, can talk to a USB port. However, Speakup does not yet support USB port synths. More to the point, we do not yet have a standards based mechanism whereby a usb serial device can by used during bios, boot loader, and initial kernel boot stages. I think we need such a standard--but that's another story. Suffice it to say that usb mice and keyboards are supported like that, so why not output devices? Chris Gray writes: > Hi Janina: > > I can appreciate what you're saying about a hardware synthesizer. > Have you seen any USB-based, Linux-compatible synthesizers yet? These > days, USB ports are the most available real estate on boxes from > manufacturers like Dell it seems. > > Thanks. > > Chris > > On Wed, > 5 Jan 2005, Janina Sajka wrote: > > >Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2005 19:03:55 -0500 > >From: Janina Sajka <janina at rednote.net> > >Reply-To: Speakup is a screen review system for Linux. > > <speakup at braille.uwo.ca> > >To: Speakup is a screen review system for Linux. <speakup at braille.uwo.ca> > >Subject: Re: newbie question... > > > >Hi, Laura: > > > >The installation HOWTO for the Speakup Modified Fedora Distribution is > >at: > > > >http://www.linux-speakup.org/ftp/disks/fedora/HOWTO_INSTALL.html > > > >However, you will not be able to install with software speech. And, if > >you really want to admin your systems, I would highly advise you get a > >hardware speech synth. The reason is that it will work even when your > >system isn't working properly. Software speech, on the other hand, > >requires your system to boot, and all your sound configurations to be > >correct. > > > >I would look for a used synth on Ebay, or buy one of the currently > >available synths from Access Solutions. But, I would get a hardware > >synth. Am I repeating myself yet? <grin> Sorry about that. > > > >Laura Eaves writes: > >>Hello -- I'm new to the list and am looking to get a new laptop on which i > >>want to run linux with speakup. > >>I am an experienced unix user, but switched to windows when my vision got > >>to > >>the point where i could not read the screen with screen mag any longer, > >>and > >>so i started using a windows screen reader. > >>However now i understand there are quite good screen readers for linux, of > >>which yasr, speakup, emacspeak and gnopernicus are recommended by various > >>people. > >>i want speakup as i want to administer my household linux box and so want > >>control of the console as early in the boot process as possible. > >> > >>Ok, now after having read the blurbs on the speakup web pages, i have the > >>following questions: > >> > >>I noticed one of the pages listed a project called Tuxtalk that was a > >>minimal software synth compiled in with speakup in the kernel to eliminate > >>the need for a hardware synth. However, the page was dated 2002 and the > >>project wasn't finished. > >>Since i don't have a hardware synth (yet anyway), is there currently a > >>version of speakup that runs without a hardware synth? > >>If so, what are the hardware requirements? i.e., sound card etc. > >> > >>Also, i noticed speakup works with a bunch of hardwaare synths and also > >>most > >>or all of the major linux implementations, but i couldn't find at first > >>glance whether i needed to comppile the kernel myself or whether there > >>were > >>binaries available. > >>could someone point me to a place for newbie linux-speakup installers to > >>learn about hardware requirements and how to build and/or select and > >>install > >>the right version of linux with speakup? > >>Can speakup with linux run well on a laptop? > >> > >>Thanks for any info on these topics! > >>there is actually general interest among several people on another lisst > >>-- > >>and I have posted the address of this list for them to join if they want > >>-- > >>but if they don't id like to pass along any info I find out. > >>Thanks in advance and happy new year! > >>--le > >> > >> > >>_______________________________________________ > >>Speakup mailing list > >>Speakup at braille.uwo.ca > >>http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup > > > > > > -- > > Chris Gray, Sr. Technical Writer Symantec Corporation > 415-365-6199 voice 301 Howard Street, Suite 1800 > 415-348-9636 fax San Francisco, CA 94105 > > > _______________________________________________ > Speakup mailing list > Speakup at braille.uwo.ca > http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup -- Janina Sajka Phone: +1.202.494.7040 Partner, Capital Accessibility LLC http://www.CapitalAccessibility.Com Chair, Accessibility Workgroup Free Standards Group (FSG) janina at freestandards.org http://a11y.org If Linux can't solve your computing problem, you need a different problem.
