I found the following mail which contains a perl script for
a rudimentary speaking shell. 

To run the script, remove the parts marked
PLEASE CUT HERE-----------------------------

If you have Perl sitting in usr/bin, you will have to
change the first line of the script from #!/usr/bin/perl
to #!/bin/perl

Enjoy!

Hans
zocki@goldfish.cube.net



Subject:      Re: Linux for the Blind??
From:         dougliu@netcom.com (Doug Liu)
Date:         1995/12/26
Message-Id:   <dougliuDK68Ex.C0r@netcom.com>
Sender:       dougliu@netcom14.netcom.com
References:   <4ar3qk$1hkm@hopi.gate.net> <4as0b9$32b@homer.alpha.net> <bsmart-1612952251580001@192.0.2.1>
Organization: NETCOM On-Line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest)
Followup-To:  alt.comp.blind-Users,comp.os.linux.help
Newsgroups:   alt.comp.blind-Users,comp.os.linux.help

Ivan,

here is a script enabling one to listen to one's command input,
and it's output.  It does not work for captive menu-oriented
programs like ftp or telnet.  However, I'm working on a better
version.

Doug

PLEASE cut here----------------------------------------------------------



#!/usr/bin/perl
#
# shellspeak.pl
# Doug Liu 12/20/95 dougliu@netcom.com
#
# this perl script vocalizes shell commands
#
# NOTE: IT DOES NOT WORK WITH CAPTIVE MENU-ORIENTED PROGRAMS
# (I'll be working on a version using expect, enabling use with menu
# oriented programs soon).
#
#this works with the program "say", found in the speech package
#"rsynth-1.0-linux.tar.gz" from sunsite.unc.edu
#
#

while(1){
#get input
        print "prompt> ";
        chop($input=<STDIN>);
        system ("say -r 10000 $input");
        $cd="no";
        $real_input=$input;

#deal with shell quirks
        if ($input=~/^cd/ ){
                $input=~s/cd //;
                print "input =$input\n";
                print "HOME=$ENV{HOME}\n";
                if ($input eq "cd"){
                        chdir("$ENV{HOME}");
                }
                else{
                        chdir("$input");
                }
                system("pwd");
                $cd="yes";
        }

#execute command
        if($cd ne "yes"){
            unless(fork){
                exec ("$real_input > $ENV{HOME}/STDOUT 2>&1");
                exit;
            }
            wait;

#vocalize user data output
            open (OUT, "$ENV{HOME}/STDOUT");
            while (<OUT>){
                print "$_";
            }
            system ("say -r 10000 < $ENV{HOME}/STDOUT");
        }
}


PLEASE CUT HERE ---------------------------------------------------------

Bryan Smart (bsmart@cris.com) wrote:
: In article <4as0b9$32b@homer.alpha.net>, Rick.Miller@Linux.org wrote:

: :-]In article <4ar3qk$1hkm@hopi.gate.net>, Ivan Fetch <fetchi@gate.net> wrote:
: :-]>Hay there,
: :-]>
: :-]>   I would like to use Linux, but have no idea if there is any way I can
: :-]>read the screen.  I am totally blind, I have both a DEC-Talk Express and
: :-]>one of those olde PC-Echos (they work!).  I use Jaws (DOS) and OutSpoken

: :-]There may be a couple options open to you!
: :-]
: :-]My first thought was that you could use whatever you're using right
: :-]now (your terminal emulation) to access a Linux box via serial port.
: :-]However, that would require *two* machines.
: :-]
: :-]Then I remembered seeing a posting to comp.os.linux.announce...
: :-]
: :-]Nikhil Nair <nn201@cus.cam.ac.uk> claims to be the maintainer of
: :-]"BRLTTY, a program which gives blind Linux users access to the
: :-]console via a soft Braille display".  This might work better,

: As you already have a DTPC, you might look in to EmacSpeak.  It is an
: add-on for Emacs that enables the editor to talk.  The editor can also
: open up shell processes, so you can use the rest of the system as well.  I
: know it sucks having to go through Emacs, but its something.  Only
: supports DEC-Talk and DEC-Talk express, which is a big limitation, but if
: you already have these units, go for it!

: I've heard rumors about other PD solutions for Unix in general and
: Solaris/X-windows graphics interfaces for Unix, but they too require
: DEC-Talk synths.  I guess all these people who have the time also have
: loads of money to spend.  Nearly one thousand for a synthesizer is
: rediculous.  For any experienced speech user a Double Talk or something of
: similar price and quality is quite enough, and about a fourth of the
: price.

: --
: --
: Bryan R. Smart
: email: bsmart@cris.com