Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-21 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
I'm changing the subject for clarity. On 4/18/2017 7:28 AM, John G Heim wrote: I look at the debate over whether it is better to have a distro for the blind or to work on improving mainstream distros like the debate over barley versus wheat beers. Personally, I prefer barley beers over any and a

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-23 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
My only concern with this argument is that it seems like it takes longer to get fixes pushed up stream then it does to spin up a custom distribution. It also seems to me that a lot of what's needed in a custom distribution is packaging and customization as opposed to programming. I look at Vi

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-23 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Your name isn't showing up for some reason. You make some good arguments. Comments below. On 4/21/2017 6:05 PM, Linux for blind general discussion wrote: My only concern with this argument is that it seems like it takes longer to get fixes pushed up stream then it does to spin up a custom distr

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-23 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Yes, I totally agree with this. -- Sent from Discordia using Gnus for Emacs. Email: r.d.t.pra...@gmail.com Long days and pleasant nights! Linux for blind general discussion writes: > My only concern with this argument is that it seems like it takes > longer to get fixes pushed up stream then it

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-23 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Le 23/04/2017 à 11:25, Linux for blind general discussion a écrit : > Your name isn't showing up for some reason. You make some good > arguments. Comments below. Because the Mailing admin made it disappear to avoid massive spams users received indi(idually after posting here. > On 4/21/2017 6:0

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-23 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
I'm not sure who I'm replying to, but I just have a few points. Vinux 4 and Vinux 5 were based on Ubuntu 12.04 and Ubuntu 14.04 respectively, which I think were the high points in Ubuntu accessibility, but maybe that's just with Unity. I've never had a problem with the Vinux installer crashing

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-23 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
I think you misunderstand the way TalkingArch works. TalkingArch has very minor modifications to offer speech and braille output out of the box, but TalkingArch is essentially just Arch. There is no need for more developers, as we just take the official Arch iso and make very few modifications

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-23 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Very well composed email Kyle. Thank you Rob Whyte On 24/04/17 06:02, Linux for blind general discussion wrote: > I think you misunderstand the way TalkingArch works. TalkingArch has > very minor modifications to offer speech and braille output out of the > box, but TalkingArch is essentially

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-23 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Wait, I thought Fedora was to Redhat as Ubuntu is to Debian, or has Fedora become more of it's own thing over time? Though honestly, I see Debian has having less of a slow release cycle and more of Debian Testing being a rolling release on par with any of the quick cycle distros, and Debian Stable

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-23 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Red Hat is a company, so you may say something like Fedora is to Red Hat as Ubuntu is to Canonical. The difference though, as has already been pointed out, is that Ubuntu is a fork of Debian, whereas Fedora is a parent distribution itself and isn't forked from anything else. On 23/04/17 16:03,

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-23 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Debian Testing isn't exactly a rolling release in the same way as Arch. Debian Unstable probably comes closer, but even that's not the same. The problem is that Arch for example takes all component packages from the same desktop version, ie. GNOME, whereas Debian even unstable takes parts of 2

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-23 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Hi, > Additionally, Fedora is nearly dead center between the Arch philosophy > of the rolling release, having the latest and greatest at all costs, and > the Debian philosophy, in which older is better, so the latest changes > to Orca that make it work better on the web for example, which have be

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-23 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Le 23/04/2017 à 23:18, Linux for blind general discussion a écrit : > Debian Testing isn't exactly a rolling release in the same way as Arch. > Debian Unstable probably comes closer, but even that's not the same. The > problem is that Arch for example takes all component packages from the > same

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-23 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
To clarify, I was under the impression that Fedora was, at least originally, a derivative of RedHat Enterprise Linux and that the term RedHat was typically used both for the company and for the distro that bears their name(and perhaps it was presumptuous of me to think it was obvious I meant Redhat

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-23 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Sorry, it's been a while since I heard Red Hat refer to the distribution and not the company. Plus I thought it had already been made clear that Fedora isn't a derivative of any other distro. I probably should have known what you meant though. Sorry for being so dense. Here's an article explai

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-23 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
# It is not the Debian philosophy. Debian does not say "older is better", # but "stable is better", as known and we know how to deal with a # situation. And an update is possible is if it sure it will not break # anything in stable. In many cases these days, since everything is a moving target,

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-23 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
# To clarify, I was under the impression that Fedora was, at least # originally, a derivative of RedHat Enterprise Linux and that the term # RedHat was typically used both for the company and for the distro that # bears their name Not quite. Fedora is the continuation of the distro called "Red Hat

