Linux Mint 21.2 Cinnamon

Keyboard app, Shortcuts tab, Universal Access section, “Turn screen reader on or off”, assigned to Alt+Super+S.

Oops, I must have meant to press Alt-S…

This is the Orca Screen Reader software.

Orca version installed is very old, “42.0-1ubuntu2”; the Releases page https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/orca/-/releases doesn’t even list that version. Current is version 49.5.

When Orca 42.0 is enabled, process “orca” uses 65% to 101% CPU, speaks very intermittently. Very robotic voice. orca -s should start a GUI to configure it, but it hangs. killall orca should work if the Alt+Super+S doesn’t work

If you are going to try the Screen Reader in Mint, install the latest version.

I have not tried it, and probably the installation is:

You must build Orca from source:

Install dependencies:

sudo apt install git python3 python3-pip python3-gi python3-gi-cairo gir1.2-atk-1.0 gir1.2-glib-2.0 gir1.2-gtk-3.0

Clone the Orca repository:

mkdir ~/myapps/orca
cd ~/myapps/
git clone https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/orca.git
cd orca

Install Meson (if not already)

sudo apt remove meson -y # Remove old version if installed via apt
sudo pip3 install --upgrade meson

Install Orca

meson setup _build
meson compile -C _build
sudo meson install -C _build

After installation, restart your session and launch Orca with:

orca -r -s

Screen Reader On, Suddenly? Turn it Off, and Install Latest Version

Install Meson (if not already)

Install Orca