
			 VOXIN 3.3rc5 README


Table of Contents

1 Installing Voxin without typing command lines
2 Check the voxin archive
3 General Install
.. 3.1 Voxin updates
.. 3.2 Speech Dispatcher
..... 3.2.1 spd-conf
..... 3.2.2 Editing speechd.conf
.. 3.3 Orca
.. 3.4 Emacspeak
.. 3.5 Fenrir
.. 3.6 Speakup connector
.. 3.7 How to uninstall Voxin?
4 Compatible GNU/Linux Distributions
.. 4.1 Voxin 3.3rc5
5 voxin.ini configuration file
6 Dictionaries
7 voxin-say command


For support or feedback, please send a mail to contact@oralux.org with
possibly the log file (log/voxin.log).


1 Installing Voxin without typing command lines

  This release simply provides a Debian package which should help to
  install Voxin in a graphical desktop.

  Tested on Ubuntu 18.04, via Firefox or the file browser, by selecting
  the Voxin package in the Downloads directory.

  This 'graphical installer' can be downloaded with your usual download
  link appended with the two characters "&g" (that is the ampersand
  character and g for graphical).


2 Check the voxin archive

  Before any install, you may want to check that your voxin archive (the
  .tgz file) has a correct checksum.

  The checksum file can be downloaded from [GitHub under the Oralux
  account] .

  In the following example, our voxin archive
  (voxin-update-3.3rc5.tgz) is checked against the checksum file
  (voxin-3.3rc5.sha512).

  These two files have been copied in the same directory.  In a console,
  change/cd to this directory; then type:

  sha512sum --ignore-missing --check voxin-3.3rc5.sha512

  This command must return "OK"
  voxin-update-3.3rc5.tgz: OK


  [GitHub under the Oralux account]
  https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Oralux/voxin-installer/master/check/3.3rc5/voxin-3.3rc5.sha512


3 General Install

  Just run voxin-installer.sh as root and answer to the questions.  For
  example, with voxin-enu-3.3rc5 :

  cd voxin-3.3rc5
  cd voxin-enu-3.3rc5
  sudo --login $PWD/voxin-installer.sh

  Or without sudo:
  su --login -c $PWD/voxin-installer.sh


3.1 Voxin updates

  Your download link is usually permanent and points on the last voxin
  release.

  To update Voxin, use one of your download links to get the last
  version.  If you have Vocalizer Embedded and IBM TTS voices, just use
  one of your Vocalizer Embedded link to update Voxin.

  The releases are announced in the [Voxin RSS feed].

  Voxin is released several times a year:
  - to complete the list of compatible distros (usually after user
    request),
  - to add new features and fixes (libvoxin offers paths of
    improvement).

  Besides the voxin release, a lighter tarball, the voxin update is
  available and does not include the text-to-speech package.


  [Voxin RSS feed] http://voxin.oralux.net/rss.xml


3.2 Speech Dispatcher

  The Speech Dispatcher voxin output module is either already provided
  by your distribution (starting with speech-dispatcher 0.10.2) or
  otherwise will be installed from the voxin tarball.  For example, the
  voxin module is provided in December 2020 by:
  - Arch Linux, speech-dispatcher package
  - Debian Bullseye, speech-dispatcher-voxin package

  The voxin-installer will install its own voxin-speechd-conf and/or
  voxin-speechd packages if the voxin module is not already installed in
  your system.

  After your authorization, the installer may check each speechd.conf
  file on your system and add the voxin module if needed.  You will have
  to select voxin via your screen reader (e.g. see the Orca or Fenrir
  paragraphs below) because the installer does not modified the default
  output module in speechd.conf.

  speechd.conf can also be modified using spd-conf or simply edited.
  These two possibilities are described below.


3.2.1 spd-conf
--------------

  spd-conf can be launched as normal user (not root user).

  Here is an example in Ubuntu 18.04.

  spd-conf asks several questions, voxin will be entered as default
  output module.  spd-conf will accept it even if voxin is not yet in
  its list of known modules.

  Note: ENTER is written below when the ENTER key has been pressed.

  $ spd-conf

  Speech Dispatcher configuration tool

  Do you want to setup a completely new configuration? [yes] :
  > ENTER

  Do you want to create/setup a 'user' or 'system' configuration [user] :
  > ENTER

  User configuration already exists.

  Do you want to rewrite it with a new one? [no] :
  >yes
  User configuration created in /home/user/.config/speech-dispatcher
  Configuring user settings for Speech Dispatcher

  Default output module [espeak] :
  >voxin
  The value you have chosen is not among the suggested values.
  You have chosen 'voxin'.
  The suggested values are ['espeak', 'flite', 'festival', 'cicero', 'ibmtts']
  Do you want to correct your answer? [yes] :
  >no

  Default language (two-letter iso language code like "en" or "cs") [en] :
  > ENTER

  Default audio output method [pulse] :
  > ENTER

  Default speech rate (on the scale of -100..100, 0 is default, 50 is faster, -50 is slower) [0] :
  > ENTER

  Default speech pitch (on the scale of -100..100, 0 is default, 50 is higher, -50 is lower) [0] :
  > ENTER

  Do you want to have Speech Dispatcher automatically started from ~/.config/autostart ?
  This is usually not necessary, most applications will start Speech Dispatcher automatically. [no] :
  > ENTER

  Do you want to start/restart Speech Dispatcher now and run some tests? [yes] :
  > ENTER
  Starting Speech Dispatcher in user-mode
  [Sat Dec 26 10:20:47 2020 : 338076] speechd: Speech Dispatcher 0.8.8 starting
  Testing Speech Dispatcher using spd_say

  Did you hear the message about Speech Dispatcher working? [yes] :
  > ENTER
  Speech Dispatcher is installed and working!
  Speech Dispatcher works. Do you want to skip other tests? [yes] :
  > ENTER


  Diagnostics results:
  Speech Dispatcher is working
  End of diagnostics results


3.2.2 Editing speechd.conf
--------------------------

  The Speech Dispatcher configuration file can be edited manually:
  - either comment each 'AddModule' line, then speech-dispatcher should
    load each present module,
  - or add this line to select explicitly the voxin module:
  AddModule "voxin" "sd_voxin" "voxin.conf"

  Optionally, to set voxin as default module, modify the unique
  DefaultModule line: DefaultModule voxin


  Finally restart speech-dispatcher (e.g. logout or reboot).