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-23 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Hi, Well now I think 2 approaches are identified, people can choose and it is documented. :) I think we are in front of 2 experiences, maybe due to 2 countries or some reasons, we do not work with the same clients. Interesting btw. Probably not the same levels, usages, needs, habits. I'd be inter

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-23 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Can't say I've had many problems running what is essentially Debian Testing with some customizations, but then again, I'm unquestionably a power user, and I'm running only the most barebones of an xserver for the sole reason that I've yet to find a text mode browser that lets me ditch Firefox. Hon

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-23 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Regarding my experiences with my clients, my business motto has always been "Linux is for everyone," and I don't discriminate. This means that I will never make it a policy to serve only blind or visually impaired people, and I prefer what are commonly called "mainstream" distros over all else.

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-23 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
hehe. I recently helped out my sighted roomie with installing Ubuntu from a USB stick. I had him turn on speech so that I could hear if he ran into some problems. There were a couple of hitches, but easily overcome. So far, he enjoys being able to use his portable out in the front room without

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-23 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
My first comment regarding this thread is, separate is never equal. Secondly, which actually goes with the vinus discussion...what community? There is as much individuality among hose who experience sight loss as the rest of humanity. some like windows, others a mac, others Linux or another ope

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-23 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Um, to the non-existent community person, did you really mean to respond to me? I believe I ultimately said the same thing. I'm not the one who mentioned some "blind community," and I for one also believe this is something that simply doesn't exist. I'm just as human as you, and I work toward h

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-23 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
I am probably the one who made the quit about the "blind community". And yes, that label does cause a "us vs. them response). Still, when it comes to the world in general, we all have to educate others and some of them just won't listen. Frankly, to me, it doesn't matter too much. Every group, r

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-23 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
No not you directly. the problem is, while i understand why we cannot see who posts individually anymore, having no frame of reference or individual context means a reply just gets tossed in. I resonate with your personal take, Kare On Sun, 23 Apr 2017, Linux for blind general discussion wrot

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-23 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Again I say what community? If one utilized a definition of shared attributes drawn from the majority of those you consider in your community, one thing you just indicated would mean you do not qualify. In every major country where figures are available, less than 10% of those who are ind

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-23 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
I'm not sure if I'm following these arguments. Blind users do share some common goals in a distribution. An accessible installer, accessible applications and so on. I'm also not sure there' needs to be such a strong sense of community. There are hundreds of distributions out there now. I'm sure

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-23 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
I suspect the person's e-mail client just automatically quoted the last message in the thread, and to be quite honest, I'd argue most quoting on these lists is non-sensical, which is why I always uncheck the "include quoted text" checkbox before starting to type a reply(as an aside, if anyone knows

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-23 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
so do those with learning disabilities who also use screen readers. Accessible as defined will differ as well. further the experience of blindness is not required to program accessible installers etc...not that two people with even the same diagnosis will experience blindness the same anyway.

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-23 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
half a moment. Where does the idea that sight is any more uniform than the experience of blindness come from? let alone that all those uniformed people take vision for granted? I have never understand such expressions, because they have little basis in reality. If vision was uniformed absolute

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-23 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Audio content doesn't equate to accessibility by the blind. Just think of all of those products that include speech or audio but still aren't accessible. We may stand to gain from this with better and more responsive speech synthesizers, but this won't always translate into more accessible app

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-23 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
I don't think anyone claimed uniformity among sighted people, and if I implied anything to that effect, it certainly wasn't my intention. That's the problem with human language, the more complex or nuanced an idea is, the harder it is to unambiguously express in words. That said, taking something

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-23 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
The biggest problem with all this "stability" stuff is that all operating systems will have their bugs. Windows has bugs, Mac has huge cockroaches, and Linux has ants. So it really is a problem of if a user wants more accessibility, or less bugs, and it’s not always

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-24 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
You're replying to me. I'm Tony Baechler. On 4/23/2017 10:38 AM, Linux for blind general discussion wrote: I'm not sure who I'm replying to, but I just have a few points. Vinux 4 and Vinux 5 were based on Ubuntu 12.04 and Ubuntu 14.04 respectively, which I think were the high points in Ubuntu ac

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-24 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
I'm Tony Baechler. See below. On 4/23/2017 1:02 PM, Linux for blind general discussion wrote: I think you misunderstand the way TalkingArch works. TalkingArch has very minor modifications to offer speech and braille output out of the box, but TalkingArch is essentially just Arch. There is no nee

