Jovie

The KDE Text-To-Speech System, KTTS

Features

• Converts text into audio
• Highly Configurable
  • Substitute misspoken words
  • Choose speech synthesizers
  • Configure Audio Output
  • Manage Jobs
• Runs in the System Tray
• Integrates with most KDE applications
  • Speak text from clipboard
  • Speak all or sections of text file in Kate
  • Speak all or sections of HTML page in Konqueror
  • Can be used for notifications (KNotify)

Description

KDE Text-To-Speech System or KTTS is an application that can run in the background to provide speech output of text throughout the desktop. It integrates with many applications and is simple to use.

Setup

Once installed you can start KTTS by going to your applications menu and under Utilites open kttsmgr. Or just start KRunner 'Alt+F2' and run 'kttsmgr'. KTTS is not initially setup and you will need to do this before using its speaking abilities.

Note:

You can also access the configuration from System Settings

The first step is to make sure you have a compatible speech engine installed. The following synthesizers are compatible with KTTS: Festival, Festival Lite (flite), Hadifix, Epos, and FreeTTS. Any engine that can be run from commandline can also be used with KTTS.

Now you can continue on and create a 'Talker.' Select the tab Talker from the Text-to-Speech Control Module and click 'Add.'

Select which language and synthesizer to use. You will need to have a voice installed to use Festival, you can configure this afterwards by selecting the 'Edit' button. KTTS should now be setup and test it by selecting 'Edit' and then 'Test.'

Configuration

To configure the speaker's voice, volume, speed, and pitch go to the Talkers tab and click edit on the speaker. A window such as the one in the above screenshot will popup and allow you to configure it. To change the voice you will need to have other voices installed.

Using KTTS

System Tray

If enabled in the configuration, KTTS will be availabe to you in the System Tray. Right-clicking it will reveal the menu which is straight forward and allows for control of the speech output.

Notice the 'Speak Clipboard Contents' in the menu, if the application isn't integrated with KTTS (Read more about the applications with KTTS built-in in the next section) you can copy the text you want spoken, and click 'Speak Clipboard Contents' to hear it read.

Integration with other Desktop Applications

Konqueror

KTTS allows you to speak the text on a web page. In the menu go to 'Tools' > 'Speak Text'. However you may not want to do this because it will also read the HTML headers on the page. Instead highlight the text you want spoken and then select 'Speak Text'.

Also note this feature is built-in Okular as well. In the 'Tools' menu you will be give two choices 'Speak Whole Document' or 'Speak Current Page'.

Notifications

KTTS works with any application that uses notifications. To set this up start an application such as Konversation that uses notifications. In the menu go to 'Settings' > 'Configure Notifications...'

As you can see you can have various notifications for different events, such as when someone triggers a highlight. By selecting it to speak for this event it will notify you through audio output each time this event happens. Of course you can also have more than one notification.

If an application doesn't include the ability to speak text remember that you can always highlight and copy text and then use KTTS to speak your clipboard contents.

For more information check out the KTTS Handbook included with KTTS.