The eSpeek package is only the voice, not the entire TTS suite. For the audio book scenario suggested, I'm not even sure that the quality of the voice would be sufficient.
The entire TTS package, through the Gnome (only) desktop at the moment is through the Orca package. If you want to try it out first before committing yourself, you might want to try either the standard Ubuntu Live CD and use the Assistive Technologies option, or ViLinux a Ubuntu derivitive that is aimed specifically at getting Orca to work straight out of the box; the Assistive Technologies install is a bit flaky on the standard Ubuntu install due to some conflicts that weren't ironed out before release. None of the other free desktops have anything, as yet, to match Orca, although with the migration to D-Bus, this is likely to change for KDE at least over the next few years. Oh, and don't expect much in the way of inflections in the TTS voice, it can be quite monotonus! *Unashamed plug* If anyone out there wants to contribute, in any of the normal FOS ways, please don't be backward in coming forward .... you don't have to work on the core Assistive Technologies, just trying your favourite apps with Orca, or the AT Test Engine, and filing bugs to the upstream projects will help. Cheers Ian -----Original Message----- From: ubuntu-uk-boun...@lists.ubuntu.com [mailto:ubuntu-uk-boun...@lists.ubuntu.com]on Behalf Of Paul Sladen Sent: 14 August 2009 12:43 To: British Ubuntu Talk Subject: Re: [ubuntu-uk] text to speech apps On Thu, 13 Aug 2009, javadayaz wrote: > I want to convert from text to speech. Does anyone know of any free apps 'espeak' is already pre-installed on any Ubuntu desktop. You can run: $ espeak "Hello, I'm using Oobuntu! " Or, if you to enable speech in the desktop environment, you can do: System->Preferences->Assistive Technologies->Enable assistive technologies -Paul -- Why do one side of a triangle when you can do all three. Somewhere, GB. -- ubuntu-uk@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-uk https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UKTeam/ -- ubuntu-uk@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-uk https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UKTeam/