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-24 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
I'm Tony Baechler. I have a really dumb question. On 4/23/2017 3:14 PM, Linux for blind general discussion wrote: Ubuntu is based off of Debian, but Fedora is not a derivative of another Linux distribution and has a more direct relationship with many upstream projects by using newer versions of

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-24 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
I'm Tony Baechler. Comments below. On 4/23/2017 3:45 PM, Linux for blind general discussion wrote: Nor is it mine. Which is exactly why I prefer the likes of Fedora and OpenSUSE over Debian or even Arch. I have installed both Fedora and OpenSUSE for clients, and they never have any trouble. And

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-24 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
I'm Tony Baechler. See below. On 4/23/2017 4:13 PM, Linux for blind general discussion wrote: I'd be interested in knowing the number of blind people using GNU/Linux in the world, for daily life (so with browser, GUI, etc). I'm still mostly on Windows XP, but I use Linux on an almost daily bas

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-24 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
I'm Tony Baechler. See below. I disagree from experience. On 4/23/2017 4:53 PM, Linux for blind general discussion wrote: Honestly, there isn't any distro I could in good conscience recommend to a new Linux user blind or otherwise without caveats. Debian Stable is usually rock solid, but that co

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-24 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Tony, TalkingArch won't die. It used to have a single developer before those of us who maintain it now took over. The transition ran quite smoothly, and it didn't die. Since we now have two people instead of one, it has even less of a chance of dying in the future. So TalkingArch is slightly s

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-24 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Tony, your dad sounds a few orders of magnitude more tech savvy than my dad, though considering my dad is older than ENIAC, maybe it's a bit unfair of me to use my dad as my reference model of a non-power user. Still, my dad can turn the thing on, use a web browser, play solitaire, turn it off, and

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-24 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Kyle wrote: > problem is that they already have a brltty package, but the > brltty-minimal package is needed in order to make it work without > pulling in lots of unneeded dependencies. This will always need to be > in a separate repository unfortunately. Perhaps Chris, who maintained > the iso be

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-24 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
On a somewhat related note, it annoys me that Debian CD1's boot menu just beeps and you have to know the right combination of buttons to press to start the talking version of the installer(that the talking installer removes the ability to navigate installer menus with arrow keys is also annoying) W

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-24 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
I am karen lewellen. Just a couple of points before I go back into the corner. Now that the stuff is technical. 1 out of every 8 computers in the world still uses windows xp...many fear changing what they understand for what they do not. As for accessibility, its implementation and otherwise,

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-24 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Kelly Prescott here. It takes a lot of effort to make a boot environment talk... I know, because that is what I am working on. I am not speaking of Linux, I am speaking of a boot loader. When I finish my boot loader, then it might be realistic to have a normal arch cd with some boot options. U

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-24 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Ok, I have been following this discussion and it is very interesting. Doug Smith here. I have just had to change over to antergos. It is really good, seems stable, and, though it is not what we might call a specialized distro, it works well with orca on gnome. It is a modification of arch

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-27 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Tony Baechler here. I'm sorry, but while your statement is true on paper, in reality, it's wrong. I know for a fact that Microsoft pays a huge amount of money into the W3C. I believe they are represented on the board. It isn't just them. Lots of big companies pay into them. I saw the list once

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-27 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Tony Baechler here. I have two major problems with this argument, namely what Chris says in that Talking Arch should be a separate project. I feel strongly that speech and Braille should be part of all boot media for all mainstream distros unless it wouldn't be practical, such as for very smal

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-27 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
With the Mac, if you wait a minute or two after start up, a message comes up asking if you’d like to start Voiceover. Think about that approach for a while. -- Sent from Discordia using Gnus for Emacs. Email: r.d.t.pra...@gmail.com Long days and pleasant nights! Linux for blind ge

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-27 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
As I remember, Windows was always harder to install than Linux, even as a sighted user. Granted, I think part of this is that Windows still comes pre-installed on most PCs and has had this privilege since at least the Win9x days while PCs with Linux pre-installed are still fairly rare(hell, even if

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-27 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
eric oyen here… Really? the mac can't provide a talking interface during installation? um, plug in the install media, wait 30 seconds and press cmd+F5. the entire installation from beginning to end is completely accessible. Now, OS X does have some failings here. In single user mode (X key duri

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-27 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Yep. In fact, if you buy a new Mac, press the power button, and let it sit, it’ll start talking, asking if you wish to enable Voiceover and go through the /built in tutorial/, which no other screen reader has. See, making Linux more useful for beginning users will re

