SpeechD-Up usage. SpeechD-Up provides speech on the console linking the speakup Linux driver and the Speech Dispatcher software. This allows to use the voices associated with the installed synthesizers managed by Speech Dispatcher. To have SpeechD-Up running at startup, type as root: speak-with speechd-up Be aware that that if you switch to another console, typing for instance Alt+F2 you won't hear anything before you begin typing or review the screen. You will have to login again though the first time you go to a console. The synthesizer used by default is recorded in the file: /etc/speech-dispatcher/speechd.conf To display the available synthesizers and languages type: spd-list To change the synthesizer, you can edit as root the file /etc/speech-dispatcher/speechd.conf: find the line beginning with DefaultModule and replace the synthesizer's name that follows by another one. The name chosen should be one of those listed by spd-list -s But you can also (and this is less error prone) type as root the command: spd-conf. Accept the default answer proposed to the first questions (new configuration, user configuration), then when asked which default output module, type one of the names listed by spd-list -s It is not possible at time of writing to select one of the voices proposed for a given language by the synthesizer, as when using Orca. The specific settings of SpeechD-Up are stored in the file /etc/speechd-up.conf, and can be modified as root. The command spd-conf also allows to set the language, but only for the user who type it (in this case root). A language set in /etc/speechd-up.conf overrides the setting from spd-conf or /etc/speech-dispatcher/speechd.conf. We recommend that you to read the comments in /etc/speechd-up.conf. Do not change the other settings in /etc/speechd-up.conf, unless you really know what you are doing. Be aware that SpeechD-Up works only on the console, not in a window manager or a desktop. To know all the key bindings, how to save and restore the settings: if you have a numeric keypad read: SpeakupDesktopKeys.txt else read: SpeakupLaptopKeys.txt.