Re: Noobie questions about installing Debian for blind user
On 10/19/23 03:19, Susan Fowle wrote:
My blind husband, Tom, has used very old Debian version Jessie on a very old machine for many years. Something finally broke or got corrupted.
So we are planning to buy a new small computer (Kingdel Desktop Computer, Intel i5 CPU, 8GB RAM 256GB SSD, Intel HD Graphics 4400, 6xCOM RS232).
8GB of ram is quite low and RS232 quite unusual for a disktop even if
you have a brail display that does not support USB.
I have RS232 to USB converter for connecting my laptop to my server.
In your case, the brail display would be my server.
Given that you are sighted and "willing to help", my idea would be to
buy a converter (EG:
https://www.amazon.com/USB-Serial-Adapter-Prolific-Retention/dp/B000HVHDJ8)
from somewhere it can be returned.
You could connect it to your Windows laptop to see if you can have the
brail display working that way, if it works, you could buy what ever
laptop/desktop you desire and not be stuck with RS232!
You can easily test everything on Windows to ensure that the converter
approach would work, the NVDA screenreader can be use for this.
We plan to install Debian 12 stable (or possibly 11 if that turns out to be better for our needs).
Debian 11 is old stable.
Tom wants Debian to boot into the console/terminal, and plans to use GUI only for occasional web browsing. He uses a DoubleTalk speech synthesizer and Speakup, plus an Alva braille terminal -- the hardware requires COM ports, hence our choice of computer. He uses Mutt for email and text browsers Lynx, Links, etc.
For the sake of simplicity, I would suggest you to install with
accessibility support enabled (will be Mate instead of Gnome).
Links/w3m are fine but sometime Firefox or alike are useful as well.
When Tom is more comfortable with Debian, he will be able to install
Debian to his liking which is totaly possible without sighted help! ;^)
What is the best way to start? debian-live-12.2.0-amd64-gnome.iso? Something else -- jigdo?
Look at the debian accessibility wiki, there is no need for you to mess
with jigdo! :)
We have a copy on a flash drive of the data from the older machine (everything under /home). What is the best way of re-installing all this personal data after the system has been installed?
The best way to have a stable Debian is by not copying stuff from an
older set up to a new one, unless Tom wants to learn Debian the hardway.
Are these types of questions answered on a web page somewhere, so I don't need to bother you good folks unless we run into problems?
The debian-user mailing list or this very list are fine along with
googling online.
HTH and good luck.
--
John Doe
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