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-27 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Granted I am not reading all of this thread. Still on all mac products for at least the last ten years typing command f5 starts voice over...it is not automatic of course since not everyone desires it smiles. No idea how you define new mac, but its been around for ages. Karen On Thu, 27 Apr 2

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-27 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
I'm not sure about an install, but I've setup a machine with Windows 8 preinstalled without sighted help just using Narrator. It's been a while though. I've heard things are only better in Windows 10. -- Christopher (CJ) chaltain at Gmail On 27/04/17 06:28, Linux for blind general discussion

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-28 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Tony Baechler here. I apologize if I said the Mac install isn't accessible. What I meant is even there, you have to press a key to start speech. I haven't used a Mac much and know little about it. I like the idea of speech starting automatically if a key isn't pressed. I assume that only works

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-28 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
I don't think so. You just start the install, wait, and a recorded human voice says basically to press V to start Voiceover, the Mac screen reader, or f5 or f8 or something to get a tutorial on how to use Voiceover. -- Sent from Discordia using Gnus for Emacs. Email: r.d.t.

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-28 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
eric oyen here… It doesn't just work for new installs. I have used time machine (the apple backup utility) with voiceover on a stand alone bootable backup. so, even with backups in OS X, they can be made easily accessible. Yes, it does require starting up using a command key combo, but thats f

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-28 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
eric oyen here… I was blinded as a young adult (age 23). before that time, I had perfect eyesight and a penchant for things adrenaline rush! I still have the need for speed, so to speak, but being totally blind puts a crimp on some things. One of the biggest frustrations I have is with inacces

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-28 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
I've been blind since birth, so for me, I can work with half-working accessibility, but I sure don’t like it. Freedom is good, but the houses we’ve built ourselves still have leaks. So, more than anything, we need developers who won’t put important things, like acces

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-28 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
According to eric oyen: # In fact, the sense I get is that we (the blind) aren't really even considered human. As long as we continue to consider ourselves to be "the blind" rather than people who happen to be blind or visually impaired, we will continue to be viewed as less than human. I am hu

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-28 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Eric Oyen here…. yeah, thats largely how I roll here. Hell, most of the time when I am doing something, I don't really even think about how I am doing it as a blind person. Just that I am doing it. Its the same with getting around town, running my laptop or even conversing on ham radio. And yes

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-28 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Hey, Eric, you a Naruto fan, or did you go for the Sharingan just because it looks cool? Anyways, I'm not shy talking about my poor vision whenever people ask me about it, either in real life or online. Treating the subject as taboo just promotes ignorance, and I'd argue ignorance, moreso than mon

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-28 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
I went with the design because of both really. I am a hardcore anime fan and I do think the design looks cool (even if I can't see it). btw, the description of this design is: brilliant blue background with darker highlights, a normal sized pupil with 3 comma like structures at 120 agree angles

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-28 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Yes, it does sound quite striking, and the use of blue probably makes it stand out more than if you had gone with red like in the series. -- Sincerely, Jeffery Wright President Emeritus, Nu Nu Chapter, Phi Theta Kappa. Former Secretary, Student Government Association, College of the Albemarle.

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-05-01 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Hello, This is Samuel. Linux for blind general discussion, on dim. 23 avril 2017 22:38:30 -0400, wrote: > further the experience of blindness is not required to program accessible > installers etc. I believe it is, and that it's the main reason for lacking accessibility features in installers et

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-05-01 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Hello, this is Samuel, Christopher, on ven. 21 avril 2017 20:05:04 -0500, wrote: > I also think that custom distributions is just part of the Linux ecosystem. > How many custom distributions are there out there to satisfy every niche? Sure. > I don't think this should be any different for the bl

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-05-01 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Hello, this is Samuel, Kyle, on dim. 23 avril 2017 17:18:17 -0400, wrote: > Debian even unstable takes parts of 2 or 3 different versions and > tries to fit them together. Well, that is not supposed to happen. I checked the MATE uploads, in the past year uploads have been made coherently in unsta

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-05-01 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Hello, this is Samuel, Kyle, on dim. 23 avril 2017 18:45:32 -0400, wrote: > backports is still not kept up-to-date with the latest improvements, > and is still a larger gap between the running version and the upstream > developer, where bug reports are most effective. That's not necessarily so.

