Hello, I don't know whether it does prevent things in the standard configuration but on the orca list Halim suggested editing the /etc/asound.conf file so that pulseaudio goes through a dmix and so won't block the actual hardware device. Sorry I don't have the exact link to hand but I am sure if you look back through the orca list archives you will find the configuration posted. Michael Whapples On 01/-10/-28163 08:59 PM, Georgina Joyce wrote: > Hi > > I wondered if pulse audio or something else prevents speakup from using > software speech on a Fedora 12 system installed from the Live cD? > > Thanks. >