Hi, here is a rough draft of the guide. I will be gone for a few days, but
will work on adding things to this and improving it when I get back.
For now, maybe this information will be of use to someone.
Mike.
Written by Michael Coulombe.
A basic guide to Orca and Ubuntu.
X-Antivirus: avast! (VPS 080807-0, 08/07/2008), Outbound message
X-Antivirus-Status: Clean
This is my first attempt at putting a guide together for new users. Note,
I hope this information will be helpful, but I do not guarantee any of the
things listed here to work. Use this information at your own risk. In other
words, I will not be held responsible if anything happens.
This guide is free. Feel free to give it to anyone you want to give it
to. You may also feel free to add to, word better or improve this guide. Ok,
with that out of the way, here we go.
I started using Ubuntu a few years ago and have been given a lot of help
by others on and off the Ubuntu list and the Orca list. So I thought I would
share a little of what I know about Linux for those who are thinking about
giving it a try.
This guide will include some of the things I have found to be useful when
using Linux.
Since I use Ubuntu, I will be talking about that operating system, but
there are several good Linux distributions out. Ubuntu for example is a
completely free operating system. This means you can share it with anyone
and install it on as many computers as you like.
I am assuming you know your computer, and know how to do things like
getting it to boot from the CD, so I will not go in to computer language in
this guide. But I will tell you the easiest way I have found to do things.
A few notes.
Linux has a lot to offer, and it is a wonderful operating system for the
blind. It is getting more accessible all the time, but there are some things
you should know right off before starting to learn it. Ubuntu is a Linux
operating system. You are not using windows and should know you will have to
learn a few things. In order to take full advantage of the Linux operating
system, you will have to learn to use the consul, which is known as the
terminal in gnome the graphical desktop. If you do not want to learn the
terminal at all or do not have patience, you should probably stick with
another operating system. If you know dos, learning the terminal should be
fairly easy for you. If you do not know dos, you will have a little to
learn.
The terminal is used by typing in commands. There are a lot of very good
programs that run in the terminal, and at times the terminal can make your
Linux experience easier and more accessible. For example, updates can be
obtained with speech feedback easier from the terminal. Wile we are on the
subject of speech. Remember you are not using a windows screen reader. While
you may find some of Orca's commands similar, it will be different from a
windows or mac screen reader.
You should also know that Orca and Ubuntu are always being improved. If
you don't like something now, it may be to your liking in the next release.
With that said, lets get to the operating system.
First of all, I suggest downloading the latest live CD or DVD image of
the latest final release of Ubuntu. The nice thing about Ubuntu is that you
can try the operating system with out making any changes to your computer.
In fact you can actually use the live CD to get files off of your computer
if the operating system crashes.
Running the live CD.
Once you write the live CD image to a disc do the following. First boot
your computer from the CD. The drive should stop in a short time, and you
will be in the language menu. English is first, so I will use it for these
instructions. If you do want English, press enter once.
Next press the f5 key and let it go. Then press the number 3 key and let
it go. Now press enter twice. The system will boot in a few minutes, but
Orca usually doesn't start.
Once the computer is booted, do the following. First, hold down the alt
key and press the f2 key, and then let both keys go. In a few seconds type
Orca and press enter. When it comes up speaking, you can inter the
preferences menu and make your choices. I suggest quitting Orca after you
make the changes and restarting it using the steps listed above.
Now you can play around with Ubuntu and see if you like it.
Installing Ubuntu.
As of this writing the installer doesn't work with Orca from the desktop.
However, there is a release of Ubuntu you can download that you can install
with Orca. The following are the instructions for installing the original
Hardy release.
Installing Ubuntu hardy with Orca.
Note, this only works with the original release.
Put the CD in the computer and turn it on. Once at the boot screen you
will be at the language menu. English is the first choice. If you need
another language, get sighted help to pick the language you want.
Assuming English is the language you want do the following, or do these
steps after picking the language of your choice. First press enter. Then,
press the down arrow key once. This picks the option of booting right into
the installer. Next press the f5 key and let it go. Now press the number 3
key and let it go. Last press enter twice. The system will boot, and you can
follow the instructions to install your new operating system when Orca
begins speaking
Installing Ubuntu inside windows.
