Re: [orca-list] GUI Redesign or clearup and modernization

[Tony Baechler <tony baechler net>]

On 8/30/2015 3:55 PM, Luke Yelavich wrote:
> I suspect one reason why some people are against individual desktop 
environments offering Orca settings in their control center, is due to the 
possibility of Orca settings being out of sync with what is offered in their 
control center. I’d argue that it would not be too far fetched, and not 
too difficult to implement things such that desktop environment developers 
only need to implement Orca’s settings API once, and then any new settings 
Orca offers are automatically presented when they are added to Orca. Would 
that be enough to convince you folks that using the control centre of your 
desktop environment to change Orca settings is the way to go?


First, your message shows up as a few very, very long lines without 
paragraph breaks, thus making it somewhat difficult to quote you.

Speaking for myself as a relatively new MATE user, I'm somewhat opposed.  On 
the surface, I like the idea and it makes sense, especially since I would 
know that all of my desktop settings are in one place.  However, the problem 
I see is this typical example.  I can't even begin to tell you how many 
times this has happened on my system.

OK, so I decide to try a live CD.  The CD boots and I don't get sound. 
After waiting long enough, I press Super-Alt-S to start Orca.

Orca starts, but it's a whisper.  I can hardly hear it.  It's so quiet that 
even if I strain, I can only make out a few random words.  It's impossible 
for me to go to the volume control because it's so hard to hear.  Besides, 
not having used the particular desktop, I can't figure out the menu system, 
so I don't know how to get to the volume control and I can't hear enough to 
explore until I find it.

In frustration, I go to a terminal and restore my custom ALSA settings. 
Now, finally, I can hear, but I have the opposite problem.  The speech is 
very loud and I get crackling due to the volume.

As it now stands, I can press the Orca shortcut, go into the configuration, 
find the volume and lower it.  I can adjust the speech rate while I'm there. 
 I now have a comfortable listening environment.  Now that I can hear at a 
comfortable level, I can explore the new desktop and find the volume control 
for next time.

If I understand your proposal, this option would disappear and I would have 
to fumble around within my desktop until I first find the settings control 
panel and again to find the Orca settings.  No thanks.  Perhaps I feel too 
strongly about this, but I think all screen readers should have a single 
hotkey which quickly lets you access the settings regardless of what is 
currently open.  It makes it much easier to make adjustments.  What about 
window managers?  There has been a discussion on the ubuntu-users list about 
this.  A lot of people prefer a window manager over a desktop.  If such an 
option should become accessible, how would I access the Orca settings?

If the Orca shortcut remains and causes the generic settings applet for Orca 
to open, I would be fine with this, as long as it remains relatively simple 
to change basic voice and Braille settings.  If the shortcut key is left to 
the desktop itself, I am very much opposed as each desktop could do things 
differently or not define such a hotkey for whatever reason.