Sure. It's real simple. As of today, and probably for some time to come, Gnome just isn't ready. If that isn't clear, let me try it this way: Gnome ain't ready, no way, no how. Can't splain it to you no better. Sean McMahon writes: > Sinse we're on the subject of gui linux, any opinions on how gnome compares to > using emacspeak with an appropriate windo manager? > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Janina Sajka" <janina at rednote.net> > To: "Speakup is a screen review system for Linux." <speakup at braille.uwo.ca> > Sent: Monday, July 25, 2005 12:58 PM > Subject: Re: Demonstrating the power of Linux for blind people. > > > > Hi, Amy: > > > > Answers in line below ... > > > > Ghoston, Ameenah writes: > > > 1. I want to set up a Linux box with speakup > > > Gnome, and KDE. > > > > The "everything" choice in the Speakup Modified Fedora will give you > > that without additional knowledge or effort on your part. > > > > As an aside to the other debate that flamed over the weekend, this could > > not be said of minimalist installation strategies. In other words, I > > stand behind my assertion that there are advantages and disadvantes > > either way--full blown or minimalist. > > > > Unfortunately, the issue is fairly moot as regards Gnome and KDE. You > > are not likely to find much value there yet for the blind user, though > > your results for low-vision will prove a bit better. > > > > > > > > > > > > > 2. I have other projects to manage, so I don't want to spend a significant > amount of time screwing with package depencies and what not. > > > > > The major Linux distributions generally now do an excellent job of > > managing dependencies for you. The tool of choice on Fedora is called > > yum. On Debian it's apt, for example. > > > > Once configured, yum works splendidly and can even set to run nightly > > without user intervention. > > > > Please note that yum also supports package security through GPG keys. > > > > > 3. I am dealing with the gambit of blind computer users and so, I want a > setup that would work for your average user. > > I find this a most fascinating question. > > > > Who is an "average" user? More pertinant, what assumptions does this > > "average" user bring to computing? I could go on at some length about > > this subject, but will keep it brief. > > > > I believe their is no such thing as a generalized computing environment > > that can be used without some education and training. Even something as > > simple as the plain old touch tone phone requires training. Else, how > > does one know that you must first hear a dialtone before pressing the > > digits of a phone number successively? My mother can do that, but the > > concept of a cell phone is very much beyond her as are answering > > machines and voice mail in general. Is she average? Probably for her age > > group, post 90 years of age, she is. > > > > To bring this home to "average" computing tasks, I would warrant > > something as straight forward and simple as reading and responding to > > email is far simpler on Linux than on Windows--but that requires that > > someone knowledgable has set up the computer and email application > > appropriately. > > > > Would it be "average" to set up a user account that does not boot into a > > shell, but rather provides a brief menu of choices like: > > > > Email > > Web > > Internet Radio > > > > Ten years ago, many of us used dial up accounts with various isps that > > provided exactly that. > > > > To finish up my view on this subject, the blind person's computer > > interface cannot be graphical by definition, even when using a gui. If a > > gui environment provides advantages, and I believe there are > > demonstrable instances of advantage, these flow not from the graphical > > nature of the gui, but from it's object oriented nature. > > > > An example of how this fails on the console is the background of text in > > the cat or chain web browsers when dealing with a pop up or a drop down > > dialog box. On the other hand, drop down dialogs are trivial to control > > on Linux where they are not so trivial, imho, on gui platforms. Just an > > example of the good and not so good in one place. > > > > Janina > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Speakup mailing list > > Speakup at braille.uwo.ca > > http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup > > > _______________________________________________ > 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 Bringing the Owasys 22C screenless cell phone to the U.S. and Canada. Go to http://www.ScreenlessPhone.Com to learn more. Chair, Accessibility Workgroup Free Standards Group (FSG) janina at freestandards.org http://a11y.org
