Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

[Aitch]

@mcewanw

Hi see my post

http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=27159

I don't know if your pet would do what I'm after, or if you know of anything which might work?, or might fancy another challenge?
as I've had little response & I can't believe no-one's done anything for deaf/hearing impaired people

I believe dragon naturally speaking can do both text to speech as well as speech to text, but I'm looking for a linux version or similar,
to put speech on screen, like subtitling on TV

any ideas?

Aitch

[mcewanw]

Unfortunately, as HairyWill describes in the thread you gave, voice recognition is technically very challenging; there are so many variables, and lots of possible decoding techniques. Similar issues to optical character recognition, but worse, like trying to decode handwriting and more. Basically, recognition, of all sorts, is a major research topic, involving statistical analysis, neural networks, parallel computing, you name it...

A commercial voice recognition package, such as you described, may be the best way forward for your friend.

[mcewanw]

As for the blind.... A friend of a friend, who works in a university research
group on projects in this area, sent me the following interesting links:

http://www.nextgendesigncomp.com/entrydetail.aspx?id=891

http://www.jhu.edu/~news_info/news/home07/nov07/tactile.html

[Aitch]

@mcewanW

OK thanks

Great links for the assist for blind/visually impaired

Let's hope the hard of hearing get a similar team working on their difficulty, in the near future

@HairyWill

If you happen to spot this, I hope you don't think I wasn't undermining or undervaluing your comment, I was merely continuing my research, thanks

Aitch

[mcewanw]

CHANGES

version 1.0.0pre8
Major overhaul to include new setup routines for edbrowse,
which call up a specially modified version of Karl Dahlke's
new edbrowse run control setup script.
Makes it relatively easy to setup your e mail accounts for use with edbrowse.
Edbrowse itself is upgraded to the latest 3.3.4 version from cvs.

When starting edbrowse for the first time,
you will be given an opportunity to configure it.
When you do that, you should accept all the default options for everything
to work with foksyf out of the box. Indeed it you put in other directories,
edbrowse will not be able to find its files!
You will, of course need to enter your own mail accounts information.

This release involved a signicant number of changes,
so some bugs may have been introduced. Let me know if you find any.

[I've actually moved edbrowse's configuration files around quite a bit
to coincide with the new default's used in Karl's script. Hopefully,
I've not broken anything major in the process...]

In foksy's e mail section you'll find an edbrowse mail getting started guide, which hopefully shows how easy it is to send mail with edbrowse. In the config system you'll find an option to re create edbrowse's run control config file anytime you like.

Download as usual via:

http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=26184

[mcewanw]

Owing to circumstances, including my moving to a new distribution,
this is mcewanw's last post concerning fokSyf Eye R on the murga linux forum.

I have been finding that I have been using up more time than I have available,
so, in order to rationalise my work on fokSyf,
I have currenly moved all future announcements concerning fokSyf developments
to its homesite:
http://foksyfeyer.wiak.org/

Please thus keep an eye on that page for the forthcoming announcement of
fokSyf Eye R version 1.0.0 final.

Since I am not planning to check murga forum very regularly, if at all,
you can leave any feedback you wish concerning foksy
on the general wiak.org feedback blog at:
http://wiakapps.wordpress.com/

A link for the above page is also provided at the main fokSyf website.

I don't myself post much to that page in general,
mainly because I haven't had any feedback there,
however, I will endeavour to answer any questions that you post on that feedback blog.

I do endeavour to take account of your comments, where possible,
and tend to prioritise any development work on the basis of comments and feedback,
so I encourage you to use that site if you still want to keep me busy!

[wiak]