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-05-01 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Hello, this is Samuel, Kyle, on lun. 24 avril 2017 07:35:02 -0400, wrote: > The main problem is that [Arch] already have a brltty package, but > the brltty-minimal package is needed in order to make it work without > pulling in lots of unneeded dependencies. This will always need to be > in a sepa

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-05-01 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Hello, this is Samuel, Chris, on lun. 24 avril 2017 07:48:29 -0700, wrote: > Frankly, my preference is not to have to type random incantations at a > boot prompt. I call this "type and pray". Power up the box, try to > guess when it boots, You don't need to guess thanks to the boot menu beep.

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-05-01 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Samuel writes: > Chris, on lun. 24 avril 2017 07:48:29 -0700, answered: >> Yeah, brltty-minimal cuts out a lot of dependencies you don't want or >> need on a console-only CD. > > Ok, but couldn't Arch include a brltty-minimal package? For the people > who want a minimally-installed system, that m

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-05-01 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Hello, it's Samuel, Chris, on lun. 01 mai 2017 10:58:33 -0700, wrote: > As for point 1, you're always going to have to do some research as a > blind person if you want to install any Linux distro. Well, not necessarily, if it's done right, i.e. the documentation for accessibility is in the expect

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-05-01 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Did people actually complain about the beep? If so, I'm starting to think the sighted end-users aren't willing to make any compromise at all for the benefit of their blind peers. Though, while we're on the subject, is there any technical reason the beep couldn't be replaced with a prerecorded mess

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-05-01 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Samuel writes: > for instance, because I documented how to test the speech-enabled > installer on https://wiki.debian.org/DebianInstaller/Accessibility , > some debian-installer people do test it before releasing. Yay! >> What I am saying is that if a distro is going to make releases >> with bui

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-05-01 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
According to Samuel # I'm not saying that things are happening rightly ATM, but saying that # things just always go that way in Debian is misleading, it's only MATE # maintainers which seemingly don't proceed as they are supposed to. Unfortunately this is far from my experience, as the first time

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-05-01 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Hello, Jefferey, on lun. 01 mai 2017 18:26:42 +, wrote: > Did people actually complain about the beep? Yes. The debian-boot people did complain that when they test images, they'd keep getting beeps along all the tests. The compromise was then found to include the beep only on the release imag

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-05-01 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Chris, on lun. 01 mai 2017 11:27:22 -0700, wrote: > Samuel writes: > > https://wiki.debian.org/DebianInstaller/Accessibility > > The braille case is a little more difficult. For a couple years when > I was developing Talking Arch, I didn't have access to a braille > display. That's not a problem

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-05-01 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Samuel Thibault, on lun. 01 mai 2017 21:16:16 +0200, wrote: > But if nobody had complained, it wouldn't. And by "complain", I don't mean "babble about it on some random mailing list or IRC channel somewhere on the Internet", but a proper report on the debian-accessibility list. I'm really amazed

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-05-01 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
According to Chris # When I maintained Talking Arch, I tested every release with at least one # boot to make sure that it came up talking. I'm sure Kyle and Kelly do # the same. Absolutely. In fact, I build the TalkingArch iso after being sure my working copy is in sync with the upstream Archis

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-05-01 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Fair point about the need for communication with the proper channels, but that also requires that people know about the proper channels. Perhaps I'm guilty of not doing due diligence in seeking out the proper channels, and perhaps whoever organizes the Debian website is guilty of not putting the in

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-05-01 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Luke Yelavich here, reply inline. > The technical reason is merely that it needs implemeting withing > syslinux: that requires sound drivers and whatnot, while the BIOS itself > provides the support for beeps. So it's feasible, just needs to be done. We also have to keep the move to UEFI in mind

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-05-01 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Jeffery, on lun. 01 mai 2017 20:32:29 +, wrote: > I would like a link to the subscribe page for the Debian Accessibility > List. https://lists.debian.org/debian-accessibility/ Samuel ___ Blinux-list mailing list Blinux-list@redhat.com https://www.r

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-05-01 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Samuel here, Luke, on mar. 02 mai 2017 06:36:14 +1000, wrote: > Luke Yelavich here, reply inline. > > The technical reason is merely that it needs implemeting withing > > syslinux: that requires sound drivers and whatnot, while the BIOS itself > > provides the support for beeps. So it's feasible,

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-05-01 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Thanks for the link to the Debian Accessibility List. I have now subscribed to that list. -- Sincerely, Jeffery Wright President Emeritus, Nu Nu Chapter, Phi Theta Kappa. Former Secretary, Student Government Association, College of the Albemarle. ___

