----- Original Message ----- From: "Gregory Nowak" <greg@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: "Speakup is a screen review system for Linux." <speakup at braille.uwo.ca> Sent: Tuesday, July 31, 2007 5:36 PM Subject: Re: speakup, 2.6.22, and the way forward > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- > Hash: SHA1 > > On Tue, Jul 31, 2007 at 04:08:24PM -0500, John Heim wrote: >> On the other hand, if linux doesn't talk at boot time, it will actually >> make >> my job less secure. I need to be able to listen to boot messages. That's >> what I do for a living. > > That's what dmesg is for. The only time really when it is necessary to > hear boot messages as they occur, is if you're booting a fresh kernel > you've just built, that may not be configured correctly, (I.E. not > have the necessary ide/sata/scsi/whatever controller included, not have > the root file system included, ETC.), and you need to hear the boot > messages in case of a kernel panic, so that you can review the screen, > and see where things blew-up. Another one is where you messed up menu.lst. These things come up all the time for me. We install Windows via a live CD. I modified the kernel on the live CD to include speakup so that I can tell what's going on during an install. Same for installing linux. Of course, I use Shane's modified debian install CD but I also use another open source project called FAI or "Fully Automated Install" to do mass installs. Again, it has a live CD to which I added a speakup modified kernel. And most of our servers have custom kernels. Being able to deal with these things on a pretty much level playing field with my sighted colleagues has added a great deal to my prestige here at the department. If I had to constantly call someone over to get help I wouldn't have the reputation as the go-to guy that I do. I don't think I'm paranoid. I just think it looks really bad when the linux expert has to get help with a machine that won't boot. I'm supposed to be the guy they call when a linux machine won't boot. I'm not supposed to be the one calling for help.
