Screen reader solution for BIOS settings
Hello all, is there any solution to accessing the BIOS settings via screen reader? If yes, could someone post here? Your help is highly appreciated. With best regards, Vikas Waghmare, System Administrator, NAMV, Skype:vikas.waghmare1
Hi, On desktops with a BIOS as opposed to EFI / UEFI you can install a PCI card called a PC Wezal which pipes the output over serial allowing you to view it via putty / hyper terminal on another machine, but it's a bit of a clunky solution; much better to borrow some eyes if possible. Is there a specific task you're wanting to complete or are you just wanting access to the BIOS in general? NB: if you / anyone else is interested I have a couple of PC Wezals that I might be willing to sell. Cheers, Ben. On 6/25/14, vikas@techvision.net.in <vikas@techvision.net.in> wrote:
Hello all, is there any solution to accessing the BIOS settings via screen reader? If yes, could someone post here? Your help is highly appreciated.
With best regards, Vikas Waghmare, System Administrator, NAMV, Skype:vikas.waghmare1
_______________________________________________ Blind-sysadmins mailing list Blind-sysadmins@lists.hodgsonfamily.org http://lists.hodgsonfamily.org/listinfo/blind-sysadmins
Hi, On desktops with a BIOS as opposed to EFI / UEFI you can install a PCI card called a PC Wezal which pipes the output over serial allowing you to view it via putty / hyper terminal on another machine, but it's a bit of a clunky solution; much better to borrow some eyes if possible. Is there a specific task you're wanting to complete or are you just wanting access to the BIOS in general? NB: if you / anyone else is interested I have a couple of PC Wezals that I might be willing to sell. Cheers, Ben. On 6/25/14, vikas@techvision.net.in <vikas@techvision.net.in> wrote:
Hello all, is there any solution to accessing the BIOS settings via screen reader? If yes, could someone post here? Your help is highly appreciated.
With best regards, Vikas Waghmare, System Administrator, NAMV, Skype:vikas.waghmare1
_______________________________________________ Blind-sysadmins mailing list Blind-sysadmins@lists.hodgsonfamily.org http://lists.hodgsonfamily.org/listinfo/blind-sysadmins
A long long time ago Compaq and Toshiba had a DOS boot disk that allowed us to update the bios on their machines. You could run a DOS screen reader with a serial synthesizer, however I've not been successful in finding similar solutions. Vic Pereira Shared Services Canada/Integrated Network Services | Services partagés Canada/Services Intégrés de Réseau 400-400 St. Mary Avenue Winnipeg MB R3C 4K5 vic.pereira@ssc-spc.gc.ca 204-983-0653 Government of Canada | Gouvernement du Canada -----Original Message----- From: Blind-sysadmins [mailto:blind-sysadmins-bounces@lists.hodgsonfamily.org] On Behalf Of vikas@techvision.net.in Sent: 25-Jun-14 6:12 AM To: blind-sysadmins@lists.hodgsonfamily.org Subject: [Blind-sysadmins] Screen reader solution for BIOS settings Hello all, is there any solution to accessing the BIOS settings via screen reader? If yes, could someone post here? Your help is highly appreciated. With best regards, Vikas Waghmare, System Administrator, NAMV, Skype:vikas.waghmare1 _______________________________________________ Blind-sysadmins mailing list Blind-sysadmins@lists.hodgsonfamily.org http://lists.hodgsonfamily.org/listinfo/blind-sysadmins
A long long time ago Compaq and Toshiba had a DOS boot disk that allowed us to update the bios on their machines. You could run a DOS screen reader with a serial synthesizer, however I've not been successful in finding similar solutions. Vic Pereira Shared Services Canada/Integrated Network Services | Services partagés Canada/Services Intégrés de Réseau 400-400 St. Mary Avenue Winnipeg MB R3C 4K5 vic.pereira@ssc-spc.gc.ca 204-983-0653 Government of Canada | Gouvernement du Canada -----Original Message----- From: Blind-sysadmins [mailto:blind-sysadmins-bounces@lists.hodgsonfamily.org] On Behalf Of vikas@techvision.net.in Sent: 25-Jun-14 6:12 AM To: blind-sysadmins@lists.hodgsonfamily.org Subject: [Blind-sysadmins] Screen reader solution for BIOS settings Hello all, is there any solution to accessing the BIOS settings via screen reader? If yes, could someone post here? Your help is highly appreciated. With best regards, Vikas Waghmare, System Administrator, NAMV, Skype:vikas.waghmare1 _______________________________________________ Blind-sysadmins mailing list Blind-sysadmins@lists.hodgsonfamily.org http://lists.hodgsonfamily.org/listinfo/blind-sysadmins
The main barrier is a lack of standardization when it comes to low level software stuff; I was hoping access would improve with UEFI but it's got worse. In an ideal world there would be some form of API that would allow someone / something to query the BIOS / UEFI to discover and then execute any desired functionality. Unfortunately, the only remotely mainstream application I can see for such a technology would be remote administration so it's unlikely that any of the mainstream motherboard manifacturers would implament it. The average user won't ever & shouldn't ever access their BIOS & the hardcore overclockers don't really have a problem with rebooting to make their changes, so unfortunately it's only really blind people who aren't satisfied with the way things are at the moment. If a program could be written that could accurately OCR the screen & determin the currently highlighted option it would be a step in the right direction, but this would most likely take a huge amount of effort & any financially motivated developers would do best to stay away as any money made from said project would be nowhere near enough to justify development time. It's all doom & gloom I'm afraid but I'm optimistic that there will be a solution eventually. Cheers, Ben. On 6/25/14, vic.pereira@ssc-spc.gc.ca <vic.pereira@ssc-spc.gc.ca> wrote:
A long long time ago Compaq and Toshiba had a DOS boot disk that allowed us to update the bios on their machines. You could run a DOS screen reader with a serial synthesizer, however I've not been successful in finding similar solutions.
