orca
is a scriptable screen reader
Synopsis
orca
[option...]
add an example, a script, a trick and tips
examples
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description
orca is
a screen reader for people with visual impairments, it
provides alternative access to the desktop by using speech
synthesis and braille.
In addition,
orca only provides access to applications/toolkits
that support the assistive technology service provide
interface (AT-SPI), which include GTK, Mozilla, Firefox,
Evolution, OpenOffice, StarOffice, Java/Swing, etc.
WARNING:
suspending orca, e.g. by pressing Control-Z, from an
AT-SPI enabled shell (such as gnome-terminal), can also
suspend the desktop until Orca is killed.
options
-t,
--text-setup
When starting orca,
initiate the text-based configuration.
-u,
--user-prefs-dir=dirname
When starting orca, use
dirname as an alternate directory for the user
preferences.
-e,
--enable=speech|braille|braille-monitor|main-window
When starting orca,
force the enabling of the supplied options.
-d,
--disable=speech|braille|braille-monitor|main-window
When starting orca,
force the disabling of the supplied options.
-l,
--list-apps
Prints the names of all the
currently running applications. This is used primarily for
debugging purposes to see if orca can talk to the
accessibility infrastructure. Note that if orca is
already running, this will not kill the other orca
process. It will just list the currently running
applications, and you will see orca listed twice:
once for the existing orca and once for this
instance.
--debug
Enables debug output for
orca and sends all debug output to a file with a name
of the form ’debug-YYYY-MM-DD-HH:MM:SS.out’ in
the current directory. The YYYY-MM-DD-HH:MM:SS portion will
be replaced with the current date and time.
--debug-file=filename
Enables debug output for
orca and sends all debug output to the given
filename.
-v, --version
outputs orca version
number and exits.
-h,
--help
displays orca help and
exits.
--replace
Replace a currently running
orca process. By default, if orca detects an
existing orca process for the same session, it will
not start a new orca process. This option will kill
and cleanup after any existing orca process and then
start a new orca in its place.
desktop mode
Flat review commands
Numpad-7 move the flat review cursor to the previous line
and read it.
Numpad-8 read the current line.
Numpad-9 move the flat review cursor to the next line and
read it.
Numpad-4 move the flat review cursor to the previous word
and read it.
Numpad-5 read the current word.
Numpad-6 move the flat review cursor to the next word and
read it.
Numpad-1 move the flat review cursor to the previous
character and read it.
Numpad-2 read the current character.
Numpad-3 move the flat review cursor to the next character
and read it.
Numpad-slash perform a left mouse click at the location of
the flat review cursor.
Numpad-star perform a right mouse click at the location of
the flat review cursor.
Bookmark commands
Alt+Insert+[1-6] assign a bookmark to a numbered slot. If
a bookmark already exists in the slot it will be replaced with
the new one.
Insert+[1-6] go to the position pointed to by the bookmark
bound to this numbered slot.
Alt+Shift+[1-6]
’Where am I’ information for this bookmark relative to the
current pointer location.
Insert+B and Insert+Shift+B move between the given
bookmarks for the given application or page.
Alt+Insert+B save the defined bookmarks for the current
application or page.
Miscellaneous functions
Numpad+Plus
’say all’ command; reads from the current position of the caret
to the end of the document.
Numpad+Enter
’Where am I’ command; speaks information such as the title of the
current application window, as well as the name of the control
that currently has focus.
Insert+H enter into orca’s ’learn mode’; press Escape to
exit.
Insert+Shift+Backslash toggle live regions monitoring on
and off.
Insert+F speak font and attribute information for the
current character.
Insert+Space Launch the orca Configuration dialog.
Insert+Ctrl+Space reload user settings and reinitialize
services as necessary. Also launches the orca Configuration
dialog for the current application.
Insert+S toggle speech on and off.
Insert+F11 toggle the reading of tables, either by single
cell or whole row.
Insert+Q quit orca.
Debugging
Ctrl+Alt+Insert+Home report information on the currently
active script.
Ctrl+Alt+Insert+End print a debug listing of all known
applications to the console where orca is running.
Ctrl+Alt+Insert+Page_Up print debug information about the
ancestry of the object with focus.