  - global conf: /etc/speech-dispatcher/speechd.conf
  - local conf (created by spd-conf):
    $HOME/.config/speech-dispatcher/speechd.conf


3.3 Orca

  For Orca/Speech Dispatcher users: the newly installed TTS will be
  taken in account at the next start of Orca/Speech-dispatcher (if you
  authorized voxin-installer to update your configuration).  So, you may
  want to reboot your system.  Then, if needed, configure Orca as
  indicated below.

  In the Orca Screen Reader Preferences window, Voice tab:
  - set "Speech system" to "Speech Dispatcher"
  - set "Speech synthesizer" to voxin

  then press the Apply button.

  The Orca preferences window is displayed using this command line:

  orca -s

  or typing the Orca modifier key + SPACE key


3.4 Emacspeak

  The [emacspeak installer] helps to install Emacspeak with eSpeak and
  Voxin.

  If the sound is choppy under Alsa, please copy the asoundrc file from
  emacspeak to your home directory as ~/.asoundrc For example: cp
  emacspeak-45.0/share/emacs/site-lisp/emacspeak/servers/linux-outloud/asoundrc
  $HOME/.asoundrc


  [emacspeak installer]
  https://github.com/Oralux/emacspeak_voxin_install/releases


3.5 Fenrir

  Select the speech-dispatcher driver and the voxin module in
  settings.conf.  For example in
  /etc/fenrirscreenreader/settings/settings.conf

  driver=speechdDriver module=voxin


3.6 Speakup connector

  You may want to install speechd-up (interface between Speakup and
  Speech Dispatcher).

  We proposed voxinup, the Speakup connector for Voxin; but
  incompatibilities with the graphical desktop appeared for example in
  Vinux 5.1.  The [voxinup_install] helped to install "voxinup" in Arch
  Linux or Debian based distros.  The original Speakup connector,
  "spk-connect-ttsynth", was renamed to "voxinup" to ease at least the
  typing.


  [voxinup_install] https://github.com/Oralux/voxinup_install/releases


3.7 How to uninstall Voxin?

  Voxin 3.3rc5 can be uninstalled with this command line:
  sudo --login $PWD/voxin-installer.sh -u

  Or without sudo:
  su --login -c "$PWD/voxin-installer.sh -u"

  Please note that the text-to-speech files will be removed too (under
  /opt/IBM/ibmtts or /opt/oralux/nve).


4 Compatible GNU/Linux Distributions

4.1 Voxin 3.3rc5

  The last checked distributions are listed below.  Much more should be
  compatible.

  For support or feedback, please send a mail to contact@oralux.org with
  possibly the log file (log/voxin.log).

  --------------------------------------------------
   Distributions                    Architectures   
  --------------------------------------------------
   Arch Linux (June 2021)           x86_64          
   Debian 10, 11 (sid)              x86_64          
   Gentoo (December 2020)           x86_64          
   openSUSE Tumbleweed (June 2021)  x86_64          
   Raspberry Pi OS (June 2021)      armv7l, aarch64 
   Slint64-14.2.1.2 (June 2021)     x86_64          
   Ubuntu 18.04, 20.04, 21.04       x86_64          
  --------------------------------------------------


5 voxin.ini configuration file

  The user may now define the default value of several parameters.
  - capitalization
  - punctuation
  - voiceName

  and only for IBM TTS:
  - dictionaryDir
  - useAbbreviation

  These values will be overwritten by the calling software
  (e.g. speech-dispatcher, emacspeak,...).  The voxin.ini file is
  consequently interesting when a parameter is not yet managed by the
  calling software.

  voxin.ini is expected to be present locally at:
  $HOME/.config/voxin/voxin.ini or if not found, available globally at:
  /var/opt/oralux/voxin/voxin.ini

  The installer creates a writable default file in
  /var/opt/oralux/voxin/voxin.ini if none exists.

  Brief Example:

  [general] capitalization=icon #punctuation=none

  [viavoice] dictionaryDir=/var/opt/IBM/ibmtts/dict useAbbreviation=no


6 Dictionaries

  User dictionaries are currently only available for IBM TTS.  They are
  enabled by default by speech-dispatcher: in voxin.conf (or
  ibmtts.conf), the IbmttsDictionaryFolder variable is set to
  /var/opt/IBM/ibmtts/dict.

  Examples of dictionaries are included in this archive under:
  dictionary/var/opt/IBM/ibmtts/dict


7 voxin-say command

  voxin-say is a command which converts text to speech.

  EXAMPLES :

  # Say 'hello world' and redirect output to an external audio player:
  voxin-say "hello world" | aplay

  # Read file.txt and save speech to an audio file:
  voxin-say -f file.txt -w file.wav
  voxin-say -f file.txt > file.wav

  # The following command is incorrect because no output is supplied:
  voxin-say "Hello all"

  # Correct command to read a file in French at 500 words per minute, use 4 jobs to speed up conversion
  voxin-say -f file.txt -l fr -s 500 -j 4 -w audio.wav
