Best text-based speakup linux install

Discussion:

Joseph Norton

2017-02-04 03:31:30 UTC

Hi listers:

I had a gentleman write me off-list and he told me he has a 512-Mb system
he'd like to install some kind of text-based distro on.

I think he could still even install Debian without the X system, but, I'm
not sure which release to point him to.

Also, I bet Arch would be another good possibility.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

Zachary Kline

2017-02-04 04:31:37 UTC

Permalink

Joseph,

I think ArchLinux is probably a good idea, assuming the CPU is new enough. It’s optimized or 686-class and later, which limits a lot of very old hardware. It’s certainly possible to install on a system with low memory, though I haven’t encountered one myself for a while.

Best,
Zack.

Post by Joseph Norton
I had a gentleman write me off-list and he told me he has a 512-Mb system
he'd like to install some kind of text-based distro on.
I think he could still even install Debian without the X system, but, I'm
not sure which release to point him to.
Also, I bet Arch would be another good possibility.
Any suggestions?
Thanks!
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http://linux-speakup.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/speakup

Gregory Nowak

2017-02-04 04:49:47 UTC

Permalink

By 512-Mb, I assume the gentleman means amount of RAM. If that's
correct, then I can tell you an install of the devuan 1.0 beta without
a GUI runs just fine in a virtualbox guest with 512 megs of
ram. Therefore, debian 8 would run fine as well. A system with 512
megs of RAM probably has something like a pentium II/III
CPU. Gnome/orca could probably run on that, but it would be a slow
experience most likely.

Now, if 512-mb means hard drive ... ... a minimal install of the
latest devuan and debian takes about 400 megs of space. So it could be
done, but ...

Greg

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Jude DaShiell

2017-02-04 11:40:53 UTC

Permalink

Depending on the computer's type of connections maybe an external hard
drive with external drive holder could increase that disk space and ide
hard drives really aren't that expensive any longer. An internal drive
could run the system and the /home and certain other partitions could
live on the external drive. Someone knowledgeable with Linux hardware
operations would be needed to set that up though.

Date: Fri, 3 Feb 2017 23:49:47
Reply-To: Speakup is a screen review system for Linux.
Subject: Re: Best text-based speakup linux install
By 512-Mb, I assume the gentleman means amount of RAM. If that's
correct, then I can tell you an install of the devuan 1.0 beta without
a GUI runs just fine in a virtualbox guest with 512 megs of
ram. Therefore, debian 8 would run fine as well. A system with 512
megs of RAM probably has something like a pentium II/III
CPU. Gnome/orca could probably run on that, but it would be a slow
experience most likely.
Now, if 512-mb means hard drive ... ... a minimal install of the
latest devuan and debian takes about 400 megs of space. So it could be
done, but ...
Greg

--
web site: http://www.gregn.net
gpg public key: http://www.gregn.net/pubkey.asc
skype: gregn1
(authorization required, add me to your contacts list first)
If we haven't been in touch before, e-mail me before adding me to your contacts.
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Tom Fowle

2017-02-04 05:20:20 UTC

Permalink

Hi Joseph,
I'm currently running Debian Wheezie 32 bit on an old 1.3GHZ asis P2C motherboard
with 750mB of ram.
Reason for keeping this old box is an ISA slot that runs my favorite synth,
Doubletalk.
Sometimes when copying very large talking books, like 350MB to an SD card,
the system "kills" some processes when out of memory.
Apparrently these processes restart when the copy is done.

I can have two or three text consoles open at a time and there is little
extra delay.

In other words, using command line only, it works fine.

Running Gnome with Orca and espeak it becomes unacceptably slow.

P.S. the motherboard won't take more ram or I'd add it.

tom Fowle

Tom Fowle

2017-02-04 05:25:00 UTC

Permalink

I have also tried speakup with the espeak software synthesizer, it appears
to run fine, though I didn't try the mentioned copying to SD cards when
running espeak.

Post by Tom Fowle
Hi Joseph,
I'm currently running Debian Wheezie 32 bit on an old 1.3GHZ asis P2C motherboard
with 750mB of ram.
Reason for keeping this old box is an ISA slot that runs my favorite synth,
Doubletalk.
Sometimes when copying very large talking books, like 350MB to an SD card,
the system "kills" some processes when out of memory.
Apparrently these processes restart when the copy is done.
I can have two or three text consoles open at a time and there is little
extra delay.
In other words, using command line only, it works fine.
Running Gnome with Orca and espeak it becomes unacceptably slow.
P.S. the motherboard won't take more ram or I'd add it.
tom Fowle

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Jude DaShiell

2017-02-04 11:34:29 UTC

Permalink

If you manage talkingarch correctly it is stable and will fit on a
system like that. A person would have to be pretty far into linux to
easily get talkingarch installed though. Definitely not for people with
a fear of using command line applications. Slackware is no longer
accessible but when it was accessible would have been easier to install.
I would stay well and truely away from gentoo since it's longer and
more complex to install than talkingarch and according to one of this
list's members has to be reinstalled to fix breakages that happen to it
with use and time. The F123e distribution is supposed to install
automatically with a working (ethernet) internet connection I have a
copy of it here and one of these days will attach to ethernet and try it
out. Another easier talkingarch install may be antergos.
Puppylinux might be another one to check out though I don't know if
that's still accessible.

When I got that one up, it was like knoppix with a menu interface. On Fri,

Date: Fri, 3 Feb 2017 22:31:30
Reply-To: Speakup is a screen review system for Linux.
Subject: Best text-based speakup linux install
I had a gentleman write me off-list and he told me he has a 512-Mb system
he'd like to install some kind of text-based distro on.
I think he could still even install Debian without the X system, but, I'm
not sure which release to point him to.
Also, I bet Arch would be another good possibility.
Any suggestions?
Thanks!
_______________________________________________
Speakup mailing list
http://linux-speakup.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/speakup

John Covici

2017-02-04 12:30:47 UTC

Permalink

Just to let you know, I have a gentoo install since 2011 and never had
to reinstall.
You have to keep updating it, I do every couple of weeks or a month.

On Sat, 04 Feb 2017 06:34:29 -0500,

Post by Jude DaShiell
If you manage talkingarch correctly it is stable and will fit on
a system like that. A person would have to be pretty far into
linux to easily get talkingarch installed though. Definitely not
for people with a fear of using command line applications.
Slackware is no longer accessible but when it was accessible
would have been easier to install.
I would stay well and truely away from gentoo since it's longer
and more complex to install than talkingarch and according to one
of this list's members has to be reinstalled to fix breakages
that happen to it with use and time. The F123e distribution is
supposed to install automatically with a working (ethernet)
internet connection I have a copy of it here and one of these
days will attach to ethernet and try it out. Another easier
talkingarch install may be antergos.
Puppylinux might be another one to check out though I don't know
if that's still accessible.
When I got that one up, it was like knoppix with a menu

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