ubuntu linux

[Geoff Shang]

Josh wrote:

> but ubuntu is a gui. how can it then support speakup? someone explain please.

Ubuntu is a Linux distribution, like Fedora or Gen-2 or SUSE.

The graphical environment that Ubuntu installs and which comes up on the CD 
is called the Gnome Desktop.  To a point, Gnome runs on top of LInux in the 
same way that Windows runs on Dos.  The difference is though that Windows 
brings with it increased computing power whereas Gnome is really just a 
user interface (the same computing power can be accessed just as well in 
the text mode).

Speakup is a text-mode (aka console) screen reader.  It can no more read 
Gnome than can ASAP or VocalEyes read Windows.  The reverse is also true, 
though if you launch Gnome-terminal, you can access a shell through Gnome, 
much as you might use a command prompt in Windows, and Orca can read it. 
but I rather suspect that accessing the text mode with a native text-mode 
screen reader will be more satisfying than using it via Gnome with a Gnome 
screen reader.

Geoff.