Re: [orca-list] Built in Controls for Espeak Pretty Please with Sugar, cheeries, whatever it takes on top :)

[Luke Yelavich <themuso ubuntu com>]

On Fri, Aug 29, 2014 at 03:07:01PM AEST, Thomas Ward wrote:
> Hi,
>
> There is the catch 22 I see with VI Linux users. Most mainstream Linux
> users, those that use the GUI, have moved on to using the GUI and
> therefore pulse is a non-issue for them. Even I confess since I rarely
> use console speech this conflict between alsa and pulse is something
> of a non-issue for me personally. However, as many VI users still rely
> on console speech via Speakup etc they also depend on alsa and don't
> want to fight with pulse. The only solution I can see is perhaps
> writing a new screen reader for the console that uses pulse by default
> which would make alsa verses pulse a non-issue for VI users. Any
> thoughts?

The big issue with console speech is audio and permissions. Whether you are using Pulse, which by the way 
uses ALSA, or ALSA directly, there is still the problem of accessing the sound card. Things generally work 
when you are already logged into a console session. If everything is running and configured to work in the 
user session, all is well, however you cannot review a terminal where you are logged in, because the software 
in your user session doesn't have permission to talk to the audio hardware.

In Vinux 4, we managed to work up a solution, which whilst still a little buggy, does work. This solution 
needs to be rewritten to work with Systemd/Logind, and the Systemd part of the solution needs to be sent 
upstream. We then need to adapt espeak, and speechd-up to work properly, and configure the device node for 
speakup to be controllable by Systemd to allow user sessions to talk to it.

We already have a usable and deacent screen reader, speakup.

Luke