Well, mcewanw has decided to move on permanently afterall,
in some search or other (a blonde or redhead maybe)
and I for one wish him all the best,
and thank him for all his efforts.
Anyway, that said, foksyfeyer's development and maintenance continues.
Yes, a version is being planned now for debian-based systems too,
but that is another story and problem in itself.
The puppy version will however remain a key version however.
Puppy Linux is a small, tidy distribution, which lends itself well,
I feel, to this sort of system/application.
A quick change of heart though, now that mcewanw has gone:
it is probably not such a good idea to only announce new versions of foksy on its homesite,
http://foksyfeyer.wiak.org
Certainly, new versions will be announced there,
but as far as discussions and comments are concerned it is probably better
to keep this thread for that purpose,
since new puppy users might otherwise realise that fokSyf Eye R is available
for their use. Since progress in terms of development is generally led by feedback, there is also clearly an advantage of using the forum to collect that too.
I am in the process of creating a new repository for the files
(mainly in anticipation of the debian-based version being released too);
I'll announce that more formally once I have completing setting it up.
Of course, I'm happy for the files to be mirrored on puppy-specific sites as well.
In the meantime I am sure you have noticed that version 1.0.0 final is now ready and available for download at Caneri's site.
New releases are likely to come more slowly from now on, however,
though I shall endeavour to update the package on a regular basis and certainly in sync with new releases of some of the underlying applications, such as espeak and speech-dispatcher.

wiak.

[wiak]

I'm continuing my struggles trying to produce a version of fokSyf that will run on Ubuntu alongside Orca.
It is a big struggle for me,
because until recently I have not actively used either Debian or Ubuntu,
so I even had trouble compiling the latest edbrowse on it like alone packaging the whole of fokSyf!
In the meantime, for those who speak french,
I've been informed of another system for blind users, by Erwin Bliesenick, which runs on Ubuntu.
Perhaps someone could adapt it to english?

mcewanw mentioned Erwin previously.
Erwin produces the french translation of Karl Dahlke's edbrowse usersguide.
He is also producing a beginners usersguide which covers edbrowse and computing in general.
Again, that is in french, and he is looking for help in translating it.
Perhaps someone reading this can assist?

You'll find Erwin's system described at his homesite: www.bliesenick.net

Lots of great information and relevant links there as well.
You can read the page via http://www.google.com/translate_t if you don't understand french.

I'm sure Erwin won't mind me quoting this extract from the email he sent me:

[wiak]

Well, I was close to giving up on producing a Ubuntu version of fokSyf. However, I have suddenly made progress. Nothing yet available for publication there, but I do have it running on my Ubuntu system now, though it is only partially functional as yet, and there are many changes to make and fix up.
It is working with yasr, without needing to load up Orca at all, so I am confident that I can now produce a version for a slimmed down Ubuntu too, such as Xubuntu and also Edubuntu.
I will also produce a foksy menu which doesn't call up yasr, so that it can be used alongside Orca (which doesn't use yasr) as an alternative. That should work too.

Should have something ready in about a week...

[wiak]

fokSyf version 1.0.0-1 now available.
Both Puppy Linux 2.14R, 2.17.1, 3.01
and Ubuntu 7.10 Gutsy versions for download via:

[Edit]: temporarily moved the download site location. The last host isn't proving reliable. So get the files via here, or directly from Caneri's site:

http://foksyfeyer.wiak.org

Following the instructions in the foksyinstallREADME.txt carefully. For full functionality, the Ubuntu version requires the apt-get additional download of some of the underlying applications. The Puppy Linux versions all comes in a single dotpet as usual.

[wiak]

I've moved the download intro page for fokSyf Eye R to the reliable:

http://foksyfeyer.wiak.org

So fetch the new Puppy or Ubuntu versions of fokSyf Eye R from there or directly from Eric Mulcaster's puppy repository.

[mcewanw]

I've been away and very busy (still am) for a while, but thought I'd check in and mention that I've quickly tried installing foksyfeyer on Puppy 4.00 ((dingo). Apart from krecspk the voice recording program provided in foksyfeyer, the rest pretty much works, apart from a minor glitch (which doesn't prevent its otherwise correct functioning). I'll fix krecspk and the minor glitch sometime in the coming weeks, once my moving house is sorted out. Here are the brief notes I wrote concerning my recent foksy test in Dingo:

http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?p=205462#205462

[mcewanw]

Okay, I've created a patch so that foksyf Eye R (and krecspk/wrecspk) will work correctly in Puppy 4 Dingo. Find the patch and patch installation instructions here:

http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?p=205535#205535

[EricaMZDM]

Given .ca's recent troubles, is there anywhere else to download this pet?

[muggins]

I don't know of an alternative location for fokSyf Eye R, but mcewanw's other apps, e.g. wiak, are available here:

http://wiakapps.freehostia.com/downloads.html