Bug#864829: screen reader stops speaking

[Felipe Sateler]

Control: tags -1 moreinfo

Hi Mika Hanhijärvi,

On Thu, Jun 15, 2017 at 9:39 AM, Mika Hanhijärvi <miksuh at gmail.com> wrote:

> Package: pulseaudio
> Version: 10.0-1
> Severity: grave
>
> Hi
>
> I am sorry that I repport this so close to release of Stretch.
>
> I am not really sure to which package I should report this bug. I am not
> 100%
> sure if this g is in Pulseaudio, speech-eispatcher or someething else. I
> think
> it might be a problem with Pulseaudio.
>
> I am blind so I have to use computer using the screen reader. So it is
> important for me that screen reader works relealibly.
>

I am very much ignorant about how screen readers work. Could you describe a
bit how the stack works please? In particular, what program is actually
responsible for playing the synthesized speech to speakers, and how does it
run? Also, the audio-related configuration (if any) of these programs would
be useful.


>
> I am using the Gnome desktop.
> I have espeakup and Orca installed. I would like to use espeakup on
> console and
> Orca on desktop. I also would like to be able to switch between text mode
> console and graphical nome desktop without logging out from the desktop.
> Currently that does not work. I have two laptops and both have this
> problem.
> Note that I have not made clean Stretch installation, Ihave upgraded my
> systems
> to Stretch.
>
>
> For some reason if espeakup sppeaks something when the computer is booting
> then
> screen reader does not speak anytging on GDM login screen. If that happens
> then
> screen reader also does not speak at all on desktop. This makes it
> impossible
> for me to login to desktop or use the deshtop. I have noticed that if I go
> to
> text console then eseakup speaks just fin.
>
> If espeakup does not speak anytging then screen reader speaks on GDM login
> screen. If I go to text console then espeakup does not speak at all. If I
> login
> to desktop then Orca screen reader speaks just fine. If I login to desktop
> then
> this also happens: If I switch from desktop to GDM login screen thusing the
> ctrl + alt + f1 then screen reader does not speak on GDM login screen at
> all.
> If I then return to desktop then Orca screen reader on desktop speaks again
> just fine. If I switch form desktop to text console using e.g ctrl + alt +
> f3
> then espeakup does not speak at all on console. If I then switch back to
> desktothen Orca speaks again on desktop just fine.
>
>
> If I logout from desktop to gdm login screen then screen reader speaks on
> gdm
> login screen.


> So it seems that the sc reader works just on one of the following views:
> console, gdm or desktop. It is not possible to switch between those. That
> is
> not good.
>

It sounds like the programs that play the speech to the speakers are
grabbing the sound device and not letting it go - thus making it impossible
for the alternative programs to actually play the sound.

Some information that would be useful:

1. Is your user part of the audio group?
2. Does any of the programs that actually play the sound run as root or a
user that is in the audio group?
3. Please attach the output of `lsof /dev/snd/*` for each of the
problematic states (this should answer question 2).


-- 

Saludos,
Felipe Sateler
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