[Emacspeak] Re: Emacspeak on Android

[Tim Makarios <emacspeak.correspondence@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I'm using Espeak.  I tend to avoid non‒open source software, and Espeak was
conveniently in Debian's main repository, so I chose that one.

I might not get around to fine-tuning my Emacspeak-on-Android setup unless
and until I get a physical keyboard talking to my phone, so if someone else
wants to take up the baton in the meantime, I won't object.

Also, I have no experience writing org files, but orgmode.org looks
interesting (similar to MarkDown, but more powerful?), so learning that
might get added to my Emacs-learning curve at some point!

All the best,

Tim
<><

On Tue, 2021-05-04 at 17:47 -0700, T.V Raman wrote:
> Tim Makarios <emacspeak.correspondence(a)freespoken.nz> writes:
> 
> Very Nice!
> 
> I suspect tweaking buffer-size will give you most bang for the buck; Are
> you using Outloud or Espeak?
> 
> Once you get this tuned to your liking, I'd request you write it up as a
> simple org file and post it somewhere; I'd also like to include it in
> the emacspeak distribution when the write-up is ready.
> > Hi,
> > 
> > Thank you all for your replies.  Inspired partly by them, partly by an
> > answer I received on the #termux IRC channel, and partly by my own
> > stubbornness, I searched for ways to get the audio out of something like
> > UserLAnd or a Termux PRoot environment.
> > 
> > And I succeeded!  With auditory icons, and everything!
> > 
> > The trick is to use PulseAudio to stream the audio out of UserLAnd (or
> > PRoot).  In particular, I installed pulseaudio in UserLAnd's Debian
> > environment and added this line to the bottom of /etc/pulse/default.pa
> > there:
> > 
> > load-module module-simple-protocol-tcp source=auto_null.monitor
> > record=true
> > port=54713 listen=127.0.0.1
> > 
> > (Apologies for any spurious linebreaks added by my email program; it
> > should
> > be a single line.)  Then with PulseAudio started, I connected to the
> > stream
> > from SimpleProtocolPlayer NG
> > https://f-droid.org/packages/fr.jakse.raphael.simpleprotocolplayer
> > and started Emacspeak in UserLAnd.  The sound is a bit choppy, but it's
> > a
> > proof of concept, at least.  I haven't yet thoroughly tested whether the
> > audio output would be improved by different settings like:
> > * a different buffer size in Simple Protocol Player NG,
> > * a different sample rate,
> > * streaming the audio to Termux instead of Simple Protocol Player NG,
> > * running Emacspeak in Termux's PRoot instead of UserLAnd,
> > * streaming over a Unix special file instead of TCP,
> > * and so on.
> > 
> > The main web pages I drew on for my understanding were:
> > * https://android.stackexchange.com/a/205629
> > * https://kaytat.com/blog/?page_id=301
> > * https://github.com/CypherpunkArmory/UserLAnd/issues/371
> > They often assume a visual desktop, but this isn't necessary; I can run
> > Emacspeak in emacs-nox in UserLAnd, without any visual desktop
> > installed.
> > 
> > I did notice that it didn't fully work with Debian buster's emacspeak
> > package (version 49.0) in Emacs 26.1; the output seemed to be silent for
> > some utterances, perhaps triggered by auditory icons or voice locking or
> > both.  But switching to Emacs 27.1 (from buster-backports) and compiling
> > Emacspeak 53.0 from source in UserLAnd solved that problem.
> > 
> > Now, to complete the eyes-free experience on my mobile phone, I need a
> > physical keyboard I can connect to it, preferably without wires, so I
> > don't
> > tie myself up in cords.  But before investing in that, perhaps I should
> > figure out whether, in the long run, Emacspeak will make me more
> > productive
> > than a visual desktop, rather than less.  At the moment, I'm finding a
> > fairly steep Emacs-learning curve (mostly keybindings), but I'm still
> > hopeful that it will be worth it.
> > 
> > I hope this is helpful and encouraging.
> > 
> > All the best,
> > 
> > Tim
> > <><
> > 
> > On Sat, 2021-05-01 at 07:37 -0700, T.V Raman wrote:
> > > Typing this up mostly for the archive.
> > > 
> > > 1. Speech Server: Voice changes are hard to implement using the
> > > current
> > >    setup, but feasable;
> > > 
> > >    A. Look up Google TTS documentation, provides pitch change as the
> > >       only control from memory.
> > > 
> > >       B. Copy plain-voices.el to android-voices.el, then follow the
> > > code
> > >          and update it to generate the pitch control changes.
> > > 
> > >          C. Finally add the necessary clause in dtk-speak.el to load
> > >             android-voices.el if synthesis engine is Android.
> > > 
> > >             2. Auditory Icons, Again doable, but you'd have to write
> > >                some Java code in the Android speech server to play
> > >                sounds, you'll likely need to package over the sound
> > >                files and copy them to the Android side.
> > >                
> > > -- 
> > > 
> > > Thanks,
> > > 
> > > --Raman
> > > ♇ Id: kg:/m/0285kf1  🦮
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Emacspeak mailing list -- emacspeak(a)emacspeak.org
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> 
> -- 
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> --Raman
> ♈ Id: kg:/m/0285kf1  🦮
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