[conspire] Fwd: Re: (forw) issue encountered during installation

Thu Jun 30 18:17:59 PDT 2022

I presume this was intended for the list:

----- Forwarded message from elise.scher01 at gmail.com -----
     Date: Thu, 30 Jun 2022 06:34:42 -0700
     From: "Elise Scher" <elise.scher01 at gmail.com>
  Subject: Re: [conspire] (forw) issue encountered during installation
       To: "Michael Paoli" <Michael.Paoli at cal.berkeley.edu>

I wish I could help.
My father was legally blind.
He could only see light and dark towards the end of his life.
That is why I have looked into getting my VI and O and M teaching
credentials. Visually Impaired. Orientation and Mobility. For now, I have
only earned my moderate to severe special education credential. And I am
teaching on it right now.
I would help if someone would help me to help.
I mean I could go to the person and help.
But I hope soon to learn a lot more.
After almost two years of applying and testing and interviewing, I have
finally been invited by my local 332 in San Jose of the IBEW to become an
apprentice Sound and Communications electrician. I went to the union hall
and filled out lots of paperwork two days ago. I asked Mike at the JATC to
not assign me to a job until after 7/21 when summer school ends. I don?t
want to break my promise to teach summer school.
When did Mike call me and tell me I was ?in?? About a week ago.
Will I be successful at this? I won?t know if I don?t try. I am 63 years
young. The elephant in the room. But I do have more than one ladder at home
I can climb up and down to practice!
I better get ready and go teach today.
Thank you all for being my tech friends.

Elise KI6PUO

On Thu, Jun 30, 2022 at 6:20 AM Michael Paoli <
Michael.Paoli at cal.berkeley.edu> wrote:

> Let's see ... has been a while - alas, well over a decade - since
> I last assisted a user with a Linux installation for
> blind user.  I ought practice more - at least once in a while,
> make sure it works, or at least mostly does so, and get myself
> at least a bit more familiar with the procedure.
>
> Peeking at some Debian documents, e.g.:
> https://wiki.debian.org/accessibility#Debian_installer_accessibility
> It seems it should mostly "just work" - though there are at least
> some specific steps to be followed along the way - e.g. notably
> activating speech during install.  Anyway, I'm also much more
> familiar with Debian than Ubuntu ... though I'd guestimate
> Ubuntu would be relatively similar ... ish?  But don't think I've
> ever attempted that with Ubuntu, and I'd guestimate likely that
> support is better on Debian.  Perhaps you'll make the next
> CABAL meeting.  If so, perhaps let us know in advance.
> I might make it to the next CABAL meeting.  And also of relevance,
> the conspire list, if you've not joined:
> http://linuxmafia.com/mailman/listinfo/conspire
>
> Anyway, also, my guestimates where things might've gone sideways or
> failed with the earlier installation, etc. attempts - I comment
> in-line further below:
>
> > From: "Rick Moen" <rick at linuxmafia.com>
> > Subject: [conspire] (forw) issue encountered during installation
> > Date: Wed, 29 Jun 2022 23:44:08 -0700
>
> > Sending so more folks look at this.  I've just clarified to David
> > that the next
> > CABAL event will be July _9th_.
> >
> > ----- Forwarded message from David Chan <chandtw at pacbell.net> -----
> >
> > Date: Wed, 29 Jun 2022 21:42:43 -0700
> > From: David Chan <chandtw at pacbell.net>
> > To: installers at linuxmafia.com
> > Subject: issue encountered during installation
> > Reply-To: chandtw at pacbell.net
> >
> > I am not sure if I can make it in person next Saturday, is there still
> > virtual meeting option available?
>
> I believe virtual will also be available again - in more recent
> many months, generally in-person - with proof of vaccination - has been
> available, and also virtual - which started during the pandemic.
> Watch the conspire list for confirmation and URL - but I'm also
> guesmating the URL for virtual will likely be the same.  And the
> archives are open to the public, so anyone can read postings,
> even if they're not a member of the list.
>
> > Blind user that uses a screen review package called 'speakup' which is
> > usually in a kernel module but is sometimes done as a kernel patch
> >
> > Attempted installation on a Toshiba Satellite CT55 with a Samsung 500G
> SSD
> >
> > With ubuntu server 22.04LTS, OS install was successful, and I can see the
> > module was loaded:
>
> As for Ubuntu, Ubuntu-Server would be a good choice for blind, as it
> forgoes the ewey GUI stuff, and, at least last I checked, the installer
> for Ubuntu-Server is essentially the Debian installer plus some modest
> Ubuntu customizations - probably most notably for many is different
> color scheme - but there are some other modest differences too.
>
> > # modprobe speakup_soft
> >
> > The 'espeakup' package is then installed to make the computer talk:
> >
> > # Apt-get install espeakup
> >
> > However, there was no speech after the install of the package finished,
> and
> > I am unable to figure why it is not talking - maybe the firmware driver
> is
> > incorrect?
>
> Not sure, but one thing I might guess as a possibility, and I've sometimes
> run across this with Debian installs, and have seen what looks to be
> same or similar from at least some fair number of user installs of,
> notably Debian, but Ubuntu may be quite similar in this particular
> regard.
>
> Anyway, often on a fresh install, I find folks complain of no audio.
> And terse summary of my response is generally along the lines of:
> "Volume?"
> Most notably, as often I find/observe/hear that at least by default,
> though the audio typically installs fine, it often initially defaults
> on a fresh new install to having the volume levels start out set to
> zero.  So sometimes it's a mere matter of turning up the volume in
> relevant configuration and/or controls.  At least that's the most common
> issue I see with "no sound" on a fresh Debian installation - and may
> well be likewise for Ubuntu.
>
> > Switched to Debian 11.3, choose 's' for speech at the selection prompt,
> the
> > talking installer starts, and the installation process was successful,
> the
> > CD drive spits out the disk, and hit return to reboot
>
> Yes, Debian, a fine selection - and my favorite distro.
>
> > However, after the reboot, the laptop was unable to detect the OS -
> > apparently the files needed to boot were somehow not installed [I
> switched
> > to tty2 and looked around before rebooting after installing again, and
> see
> > the boot folder was missing]
>
> So, I'm guestimating some step was likely missed during install.  Unlike
> some other distros - and even installers - with the Debian install - at
> least using the Debian installer - when it comes to at least the
> critical parts that overwrite stuff on drive, it defaults to not doing so.
> So, e.g. typically doing things such as writing the partition table out,
> writing the boot information to the drive, etc., will often default to
> no, or not pick the device automatically - but give option of devices,
> on where to write the boot information.  So, if one misses one of those
> steps, one could easily end up with an install that isn't bootable.
>
> However, if one's already done most all the install work, and might prefer
> not to repeat that, may also be relatively easy to fix.  Doing a
> "rescue" mode boot from ISO, one can often fairly easily repair a
> situation like that - notably adding or even otherwise fixing missing or
> broken boot bits, without need to reinstall.  And, at least from what
> I seem to gather glancing through some relevant Debian documentation,
> looks like Debian, at least now, also well supports running "rescue"
> mode from fairly common install ISOs, and well supports, e.g. speech,
> and other accessibility capabilities there too - quite similar to
> when doing install - just slightly different set of actions to instead
> go into rescue mode.
>
> > Any suggestions & help appreciated, thank you very much for looking
>
> Some additional resources one may wish to consider or utilize,
> Debian does also have excellent lists and support.  Might even
> be able to search out an answer there or other useful information.
> Debian also has pretty darn good live interactive support on IRC,
> that can be a quite good resource - I usually find it very good for
> faster and/or interactive response/information, when the issue or
> matter isn't too horribly complex or rare, etc.  Also, the Debian
> IRC stuff is publicly logged, so, e.g. if an answer or useful response
> comes later after one has dropped off, can often review the IRC logs
> to pick up that information later.  Anyway, IRC there might be
> well suited to, e.g. help one go through rescue mode, examine and
> repair the current situation.
>
> Anyway, yes, there is also CABAL coming in near future - let us know,
> preferably at least wee bit ahead of time, if you'll be coming - and
> in-person, or virtual, and what issues you may still be facing
> at that time ... or maybe you'll update to let us know all has been
> solved by then ... and it's a cool meeting/event to attend in
> any case ... and yummy food if one makes it in person.
>
> Oh, might also be good to let us know, if you continue to have issues,
> if you're doing UEFI or MBR install, and if you know if the
> hardware supports just one, or both, and if both, which method you've
> used on installation.  And thanks for providing the hardware
> information - that's important, and we may also be able to figure out
> that and/or other relevant information based upon knowing what the
> hardware is.
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> conspire mailing list
> conspire at linuxmafia.com
> http://linuxmafia.com/mailman/listinfo/conspire
>
--
KI6PUO

----- End forwarded message -----