Orca 47.0 version from backports and stable Gtk+3.0 3.24.38-2~deb12u2 version incompatibility

[Hammer Attila]

Dear List,


My name is Attila Hammer, I am not an official Debian developer, but 
very old time using Debian distributions (since 1999).

I using the system with Orca screen reader, and because Debian stable 
ships with Orca 43.0 version the stable branch, I installed Orca from 
stable-backports repository.

Until 46.0 version from backports repository not have any 
incompatibility, but when 47.0 landed the stable-backports repository, 
Orca preferences dialog are begun not worked, when pressed INSERT+SPACE 
key in Orca and pressed a right arrow for example to jump the voice 
page, when I doed a tab keystroke to move between dialog controls, Orca 
is total silent.


I sent Joanmarie Diggs Orca upstream developer a full debug file and a 
recordmydesktop video to she seeing visually what happens when I not see 
any Braille or speech output.

In september 27 we get following notification from Joanmarie the Orca list:

„Hey all.

Orca v47 includes a change to no longer listen for the "focus:" event.
The "focus:" event was deprecated like 13 or 14 years ago. When I made
this change during the development cycle, we discovered that there was a
GTK3 bug that needed to be fixed. That bug was fixed in May and is
included in the GTk 3.24.42 release. The current stable version of GTk 3
is 3.24.43. So distros should hopefully pick this version up.

But I am starting to suspect distros are not doing so.

CCing Samuel since I received a private bug report from a Debian user
whose debug.out suggests missing "object:state-changed:focused" events
and reports GTK version 3.24.38.

--joanie”

In october 1 I have more time, and looked upstream GTK repository the 3.24.42 branch what commit fixed this wrote upstream bug (I already tested a patched Gtk+3.0 stable package version local my Bookworm system with good result):

„commit 5147e95d1d6a02212b1f51c2cc0a61653425850a
Author: Michael Weghorn <m.weghorn at posteo.de>
Date:   Wed May 8 11:32:27 2024 +0200

     a11y: Port from deprecated atk_focus_tracker_notify

     Port `gail_focus_notify` from using the deprecated
     `atk_focus_tracker_notify` to notify about the new
     focus object. Notify of a state of the focused state
     instead, as suggested in the
     `atk_focus_tracker_notify` doc [1].

     Using the deprecated function e.g. resulted in
     the Orca screen reader no longer announcing
     initial focus on editable comboboxes in
     LibreOffice Writer's toolbars after Orca dropped
     support for the deprecated "focus" AT-SPI event
     in this commit [2]:

         commit 9e2902dd46c7e583a097e235dfd7e3c50b016383
         Author: Joanmarie Diggs <jdiggs at igalia.com>
         Date:   Wed May 1 12:14:07 2024 +0200

             Remove the on_focus handler for the LibreOffice script

             The "focus:" event was deprecated many years ago. If the 
expected
             "object:state-changed:focused" event is absent, that bug should
             be fixed.

     This commit makes the announcement work again.

     It also fixes the scenario described in [3].

     [1] https://docs.gtk.org/atk/func.focus_tracker_notify.html
     [2] 
https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/orca/-/commit/9e2902dd46c7e583a097e235dfd7e3c50b016383
     [3] https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gtk/-/issues/454#note_2099344

     Fixes: #454”


Because the latest stable version (3.24.43 version I think) not compiled 
me my Bookworm system, I download actual awailable source package 
version source code, import the proper attached patch with quilt import 
command, and recompile the package source code.

After all required new packages are installed, Orca preferences dialog 
in 47.0 version works perfect again for me, I again hear correct speech 
output with all controls related and see all braille output my braille 
display again the Orca preferences dialog.

I attaching the patch.


I already consulted Samuel Thibault and sent he the patch, but because 
he longer time is busy, directed me to this list.
Is it possible to publish this patch officially in the GTK+3.0 version 
in the stable branch, or is it better to distribute this patch in the 
stable-backports branch? Is the attached patch sufficient for this 
purpose, or do you need a debdiff patch?
Unfortunately, I don't have package upload privileges, so the only thing 
I could do to solve the error was to find out which commit solves  this 
error since Gtk+3.42 version.


Sorry the lot of quotes, and excuse me if some time not good my english, 
only my secondary language the english language.


Kind regards, and hopefully this attached patch helps future resolve 
this incompatibility issue the Orca 47.0 version and available stable 
Gtk.3.38 version in Bookworm, testing and sid branches are not affected,


Attila
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