LinuxSpeaks
Linux for the blind and visually impaired
An easy to learn aural interface to the Linux operating system.
Download:
Download Live CD version 2.29
Includes speakup screen reader as well
as locales for 6 different languages:
Documentation:
The LinuxSpeaks project is a collection of scripts and library modules that
aspire to be a comprehensive vocal, sight-free user interface to the Linux
operating system.
So far LinuxSpeaks includes:
- File Manager
- Text Editor (copy, cut, paste, spell check and many other features)
- Web browser
- Email Client
- File reader (formats include: text; html; rtf; pdf; daisy; Open Office; MSWord)
- Sound Mixer
- Calender With Notepad
- Clock
- Calculator
- Weather Conditions and Forecast
- Command line shell
- Font Configurator
- Printer Configurator
- PPP Dialer and Configurator
- Media Player
- CD Player
- CD to MP3 Ripper
- Help Documentation
- Game of Consentration
- Blackjack Game
- Voice Configurator
- Auto Update
- Pager
- Voice Recorder
- Time Configurator
- Installer
Documentation for using LinuxSpeaks
Instructions and tips to install LinuxSpeaks
Changes in Latest Versions:
Version 2.29
- Enabled the F1 key to display help anywhere in the LinuxSpeaks System.
- Added CD Burner
- Added Disk Manager
- Added Add User applet.
- Added linuxspeaks script to start main menu in X or a shell.
- Fixed many bugs.
Version 2.28
- Fixed errors with configuring cepstral voice with voice config applet.
- Archiver applet is now functional. Also added menu item for Archiver in
Main Menu.
- Added aural prompts when adding text in Calender applet.
- Calender now uses the pager applet to display help.
- Added new feature in browser applet to optionally open web page in the
Firefox browser.
- Added Dictionary.com to search engine list in browser applet.
- Added security feature in configuration applet to force logging in as
root in order to configure system wide settings.
- Added audible system bell to denote progress in install script. If no
text to speech engine installed install script was previously silent.
- LinuxSpeaks now uses a new text editor lsed.pl written in perl using
the curses library. This editor was written for LinuxSpeaks and
integrates better than the previous tcl based editor.
- Fixed errors and added new features to pager applet and command
shell applet: Search text; Go to line number; Print function; Help
function; Upper and lower case prompt function;
- Pager and Command shell key bindings are now consistant with the
new editor.
- Audio mixer applet re-written to allow adjusting of all controls.
Previously did not work with all sound cards.
- Live CD now includes an applet to install to hard drive.
INSTALLING:
If you have a Debian distribution or similar (eg. ubuntu) just run the
install.sh script as root or via sudo.
This script attempts to install
the dependencies for you, using apt-get, as well as installing the
LinuxSpeaks binaries, shared files, and configuration files. It has been
tested on debian 4.0r1 i386 and had no problem with it.
If you have a Fedora Core or Redhat like system with yum installed you can
try to run "install.sh yum", although I've had some problems because there is
no mplayer package on which Linux Speaks relies. I have had some luck installing
totem and making a symolic link pointing to it named mplayer.
cd /usr/bin
ln -s totem mplayer
There is also problems because no package for lame is in the yum repository.
This breaks the program that rips and encodes CD audio to MP3 files. No easy
workaround is known at this time.
USEFUL LINKS:
Documentation for using LinuxSpeaks
Detailed Instructions and tips to install LinuxSpeaks on a clean Debian System.
Help for the Visually Impaired to configure Firefox and Internet Explorer web browsers.
Useful Commands for the Linux command line interface
More tips about using Linux.
Contact me for help with LinuxSpeaks: joe@joekamphaus.net