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-05-01 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
There was talk about removing the drums in Ubuntu. People were finding this annoying when they were booting off of a CD in a class room, library or meeting. Once I pointed out that this was important to the blind to know when they can log on, the discussion ended. It had nothing to do with the

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-05-02 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Tony Baechler here. On 5/1/2017 10:58 AM, Linux for blind general discussion wrote: I'm not arguing that specialized distros are necessarily better or even needed. What I am saying is that if a distro is going to make releases with builtin accessibility, they better have someone on their releas

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-05-02 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Tony Baechler here. Samuel can comment on some points, but here are my thoughts: On 5/1/2017 11:26 AM, Linux for blind general discussion wrote: Did people actually complain about the beep? If so, I'm starting to think the sighted end-users aren't willing to make any compromise at all for the be

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-05-02 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Samuel here, Tony, on mar. 02 mai 2017 04:48:46 -0700, wrote: > Sometimes, text scrolls off the screen, in which case there isn't an > easy way to repeat it. Now the text debconf frontend only displays a page worth of options, and a shortcut allows to switch to the next page of options. Samuel

Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-05-02 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Replying to myself. I meant syslinux. Also, my machine has no PC speaker, so sound card support would be very helpful. On 5/2/2017 4:48 AM, Linux for blind general discussion wrote: Samuel can comment. The biggest problem has to do with loading sound drivers early in the boot process. It would

Re : Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-27 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Hi, Jean-Philippe MENGUAL here. The problem, I think, is that any kind of install of operating system will no fit most users who just want to consume computing. And the problem is double: 1. Pre-installed Linux computers are rarely new, but often kept from companies and repackaged, and sold low-

Re: Re : Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-27 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
There's a company called System76 that appears to sell computers with Ubuntu already installed. I think the URL is https://system76.com though I just used www.system76.com You should also be able to find at least laptops via the Free Software Foundation site, and on these both the hardware

Re: Re : Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-27 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
According to Jean-Philippe MENGUAL: # That is why I think we should have pre-installed Linux computers, new, but to a typical Mac price. Not at all. I for one don't want to have to pay the ridiculous price of a Mac, and adding to the price certainly doesn't add to the value of the computer, n

Re: Re : Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-27 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Le 27/04/2017 à 22:04, Linux for blind general discussion a écrit : > According to Jean-Philippe MENGUAL: > # That is why I think we should have pre-installed Linux computers, new, > but to a typical Mac price. > > Not at all. I for one don't want to have to pay the ridiculous price of > a Mac,

Re: Re : Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-27 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
I think it's fair to say that, for Linux to ever break into the mainstream, we need mainstream PC makers and PC retailers to commit to offering machines that come pre-installed with Linux and not hide their Linux offerings where only those specifically looking for Linux will find it. Problem is, r

Re: Re : Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-27 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
The computers I use are ARM-based. One is based around an ARMv7 8-core 32-bit processor, and the other is based around an aarch64, (ARMv8) 64-bit quad-core processor. Both run from removable eMMC flash storage has a capacity of 64GB on the 32-bit machine and 128GB on the 64-bit machine. Either

Re: Re : Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-27 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Le 28/04/2017 à 01:20, Linux for blind general discussion a écrit : > The computers I use are ARM-based. One is based around an ARMv7 8-core > 32-bit processor, and the other is based around an aarch64, (ARMv8) > 64-bit quad-core processor. Both run from removable eMMC flash storage > has a capac

Re: Re : Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-27 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
"... That said, there is a machine coming that may be even better in the future, as there is talk of RISC-V, which is a fully free and open processor architecture that has the potential to be more powerful than anything we've seen up to now. I'm watching this very closely." I'd like to check

Re: Re : Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-28 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Tony Baechler here. On 4/27/2017 3:34 PM, Linux for blind general discussion wrote: I think it's fair to say that, for Linux to ever break into the mainstream, we need mainstream PC makers and PC retailers to commit to offering machines that come pre-installed with Linux and not hide their Linux

Re: Re : Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-28 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Ah crap, gotta find an accessible screen recorder! I used to use one, GTK recordmydesktop, on arch, but I’m not sure where it went. -- Sent from Discordia using Gnus for Emacs. Email: r.d.t.pra...@gmail.com Long days and pleasant nights! Linux for blind general discussion writes: > Tony

Re: Re : Re: Blind vs. mainstream distros

2017-04-28 Thread Linux for blind general discussion
Now that I think about it, I have no idea what the mixture of "blind from birth/a young age" and "blinded as an adult" is on this list, and I would imagine these groups would have very different perspectives. I myself was blinded in the right eye before I could form memories, but my left eye was go

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