[nfbcs] Helping a software engineer keep his job

[Ian C. Bray]

I hear that, believe it or not, NVDA works BEST of all with PuTTY.

HTH
Ian

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Brian Buhrow via nfbcs" <nfbcs at nfbnet.org>
To: "Jim Barbour" <jbar at barcore.com>; "NFB in Computer Science Mailing List" 
<nfbcs at nfbnet.org>; "Gary Wunder" <gwunder at earthlink.net>
Sent: Friday, October 17, 2014 3:31 PM
Subject: Re: [nfbcs] Helping a software engineer keep his job


> Hello.  I would dispute that using a windows terminal with ssh into a
> Linux box is an efficient way to work.  The problem is that there is no
> modern version of a windows screen reader I know of that can give accurate
> row and column information about where my cursor is in the terminal or
> where a particular character appears on the screen.  Not having this
> information makes it very hard to look at tabular data or to edit files
> with a screen based editor like vi and have any hope of getting reasonable
> formatting.  I've used Yasr all day, every day at my job for the past 7
> years.  After some initial patches I made to improve stability with its
> interactions with the software synthesizer I use, I've found it can run 
> for
> weeks at a time without a reboot or  any issues.
>
> For the record, it used to be that every year I would visit the
> Freedom Scientific booth at the NFB convention and ask them if they fixed
> their interaction with Putty so I could get row and column information out
> of the terminal.  Every year they'd wonder why under God's green earth I'd
> want that information.  Finally, since I had a solution that worked for 
> me,
> I gave up.
>
> If someone is using a full screen terminal program with Jaws, NVDA or
> VoiceOver for the Mac and successfully using ssh to get into a Linux or
> other Unix system and then using that connection to use programs that
> provide output in a full-screen manner, please speak up.  I'd love to know
> how you do it and how it works.
> -thanks
> -Brian
>
> On Oct 17,  9:39am, Jim Barbour via nfbcs wrote:
> } Subject: Re: [nfbcs] Helping a software engineer keep his job
> } Hey Gary,
> }
> } I'm sure several of us, including me, would be happy to talk with him.
> }
> } Frankly, the best bang for the buck is to use a windows terminal
> } emulator to ssh into his linux machine to do work.
> }
> } When he says this isn't efficient, I wonder if he means because he's
> } used to using GUI tools and is having a hard time switching to a pure
> } command line environment; or if he is having a hard time building
> } fluency with JAWS.
> }
> } Both will take dedicated practice and struggle to gain real
> } perficiency.  I do not recommend native linux screen reading
> } technologies such as orca for new AT users.  They're flakey and
> } somewhat frustrating to use at their best.
> }
> } There are some terminal based screen readers that run natively on
> } Linux that he may be happy with.  Two of the more popular ones are
> } yasr (yet another screen reader) and SpeakUp.
> }
> } Finally, there's this idea of blindness focused LInux distributions,
> } such as vinux.  These are not as interesting or promising as they
> } sound.  They're a way to bring a lot of AT into one place.  I might
> } suggest this for a seasoned linux user who is also a seasoned AT user
> } who wants a quick and dirty platform to test out various AT.
> }
> } I hope this helps,
> }
> } Jim
> }
> } On Fri, Oct 17, 2014 at 10:47:55AM -0500, Gary Wunder via nfbcs wrote:
> } > Several days ago I was contacted by a software engineer who is going 
> blind.
> } > He uses the Linux operating system, and what he really needs is a way 
> to
> } > efficiently do the things that are required of him as a programmer for
> } > Lockheed Martin. His employer seems to be willing to get him any 
> equipment
> } > that might help him in his job, so they have gotten him Zoom text, the
> } > K1000, and I think they have even purchased several copies of JAWS for
> } > Windows for him to use on several computers. Of course all of these 
> are
> } > based on Microsoft Windows, and what he really needs to interact with 
> is a
> } > Linux box. He has figured out a way to do some terminal emulation that 
> lets
> } > him use screen reading technology, but all of the workarounds really 
> make it
> } > difficult for him to do what once was efficient.
> } >
> } >
> } >
> } > Do any of you have ideas about how to help him? My impression is that 
> he is
> } > smart, motivated, well regarded by his employer, but at his wits in as 
> to
> } > how to do his job and to meet the deadlines that are being offered. He 
> is
> } > monitoring this list and will appreciate any comments that people care 
> to
> } > give. I will be monitoring the list, but I will be on vacation and 
> rather
> } > out of touch for the next ten days or so. I thank all of you for 
> thinking
> } > about this and giving him your best ideas. His name is Graham Mehl.
> } >
> } >
> } >
> } > Warmly,
> } >
> } >
> } >
> } > Gary
> } >
> } > Linix operating system
> } >
> } > _______________________________________________
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>>-- End of excerpt from Jim Barbour via nfbcs
>
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