Starting with the hardy release a nice feature has been added to Ubuntu.
You can install it inside windows, and you do not have to make any changes
to your computer. You can uninstall Ubuntu just as easy. This is a very nice
way to install Ubuntu so you can try it, but there are two disadvantages, as
of this writing. The standby and some of the other features in the shutdown
menu will not work if Ubuntu is installed this way. Also the system is more
vulnerable to corruption if you have a power loss.
You can install Ubuntu inside windows one of two ways. If you have the
live CD, simply pick install inside windows from the CD menu when you put
the CD in your drive after windows is loaded. Yes, it is accessible and you
only have two or three choices to make. After the files are copied reboot
the computer, and in a few seconds you will come to a choice of booting into
windows or Ubuntu. Windows is first, so press the down arrow key once and
then press enter. It will take about 15 minutes or so for the system to
finish installing. If you picked the screen reader to be installed, it will
say welcome to Orca shortly.
After the system finishes installing your computer will reboot. Use the
down arrow key to pick Ubuntu and press enter. That's all there is to it.
There is a second way to install Ubuntu inside windows, and using this
way you do not have to write a CD.
First download the program called wubi. Run it in windows and follow the
instructions. Wubi will download the image and then install like it would
have from the live CD. Note, this will take several hours because the image
has to be downloaded.
Keys.
Ubuntu uses the gnome graphical desktop which in some ways is similar,
remember I said similar to windows. You will find some of the gnome keyboard
shortcuts similar to what you know in windows. For example, to get to the
menus. Hold down the alt key and press f1. Now use the arrow keys to explore
the different menus. In most programs to get to the menu. Hold down the alt
key and press f for file, t for tools and so on. The only program I know of
that doesn't require you to hold the alt key down with the menu choice is
open office. To run a program directly. Hold down the alt key and press f2.
I suggest you download a command list for both gnome and Orca.
There are three main menus in gnome. Applications, places and system.
Each of these menus have several sub menus. After you press the alt and f1
keys you will be at the applications menu. Use the down arrow key to explore
the different menus, and use the right arrow key to go into any menu.
If you move to the left using the left arrow key you will be in the
system menu. Use the down arrow key to explore it. If you move left again,
you will be in the places menu.
The terminal.
You new this was coming at some point, and we may as well get it out of
the way now. While Gnome the graphical desktop is getting better all the
time and you will be able to use it for most tasks. There will be times when
you will not be able to use it or will want a faster way to do something.
The terminal is something you are going to have to know a little about to
use Ubuntu. It can be your friend if you give it a chance.
You run the terminal from the accessories menu, or you can run it
directly by doing the following. Press the alt and f2 keys together and then
let them go. You will hear Orca ask for the command you want to run. Type
the following, gnome-terminal, then press enter. No matter which way you
choose to use, go ahead and open the terminal.
Now that it is opened you have to tell the system who you are so it will
let you make changes and run programs. To do this, type the following
command, sudo su and press enter. You will be asked for a password. Type
your password and press enter. You should here root at what ever your
computer name is. You are now logged into the terminal. You should always
login when you enter the terminal because if you don't you will be limited
on what you can do. Some programs like the battery program acpitool will run
if you are not logged in, but most programs will not run this way.
Getting updates.
Lets start with something simple. You need to keep your system up to
date. There are two terminal programs you can use, apt-get or aptitude. I
will be using aptitude.
Type aptitude update and press enter. You can disable speech, or continue
pressing the control key to keep from hearing all of the stuff Orca will
say. If you are using a desktop computer. To temporarily stop speech, press
insert s to stop speech, and insert s again to enable speech.
Once the update process is complete type this command,
aptitude-distupgrade and press enter. You should listen to what is said
since Orca will either say no packages will be upgraded or it will give you
a list of packages to be upgraded. If you agree all you do is press y and
then press enter. You can disable speech for awhile until it is finished.
Well, you just completed your first task in the terminal. It will be
second nature to you after a few times.
You can also get updates using the update manager, but sometimes Orca
doesn't work correctly with this. However, if you find broken packages, you
will want to use the update manager because it has a feature to correct this
problem. I think you get the point. The more you know the more you can do to
get things to work when necessary.
