Re: [orca-list] I'm getting real tired of apps run as root being inaccessible

[kendell clark <coffeekingms gmail com>]

hi
Rob white emailed me off list. I thought I'd better clear a couple of
things up as a follow up email now that I've calmed down a little. This
is not a complaint against orca, the at-spi developers, or anyone who
maintains linux or helps make it the great OS it is. This is an attempt
to express my frustration at not being able to figure out what's causing
a bug that's been plaguing us for ... well, ever since I've been using
linux, which is since august of 2011 but as far as I know it's always
been around. Trying sudo often doesn't work. Trying sudo -E, which kyle
turned me onto works for some apps but not others. Gnome and unity use
policy kit, at least I think they do, to run the apps as a normal user
but give them the root access they need. This doesn't work in mate.
They're run as root anyway so orca can't get at them. I'm at the end of
my roap not because you guys have done a thing, you haven't, but because
I've been having to field complaints from people who try sonar, find out
that some of the apps, like gparted, can't be run in mate and
immediately go off on the usual what they were using worked so much
better and so on. It's not nearly as bad as it was, but it frustrates me
not being able to help them. I'm trying to develop an OS that anyone,
especially those new to linux and free and open source software can pick
up and use without having to learn as you go like I did. And there's
this bug that I can't track down let alone fix. I still want to fix it,
if anyone is still willing to help me after that email.
Thanks
Kendell Clark


kendell clark wrote:
> hi all
> The subject line pretty much says it all. I'm not writing in to rant but
> I want to crush this bug once and for all. Since manjaro has removed the
> old installer sonar used to use, we have to use their new installer,
> called calamares. The devs have been fantastic and fixed all of the very
> few accessibility bugs that app did have, except for one very annoying
> bug. It's run as root so orca can't get at it. I'm sick of this one
> cropping up and getting in the way. It only seems to affect mate
> desktop, even the gtk3 version. The only desktops that can somehow get
> around this one are gnome and unity. How are they doing it so I can
> either emulate it or have someone look at the code and port it over to
> mate? I don't mean to sound demanding at all but I am at the end of my
> patience with this bug. No one knows what's going on and why orca can't
> see the apps. I've gotten the run around with several different
> developers all blaming the bug on someone else. It's time for this bug
> to get fixed, I've had enough. I can't release sonar with an
> inaccessible installer. More important than our little distro is the
> fact that this makes linux look incompetent. People ask me why apps run
> as root are inaccessible and all I can tell them is "I don't know". They
> most of the times immediately go into responses like "yeah well windows
> doesn't have this problem" or "I have a mac and it doesn't have this
> bug". This is not an anti windows or mac email so I'll stop there. Both
> those platforms have somehow figured out how to avoid this pitfall.
> Joanie has looked into this and all she can say is that at-spi isn't
> able to get at the apps run as root so orca can't read them. Orca can't
> read what it can't see. This is not an orca bug. Ok, we're getting
> somewhere. Where's the bug? Who's bug is it so I can file it and get it
> fixed, I've had enough of hoping someone will fix it by accident it's
> time to go after it.  Again, I'm not ranting at you guys but ...
> aaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh. Someone please help me. If I can just find out where
> the bug is I can file it and help whoever's in charge fix it.
> Thanks
> Kendell Clark