2 Feb
2010
2 Feb
'10
8:21 p.m.
Dear core developers of Reactos,
I Am very nicely surpriced by The fact, that so complex project like developing new
operating system from scratch based on Windows XP kernel and API functions calls exists. I
tried to install The Reactos and i can tell You, that even visually impaired user can
install Reactos to The empty computer harddrive without need to even make unattended
installation. I was able to successfully install Reactos operating system to my computer.
I Am now solving issue, how to install The driver for my sound cart when many
functions of Reactos are for now only accessible with mouse. So please, if Reactos device
manager is reporting, That The sound device is working correctly, but only multimedia
adapter list item is presenting my Soundmax integrated digital audio sound cart, it do not
means, that Reactos can automatically use this eevice without need to add The driver?
I tried to install The driver by using The setup program provided with The driver, i
unfortunately have got a error message, that setup has occurred an error and must be
closed. Please check, if another instance of setup is not active.
By using add new hardware wizard, could i install The driver by specifiing The exact
location for this driver?
It is The WDM based driver for Soundmax digital integrated audio, which is build in The
motherboard of The IBM Thinkpat 2668.
I would like to know, if Microsoft Active accessibility standards could be implemented on
The future during developing Reactos. I found out, that oleacc.dll is being presented and
is The part of The Reactos installation. But i do not know, if You could implement MSAA
standarts, because knowing The API functions and The object methods and properties will
not be probably enough to ensure, that MSAA standarts would work.
I would like to test some screen reader, which is based on using API calls and by using
MSAA calls, but i do not know, if it is implemented.
My problems is now to add sound cart driver to test this.
I Am advanced user with some advanced system administration knowledge, i know Windows
operating systems starting with Windows for Workgroups 3.11 to Windows XP Professional. I
can use Linux distributions to copy some needed files to The partition, where Reactos has
been installed. I can even find necessary debug logs and send them as AN E-mails by using
Linux distribution.
Linux distro could help me in The situations, when Reactos can not give me some feetback.
Installing sound driver manually by using registry editor is not easy task and i can not
perform it without screen reader support.
I Am surpriced by The stability of Reactos. Eventhough some API calls are not awailable
for now, The kernel is very stable and i have never got some crash dialog Window informing
me, that application has crashed, sorry for any problems.
If You would try to think about implementation of MSAA, many visually impaired users would
be very very glad because of it.
And later, what about triing to implement some hod keys for controlling The user interface
and for controlling The Explorer?
Thank you very much, i Am ready for debugging and testing The Reactos.
PS:
I have never able to install and run Windows XP so quickly, without using Nlite program,
which is able to modifi setup.sif file and some other files on Windows XP installation CD,
i would never been able to perform The installation of commercial Windows XP myself. Only
with Reactos, i could perform this without stress and without need to use some other
external utility.
I AM also very very glad, that Reactos is even able to work as a live CD.
And here are some links for downloading freeware or opensource screen readers, which are
fully compatible with Windows Xp and are not based on Display chaining manager DCM, which
is too complex to implement even on future for You. Those screen readers are based on
using API calls and on using MSAA standarts.
Unfortunately, NVDA will not work, because some important libraryes are not The part of
The installation of Reactos. It is probably wrong idea triing to mix original libraries
from Microsoft with Yours operating system, because i think, that it could cause some
confuses and often crashes.
Because i can really constructively cooperate with You, i will send You The list of
libraryes, on which NVDA screen reader is depend on.
And here is The direct link for downloading latest stable version of NVDA, which do not
have to be installed, You can only unzip it and place it on some directory on Yours
Reactos installation.
http://www.nvda-project.org/download/releases/nvda_2009.1_portable.exe
I Am recommending You to join to The NVDA development mailing list. YOu will need to have
YOur sound drivers properly configured. NVDA screen reader is by The default triing to
load included Espeak speech synthesizer, which is The part of NVDA package. This speech
synthesizer is written by using Microsoft Visual C++ express 2005, and The original source
code of this speech synthesizer variant for WIndows has been modified so this synthesizer
is not working like The SAPI5 compatible speech synthesizer, but like a Activex library,
which can be called from NVDA.
Espeak will very probably depend on wdmaud.drv and NVDA is also using winmm.dll library.
The list of dlls, which NVDA is using will be sended on The separate E-mail.
PS:
Please, try to allow visually impaired computer users to use freeware and fully functional
operating system, which is based on standarts of WIndows XP and 2003. If MSAA standarts
are too complex to develope from scrath for You to prevent random crashes while using
Yours future new dlls, which would come out from this standarts, i will understand it. You
are working on very, very complex project while using legally obtained technical
information from various sources.
PS:
I know, that it is not possible to use products, which are developed by Microsoft on other
operating system, that on original operating system from Microsoft, so triing to donwload
WIndows Internet Explorer 8.0 and triing to use it with Reactos will probably not be
legal.
But if it is so, never mind. There is Mozilla Firefox WEB browser, which is working with
NVDA screen reader very nicely, and also Opera WEB browser is able to provide some
accessibility support for visually impaired computer users.
And Openoffice ORG is also working very nicely.
But for now, i would atleast like to try, if NVDA can speak atleast somethink or if many
API calls are not presented.
Thank You for cooperation with me.
With kindness regards.
Janusz Chmiel