Ctrl+Alt+Insert+Page_Down print debug information about
the hierarchy of the application with focus.
files
~/.orca
Orca user preferences directory
~/.orca/user-settings.py
Orca user preferences configuration file.
~/.orca/orca-customizations.py
Orca user customizations configuration file
~/.orca/orca-scripts
Orca user orca scripts directory
~/.orca/bookmarks
Orca user bookmarks directory
~/.orca/app-settings
Orca user application specific settings directory
keyboard settings
Orca provides two keyboard modes, Desktop and Laptop keyboard
layout. The Orca_Modifier key is Insert in desktop
keyboard layout and Caps_Lock in laptop keyboard layout.
Orca uses default GNOME keyboard shortcuts to navigate the
desktop and interact with various applications. The flat review
commands provide an alternative method of interaction in certain
inaccessible applications. It should not be confused with flat
review functionality provided by other screen readers.
laptop mode
Flat review commands
Caps_Lock+U move the flat review cursor to the previous
line and read it. Double-click to move flat review to the top of
the current window.
Caps_Lock+I read the current line. Double-click to read
the current line along with formatting and capitalization
details.
Caps_Lock+O move the flat review cursor to the next line
and read it. Double- click to move flat review to the bottom of
the current window.
Caps_Lock+J move the flat review cursor to the previous
word and read it. Double-click to move flat review to the word
above the current word.
Caps_Lock+K read the current word. Double-click to spell
the word. Triple-click to hear the word spelled phonetically.
Caps_Lock+L move the flat review cursor to the next word
and read it. Double- click to move flat review to the word below
the current word.
Caps_Lock+M move the flat review cursor to the previous
character and read it. Double-click to move flat review to the
end of the current line.
Caps_Lock+Comma read the current character. Double-click
to pronounce the character phonetically if it is a letter.
Caps_Lock+Period move the flat review cursor to the next
character and read it.
Caps_Lock+7 perform a left mouse click at the location of
the flat review cursor.
Caps_Lock+8 perform a right mouse click at the location of
the flat review cursor.
Caps_Lock+8 perform a right mouse click at the location of
the flat review cursor.
Bookmark commands
Alt+Caps_Lock+[1-6]
add a bookmark to the numbered slot. If a bookmark already exists
for the slot it will be replaced with the new one.
Caps_Lock+[1-6] go to the position pointed to by the
bookmark bound to this numbered slot.
Alt+Shift+[1-6]
’Where am I’ information for this bookmark relative to the
current pointer location.
Caps_Lock+Band Caps_Lock+Shift+B move between the given
bookmarks for the given application or page.
Alt+Caps_Lock+B save the defined bookmarks for the current
application or page.
Miscellaneous functions
Caps_Lock+Semicolon
’Say all’ command; reads from the current position of the caret
to the end of the document. Caps_Lock+Enter
’Where am I’ command; speaks information such as the title of the
current application window, as well as the name of the control
that currently has focus.
Caps_Lock+H enter learn mode (press Escape to exit).
Caps_Lock+Shift+Backslash toggle live regions monitoring
on and off.
Caps_Lock+F speak font and attribute information for the
current character.
Caps_Lock+Space launch the orca Configuration dialog.
Caps_Lock+Ctrl+Space reload user settings and reinitialize
services as necessary; also launches the orca Configuration
dialog for the current application.
Caps_Lock+S toggle speech on and off.
Caps_Lock+F11 toggle the reading of tables, either by
single cell or whole row.
Caps_Lock+Q quit orca.
Debugging
Caps_Lock+Alt+Ctrl+Home report information on the
currently active script.
Caps_Lock+Alt+Ctrl+End prints a debug listing of all known
applications to the console where orca is running.
Caps_Lock+Alt+Ctrl+Page_Up prints debug information about
the ancestry of the object with focus.
Caps_Lock+Alt+Ctrl+Page_Down prints debug information
about the object hierarchy of the application with focus.
see also
For more
information please visit orca wiki at
<http://live.gnome.org/Orca> (http://live.gnome.org/Orca)
author
Orca
originated as a community effort led by the Sun Microsystems
Inc. Accessibility Program Office and with contributions
from many community members.