From owner-freebsd-hackers Sat Oct 4 14:36:02 1997 Return-Path: Received: (from root@localhost) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.7/8.8.7) id OAA08048 for hackers-outgoing; Sat, 4 Oct 1997 14:36:02 -0700 (PDT) Received: from dcarmich.pr.mcs.net (dcarmich.pr.mcs.net [204.95.63.202]) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.7/8.8.7) with ESMTP id OAA07706; Sat, 4 Oct 1997 14:33:30 -0700 (PDT) Received: (from dcarmich@localhost) by dcarmich.pr.mcs.net (8.8.5/8.8.5) id QAA00718; Sat, 4 Oct 1997 16:36:46 -0500 (CDT) From: Douglas Carmichael Message-Id: <199710042136.QAA00718@dcarmich.pr.mcs.net> Subject: Update on accessibility w/FreeBSD To: sos@freebsd.org Date: Sat, 4 Oct 1997 16:36:45 -0500 (CDT) Cc: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org Reply-To: dcarmich@mcs.com X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4ME+ PL31H (25)] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sender: owner-freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org X-Loop: FreeBSD.org Precedence: bulk One manufacturer of augmentative/alternative communication and assistive devices (Prentke Romich Company (or PRC), http://www.prentrom.com) makes a box that translates the infrared output or RS-232 output of the communication device into standard PS/2 keyboard/mouse signals. However, when I contacted PRC, the only mention of UNIX support was for Sun systems (with their HeadMaster alternate mouse): >From fetchpop Tue Sep 30 17:10:23 1997 Received: from dilbert.prentrom.com (root@dilbert.prentrom.com [208.4.213.198]) by Mailbox.mcs.net (8.8.7/8.8.2) with SMTP id SAA26819 for ; Mon, 29 Sep 1997 18:35:58 -0500 (CDT) Received: from [208.4.213.54] (macluser51.prentrom.com [208.4.213.54]) by dilbert.prentrom.com (8.6.12/8.6.12) with SMTP id QAA13600 for ; Mon, 29 Sep 1997 16:28:12 -0400 X-Sender: mlb@dilbert.prentrom.com Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Date: Mon, 29 Sep 1997 16:07:04 -0500 To: dcarmich@mcs.com From: mlb@prentrom.com (Mary Bing) Subject: Unix on-screen keyboard X-UIDL: 245cdbedc564f8ac7bc65d7fa1ef27a9 Status: RO Dear Doug, I am responding to your inquiry about an on-screen keyboard for a Unix system. The HeadMaster is compatible with the Sun workstation. It also emulates a 2 button Microsoft mouse or a 3 button mouse systems mouse. Earl Johnson at Sun was previewing an on-screen keyboard he was working on at a conference 2 years ago. You can reach him by e-mail at earljohnson@eng.sun.com I don't know of anyone else woring on a unix on-screen keyboard. Sincerely, Mary Bing +--------------------------------------+--------------------------------+ | mlb@prentrom.com (Mary Bing) | | | | | +--------------------------------------+--------------------------------+ | Prentke Romich Company | | Augmentative and Alternative Communications devices for | | individuals with disabilities. | | (800) 262-1984 (330) 262-1984 | | | |Please note our new Web address http://www.prentrom.com | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ Ideas: 1) Make an on-screen keyboard that fits into the XKB framework and injects keystrokes into the X server. 2) Hack the console driver to only require one key (which could be defined on the device's keyboard) to switch to a certain VT (and distribute FreeBSD with all eleven VTs (leaving 1 free for X) enabled) 3) Hack the X server to also display the current window in focus out on the serial line back to the device's LCD screen (any more?)