[NFBCS] Master class on Programming with Linux

[dandrews920 at comcast.net]

TAVIP - Monday, February 24, 2025 at 4:32 PM


Masterclass on Programming with Linux


This Masterclass on Linux was kindly prepared and presented by Ben Mustill-Rose on 19th February 2025, and Ben was introduced by TAVIP’s Chair of Trustees, Tony Stockman.

The Masterclass looks at The Linux Operating System which powers everything from laptops to toasters, braille displays to coasters. You may have heard of the world’s most popular operating system if you follow technology related news, but what is it and how exactly do you get started?

Ben provides a whistle stop tour of Linux, starting with demystifying some common Linux jargon, looking at what different distributions (versions) of Linux are available and what the Linux accessibility landscape looks like. We then take a hands-on look at what using Linux feels like in practice using two different methods, and finish with a Question and Answer session.

Ben is a software engineer, maker and hacker in the good sense of the term. If that’s all jargon to you, it’s a polite way of saying that for nearly as long as he can remember he’s spent way too much time trying to understand any piece of technology he can get his hands on, often making it do weird and wonderful things in the process.

For just under 10 years he’s been a software engineer at the BBC where he currently writes apps for TV’s. Outside of work he enjoys teaching children to code, building computers, and some running and swimming to get him away from the keyboard.

Tony Stockman has over 40 years’ experience of using various forms of assistive technology to study and work in education and industry as a visually impaired person. He has given short courses to members of TAVIP (or BCAB as it was at the time) and has attended its annual TechABreak event since the ’80s. Much of his research as a university lecturer has been in the area of Human-Computer Interaction, often with a specific focus on accessibility for visually impaired people, ranging from access to spreadsheets through to improving interfaces for visually impaired audio engineers.

A recording of the session is provided here by Audioboom, and below is some further information and Linux resources.

*	Various pieces of software that when combined together form an operating system
*	Other operating systems: Windows, Mac OS, iOS and Android (which is based on Linux)
*	Possible to interact both in person (with the device directly) or remotely using either a GUI or the console (similar to command prompt on Windows, DOS etc)

*	Different distributions (versions) of Linux exist depending on what you’re wanting your computer to do. General computing, running servers, playing games, home automation etc.


Some examples (including links to their respective accessibility pages):


Ubuntu:


https://ubuntu.com/desktop

https://help.ubuntu.com/stable/ubuntu-help/a11y.html.en


Debian:


https://www.debian.org/intro/why_debian

https://wiki.debian.org/accessibility


Arch:


https://archlinux.org/

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Accessibility


Pop:


https://pop.system76.com/

https://support.system76.com/articles/accessibility/


Accessible Coconut:


https://zendalona.com/accessible-coconut/


Stormux:


https://stormux.org/


Distrochooser (helps you choose a distro to use):


https://distrochooser.de/

A very large number of distributions to choose from. It’s very likely that a distribution that does what you want to do already exists.

Free of charge.

A much stronger privacy focus than other operating systems like Windows.

Great for breathing life back into older computers.

A great choice if you want to get into physical computing (using sensors, building robots etc).

Some setups require ongoing tinkering to get right.

GUI accessibility is improving all the time but won’t always be as mature as Windows, Mac OS etc.


Orca:


https://help.gnome.org/users/orca/stable/index.html.en


BRLTTY:


https://brltty.app/


Fenrir:


https://git.stormux.org/storm/fenrir/wiki/User.md


Speakup:


http://www.linux-speakup.org/spkguide.txt


Additional voices:


https://voxin.oralux.net/


WSL:


*	Windows subsystem for Linux

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/about


Pros:


Easy to get started.

0 financial investment.

Use Linux using tech you already know (Windows, your preferred choice of screen reader etc).


Cons:


GUI access feels like a bit of a work in progress at the time of writing, but improvements are made relatively frequently.

Depending on what you’re working on, it may make sense to transfer your finished project to a dedicated system instead of running it under WSL all the time.


Other virtualization options:


Vmware Workstation Pro (recently made free for personal use):


https://www.vmware.com/products/desktop-hypervisor/workstation-and-fusion


VirtualBox (also free, but less accessible):


https://www.virtualbox.org/


Pros:


Good way of trying GUIs.

Most Linux installers are accessible now.


Cons:


Fiddlier than WSL.

Juggling between guest (the virtual machine) and host (your computer) takes a bit of getting used to.


The Raspberry Pi:


Pros:


Good way of getting into physical computing, both in terms of building it up and sensors, robots etc.

Small and low power requirements, so a good option if you want something running 24-7.

Very good community, tutorials, forums etc.

Comes in kit form (typically including the computer, case, SD card, power adaptor and potentially other kit-specific accessories) or just the computer.


Cons:


Financial investment required.


Where to buy:


Pimoroni (which stands for Pirate, Monkey, Robot, Ninja):


https://www.pimoroni.com


The Pi Hut:


https://www.thepihut.com

https://www.tavip.org.uk/masterclass-on-programming-with-linux/

 

 

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