Vic Pereira Shared Services Canada/Integrated Network Services | Services partagés Canada/Services Intégrés de Réseau 400-400 St. Mary Avenue Winnipeg MB R3C 4K5
vic.pereira@ssc-spc.gc.ca 204-983-0653
Government of Canada | Gouvernement du Canada
-----Original Message----- From: Blind-sysadmins [mailto:blind-sysadmins-bounces@lists.hodgsonfamily.org] On Behalf Of vikas@techvision.net.in Sent: 25-Jun-14 6:12 AM To: blind-sysadmins@lists.hodgsonfamily.org Subject: [Blind-sysadmins] Screen reader solution for BIOS settings
Hello all, is there any solution to accessing the BIOS settings via screen reader? If yes, could someone post here? Your help is highly appreciated.
With best regards, Vikas Waghmare, System Administrator, NAMV, Skype:vikas.waghmare1
_______________________________________________ Blind-sysadmins mailing list Blind-sysadmins@lists.hodgsonfamily.org http://lists.hodgsonfamily.org/listinfo/blind-sysadmins
_______________________________________________ Blind-sysadmins mailing list Blind-sysadmins@lists.hodgsonfamily.org http://lists.hodgsonfamily.org/listinfo/blind-sysadmins
The main barrier is a lack of standardization when it comes to low level software stuff; I was hoping access would improve with UEFI but it's got worse. In an ideal world there would be some form of API that would allow someone / something to query the BIOS / UEFI to discover and then execute any desired functionality. Unfortunately, the only remotely mainstream application I can see for such a technology would be remote administration so it's unlikely that any of the mainstream motherboard manifacturers would implament it. The average user won't ever & shouldn't ever access their BIOS & the hardcore overclockers don't really have a problem with rebooting to make their changes, so unfortunately it's only really blind people who aren't satisfied with the way things are at the moment. If a program could be written that could accurately OCR the screen & determin the currently highlighted option it would be a step in the right direction, but this would most likely take a huge amount of effort & any financially motivated developers would do best to stay away as any money made from said project would be nowhere near enough to justify development time. It's all doom & gloom I'm afraid but I'm optimistic that there will be a solution eventually. Cheers, Ben. On 6/25/14, vic.pereira@ssc-spc.gc.ca <vic.pereira@ssc-spc.gc.ca> wrote:
A long long time ago Compaq and Toshiba had a DOS boot disk that allowed us to update the bios on their machines. You could run a DOS screen reader with a serial synthesizer, however I've not been successful in finding similar solutions.
Vic Pereira Shared Services Canada/Integrated Network Services | Services partagés Canada/Services Intégrés de Réseau 400-400 St. Mary Avenue Winnipeg MB R3C 4K5
vic.pereira@ssc-spc.gc.ca 204-983-0653
Government of Canada | Gouvernement du Canada
-----Original Message----- From: Blind-sysadmins [mailto:blind-sysadmins-bounces@lists.hodgsonfamily.org] On Behalf Of vikas@techvision.net.in Sent: 25-Jun-14 6:12 AM To: blind-sysadmins@lists.hodgsonfamily.org Subject: [Blind-sysadmins] Screen reader solution for BIOS settings
Hello all, is there any solution to accessing the BIOS settings via screen reader? If yes, could someone post here? Your help is highly appreciated.
With best regards, Vikas Waghmare, System Administrator, NAMV, Skype:vikas.waghmare1
_______________________________________________ Blind-sysadmins mailing list Blind-sysadmins@lists.hodgsonfamily.org http://lists.hodgsonfamily.org/listinfo/blind-sysadmins
_______________________________________________ Blind-sysadmins mailing list Blind-sysadmins@lists.hodgsonfamily.org http://lists.hodgsonfamily.org/listinfo/blind-sysadmins
participants (3)
-
Ben Mustill-Rose -
vic.pereira＠ssc-spc.gc.ca -
vikas＠techvision.net.in