Using TextAloud in Linux

[fugazi]

Firstly, sorry about bringing up an old thread

I suppose this is directed at Ken. The reality is TextAloud 2.x works almost perfectly using the latest builds of wine.

The issues:

Plugins:
The plug-ins for Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Outlook require that you install those applications in wine also.

Clipboard Monitor:
This feature does not work with Wine 1.1.4 (latest development build). It is however possible to transfer the clipboard contents from Linux into TextAloud. Adding a TextAloud system tray icon option to 'Paste (and overwrite current article contents)' could be a possible workaround.

If the Clipboard issue alone could be resolved in some way, I would be completely content in saying goodbye to Windows for good, and purchase TextAloud in the process.

Of course you only have my word on that, however I think it would only benefit the product to state that it can be run successfully on Linux / Ubuntu albeit not natively. In my personal opinion, Ubuntu has finally made Linux a realistic alternative to windows. A linux version of TextAloud would be a great thing to see (maybe you can do a poll?).

Thanks for your time.

--
fugazi

[Kenneth Danis]

Using xmacro and wmctrl, Hotsolder provides a clipboard monitor workaround. Here is the url of Hotsolder's article:
http://www.hotsolder.com/2008/08/autoho ... rt-of.html

I was able to apply Hotsolder's advice using the following three scripts. I'm a total beginner, so I imagine there is probably a much better way to do this.

I set up the following three scripts. (Probably someone who really understands these tools could suggest a much better approach, but the following seems to work.)

Script 1 (this is the script which is set up to run when I press Cntl + 1).

wmctrl -r :ACTIVE: -T "Return_Window" #rename the current window
./copy_selection.macro # runs a macro to copy the selected text
wmctrl -R TextAloud # transfer focus to TextAloud window
./TA_Del_Paste_Speak.macro # Deletes, Pastes and Speaks in TextAloud
wmctrl -R Return_Window # returns focus to the original window

Script 2: (named copy_selection.macro)

xmacroplay $DISPLAY << ~~~
Delay 1
KeyStrPress Control_L
KeyStrPress c
KeyStrRelease c
KeyStrRelease Control_L

Script 3: (named TA_Del_Paste_Speak.macro)

xmacroplay $DISPLAY << ~~~
Delay 1

KeyStrPress Control_L
KeyStrPress a
KeyStrRelease Control_L
KeyStrRelease a

KeyStrPress Control_L
KeyStrPress v
KeyStrRelease v
KeyStrRelease Control_L

KeyStrPress Control_L
KeyStrPress F3
KeyStrRelease F3
KeyStrRelease Control_L


Being new to all of this, I found the following webpages very helpful:

http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-299524.html
http://linux.die.net/man/1/wmctrl
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/KeyboardShortcuts
http://lowfatlinux.com/linux-execute-script.html