[u-a-dev] [Bug 84220] No speech in totem using eSpeak w/ Orca

[Jonathan Duddington]

In article <20070209153921.26116.48174.malonedeb at gangotri.ubuntu.com>,
   Joanie <j-diggs at comcast.net> wrote:

> If I am using eSpeak with Orca and launch Totem (with no media files
> open or playing), Orca will not speak the contents of anything (e.g.
> the menu items).  If I am using DECTalk, however, Orca will.

I don't run Gnome here, so I don't have Orca or Totem, but I'll guess
that this may be because of the portaudio V18 library.

eSpeak uses the portaudio library for sound output.  Ubuntu has
portaudio version 18, which uses OSS sound output.  OSS cannot open a
sound channel if another program has already opened it.  Portaudio
version 19 avoids this problem by using ALSA sound output.

eSpeak can be built/compiled to use either version of portaudio.

Gilles Casse has been using eSpeak with portaudio V19.  I'm not sure
that all versions of portaudio V19 behave well, so check with him.