[nfbcs] Accessible UNIX / LINUX Help Request

Sun Aug 24 11:16:15 UTC 2014

I wasn't going to comment on this message but for archlinux users 
downloading and installing pulseaudio-alsa replaces some default alsa 
files and makes pulseaudio the default audio handler.  I ended up having 
to do this since not doing this prevented mplayer and vlc from working.  
Once this was done though both programs work as well as they can on a 
slow satellite provider.  This may help on the latest sonar linux too 
since it uses manjaro linux which is a clone of archlinux for its base.  
The mate and mate-lite package sets are likely to replace gnome either 
on the current version of sonar linux or on an upcoming version.  That 
should reduce some bloatware even with orca installed and running.

On Wed, 21 May 2014, John Heim via nfbcs wrote:

> Ironically, the issue of how difficult it is to learn linux became part of the
> discussion I mentined earlier.  I pointed out that difficult is a relative
> word. Learning linux and orca is easier than learning to be a brain surgeon,
> I'll grant that. But it's harder than learning to tell a quarter from a dime.
> 
> It's impossible for me to say how hard it is to learn linux. I've been a
> unix/linux user my entire life. When i got my first Windows computer, it was
> Windows 95, I freaked out. I didn't see how a blind person could learn Windows
> when you had to click all these buttons to get anything done and eacht button
> could be almost anywhere in the operating system. Who knows how many buttons
> you might have to click to get to the one you want. In linux, you pretty much
> can do anything by typing in a command. And to change settings, you almost
> always just edit a text file. It really is a different skill set.
> 
> Another thing, and don't tell anyone I said this, orca kinda sucks. I know the
> developers have poured their hearts andsouls into that screen reader but they
> have challenges other screen reader developers do not. For one thing, the
> window managers seem to come and go like the latest reality TV show star. And
> someone just posted a message today to the orca list saying the problem really
> is in the audio drivers in the kernel. And that is another point. Every few
> years the linux developers switch to a completely different set of sound
> drivers. First there was oss, then alsa, and now pulse. Yesterday, I was
> actually considering trying to re-install an obsolete version of debian linux
> just because orca was so much more stable two years ago than it is now. It
> could be argued that these problems are temporary and are due to the switch
> from alsa to pulse and gdm to gnome-shell  at the same time. So maybe things
> will settle down eventually.
> 
> I should add that I am using debian linux. Sonar is way better for blind
> people than plain debian.  That is what is so great about it, the sonar
> developers have worked out most of the bugs.
> 
> Having said all that though, I still think learning linux is worth the effort.
> If it weren't for the current instability, linux would be way better for blind
> people than Windows. Linux is designed for you to log in remotely and do
> stuff. The apache web server, for example, is managed entirely through text
> files and by entering commands at the command line. The same is true for dns,
> dhcp, database servers, backup, monitoring, mail. All the most popular
> packages for doing those things are managed at the command line and by text
> files. A blind person is hardly at a disadvantage at all and you don't even
> have to install any special software on the remote server. A blind person uses
> the exact same tools as a sighted person, ssh and gedit.
> 
> PS: That thing about not telling anyone what I said about orca is a joke.
> On 05/21/14 08:10, Ian C. Bray via nfbcs wrote:
> > John,
> >
> > Is there a huge learning curve?
> > I'm a JAWS user, but know nothing of ORCA and your suggeted reader.
> > Are ORCA & Yours similar to operate??
> >
> > Ian
> >
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message ----- From: "John G. Heim via nfbcs"
> > <nfbcs at nfbnet.org>
> > To: "NFB in Computer Science Mailing List" <nfbcs at nfbnet.org>
> > Sent: Sunday, May 18, 2014 1:49 PM
> > Subject: Re: [nfbcs] Accessible UNIX / LINUX Help Request
> >
> >
> > > In my opinion, the best talking distro out there is sonar linux. I don't
> > > know the URL, you can google that though. I was so impressed with sonar I
> > > installed it on my
> > > machine at home. And I do linux support for a living. I have not tried the
> > > latest version though. They recently switched from basing their distro on
> > > linux to basing it on arch (I think).
> > >
> > > If you need something based on ubuntu, you can try vinux.
> > >
> > > There is currently a huge debate going on on the orca list about
> > > standardizing the key bindings to make it easier for users to switch from
> > > Windows to linux. It has gotten heated enough that I took myself off the
> > > list for a while. But I can virtually guarantee that there will be no
> > > changes. I was about the only one who even seemed to think it was worth
> > > considering. I'll admit that it would be wrong to change the orca keys to
> > > be like those of jaws. What I would hope for, though, it to get people to
> > > agree that if some standardization could be done, it would be a good
> > > thing. People won't even go for that. It's ridiculous, IMO.
> > >
> > >
> > > On May 17, 2014, at 9:34 AM, Ian C. Bray via nfbcs wrote:
> > >
> > > > Is there anyone out there who can help me
> > > > get an UBUNTU  box started so that it has some varriant of
> > > > speech that functions simillarly to JAWS?
> > > >
> > > > I-- have no idea where to start with this.
> > > >
> > > > Tami Jarvis spoke to me about ORCA-- and I have only been diving into my
> > > > own SEMI-Professional Accessibility Needs recently.
> > > >
> > > > I have an ancient LAPTOP with 12.8 LTS on it, and I would like to get
> > > > back to my Unix / Linux Tinkering.
> > > >
> > > > Mentorship & off-line phone conversations & EMail Groups / Listservs
> > > > welcome.
> > > > I do not do well in forums-- but I'm not saying I won't try.
> > > >
> > > > Respectfully,
> > > >
> > > > Ian  C. Bray
> > > > Louisville, KY
> > > > _______________________________________________
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> > > >
> > > >
> > >
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> 

jude <jdashiel at shellworld.net>