Removing programs.
Remember when I said the terminal can be your friend. You can remove
packages using the package manager, but here is a fast way to remove one not
listed in the add remove programs menu.
Simply type, aptitude remove followed by the package name and press
enter. You add packages the same way. For example aptitude install acpitool
or aptitude remove acpitool.
Cleaning your system.
There are two easy ways to get rid of all of the old packages still on
your system. 1, In the terminal type the following command, aptitude clean
and press enter. That's all there is to it. 2, In the terminal type the
following, apt-get autoremove and press enter.
Making admin apps accessible.
Orca is going to be the screen reader you will use in Ubuntu. You may as
well know some of the admin apps are not accessible as of this writing. But
in many cases there are ways to make them accessible. Lets deal with this
now.
Get in the terminal and type the following. sudo su then press enter. You
will be asked for your password, so type it and press enter. You should hear
root at what ever the name of your computer is.
Now we are going to enable the root account. To do this you will use a
editor called nano. Follow these instructions.
Type nano /etc/gdm/gdm.conf and press enter. The file should now be
opened. Next hold down control and press w, you should now be in a search
field so type allow root, and press enter. Now using down arrow find the
line that says allow root = false. Backspace out the word false and replace
it with the word true. Now hold down control and press x. You will be asked
to enter y if you want to save the changes. Do this and press enter.
That's the hardest part. Now we have to add a password to the root
account. Here's how to do it.
Type passwd root then press enter. You will be asked for the password
twice. Enter one and press enter. Enter it again to confirm and press enter.
You should here that the password was updated.
Alt f4 will close the terminal. You can also close the terminal by typing
exit and pressing enter. This has to be done twice if you are logged into
the terminal.
Now you can log in using the root account by using root as the username.
You will find more of the admin apps are accessible this way.
Note, while the installer doesn't work with Orca directly from the
desktop on the live CD. Here is a dirty trick that sometimes gets it to
work. For this to have a chance, you must boot the live CD using the f5 and
number 3 settings described above.
If you enable the root account on the live CD using the steps described
above. In some versions of Ubuntu you will be able to login as root and run
ubiquity or just run install from the desktop. If this works in the version
you have you will be able to get speech during the install process. If you
do not use the f5 and number 3 options when you boot the live CD. You will
be able to enable the root account, but for some reason you will not be able
to login to it.
Batteries.
If you are using a laptop and want to know the battery status. Install
the program acpitool. Running this program from the terminal will tell you
the charge that is left in your battery.
Web browsing.
Fire fox is the web browser in Ubuntu. It is getting better all the time,
and as of this writing it is very accessible. To search for a site use
control l instead of control o. This through me at first when I tried to use
fire fox, because I thought you had to use control o. There is now a links
list plug in available for fire fox that will let you pick just the links
using the arrow keys.
Hey, how about my m-p-3 files and videos.
To play these files in Ubuntu you will have to install some software. I
suggest doing this from the root account because you will hear the progress
as the files are being downloaded, but this will also work from your
account. The difference is you will not hear the progress as the files are
downloading.
From the applications menu, press enter on add remove programs. You want
to pick show all available software. In the edit field, type plug in and
press enter. Now use the tab key to get to the list. Using down arrow, look
at the programs and check everything except the Ubuntu restricted package. I
always had problems with this one because you have to agree to a Java
license that Orca does not read.
After checking everything else apply the updates. Now you should be able
to play your files.
If you are going to encode files, you should also install flac and lame
from the terminal.
There are a variety of different players you can use. Pick the one that
is best for you.
copying discs, burning CDs and so on.
These features work well with Orca in Ubuntu. Insert a disc, and using
the programs key, pick copy disc from the menu. The program for writing
discs in the sound and video menu is the one used and it works well with
Orca. You will find it in the sound and video menu.
How do I create a folder?
shift control n.
What if the system crashes?
You will like the fact that this usually doesn't happen. However, all
operating systems have this problem at one time or another. The good thing
is in Ubuntu you do not have to reboot most of the time.
If a program hangs here is what will usually get you going again. Press
the control alt and backspace keys together for a second then let them go.
This will kill the gnome session and put you at the login screen. Log in and
everything should be fine. You will loose any work you were doing, for
example changes you didn't save to a file. But this would happen in any
operating system. If you are writing. I suggest setting the text editor to
save your file every minute. This way the most you will loose is a minute of
work.
About applications.
You are probably wondering what apps work with Orca. Some do, and some do
not. Here are the ones I know do.
The text editor and to some extent open office work. The dictionary works
very well. You can install a terminal program called dict for a dictionary
you can use in the terminal. Note the dictionaries require that you are on
the Internet.
Most of the admin tools now work if you are in the root account, and some
of them will work from your account. The sound and video apps that come with
Ubuntu all work. The programs that come with Ubuntu in the graphics menu
work with Orca. Fire fox works well, and so does transmission the torrent
client that comes with Ubuntu.
Others may work, but I haven't had a reason to try them yet. That should
give you a few to work with, and there are several other apps you can get
using add remove programs that also work well with Orca. I know for example
that the world clock program is very accessible, as well as some of the text
editors.
If you want to play m-p-3 files from the terminal. Install the program
mp3blaster for this purpose. I think vlc media player may also work in the
terminal.
Adjusting the volume.
You can do this in gnome, but here is a fast way to do it in the terminal
if you are using alsa.
In the terminal, run the program alsamixer. Now press up or down arrow to
turn the volume up or down. Pressing the right arrow puts you in another
volume menu. You will usually be interested in the master volume which is
the first menu that comes up when you run the alsa mixer program. But it
also has menus for the line in, microphone and so on. When you are done
press the escape key twice to exit the program.
Recording what is said in the terminal.
There will be times when you will want to have a reference of what is
said in the terminal. For example, consider the following. You want to
install a program, but do not know it's name. So lets say you type water in
the terminal. Orca will tell you that water is not installed. But then it
will tell you the name of the program you have to install to get the program
water installed.
Now lets say you don't understand what Orca said. Or maybe it said a word
you do not know how to spell. The following little program will give you a
text file you can look at later to get the exact spelling.
The program is called script. Simply type script and press enter when you
are in the terminal. From this point everything you do in the terminal
including the computers feedback will be recorded in a file called
typescript. When you are finished hold the control key down and press the
letter d, then let the keys go. This will close the file. You can find the
file typescript in your home folder.
Adding users in the terminal.
Users can be added in the gnome desktop using Orca. But there are some
nice features you can use in the terminal to do other things with user
accounts.
Lets say Joe needs to use your computer, but you only want to give him
access for a certain amount of time. You can set up a timed account as
follows.
In the terminal type the following replacing Joe with whoever. useradd
Joe -e 2007-04-19 Replace the year, month and day with the ones you need.
You can also add users by typing useradd Joe, as a example. Now you have
to give the new user a password. you do this by using the passwd program.
For example, passwd Joe, then press enter. You will be asked for the new
password.
There is another terminal program called adduser. This one is a little
different, but it works just as well. I don't think you can set up timed
accounts using the adduser program.
How do I get the version of Orca that is running on my computer?
In the terminal type this command. Orca -v.
How can I find out how much memory my computer has?
In the terminal, type free and press enter.
Is there a way to see which kernel is running?
Yes, in the terminal type this command, uname -r and press enter.
Need a simple calendar, try this one. /usr/bin/calendar.
To connect computers through serial ports, try minicom.
Using the top panel.
To get to the top panel, press the control, alt and tab keys together,
then let them go.
The top panel has things like the volume control and other buttons. As of
this writing it is not very accessible. Orca quite often says imbedded
component instead of the name. When you hear this, try holding down the
control key and pressing the f1 key, then let the keys go. If the program
has a toolkit, this should display it.
Adding users to groups.
The addgroup is another terminal program. Lets say Joe's account has no
sound, but everyone else does. The problem may be that he needs to be added
to the audio group. To do this, type the following command in the terminal,
addgroup Joe audio, and press enter.
The computer was interrupted when installing packages and now I can't get
updates.
Go to your friend the terminal and type this command, dpkg --configure
-a, and
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