A modern, modular, flexible and fast console screen reader. It should run on any operating system. If you want to help, or write drivers to make it work on other systems, just let me know. This software is licensed under the LGPL v3.

Current maintainer: Storm Dragon
Previous developer: Chrys

Key Features

Multiple Interface Support: Works in Linux TTY, and terminal emulators
Flexible Driver System: Modular architecture with multiple drivers for speech, sound, input, and screen
Review Mode: Navigate and review screen content without moving the edit cursor
Multiple Clipboard Support: Manage multiple clipboard entries
Configurable Key Bindings: Desktop and laptop keyboard layouts
Sound Icons: Audio feedback for various events
Spell Checking: Built-in spell checker with word management
Language Support: Multiple speech synthesis languages and voices
Bookmark System: Quick access to specific screen areas
Auto-announcement: Automatic reading of incoming text and time announcements
Tutorial Mode: Built-in help system for learning keyboard shortcuts

OS Requirements

Linux (ptyDriver, vcsaDriver, evdevDriver) - Primary platform with full support
macOS (ptyDriver) - Limited support
BSD (ptyDriver) - Limited support
Windows (ptyDriver) - Limited support

Core Requirements

Python 3 >= 3.9 (recommended 3.13+)
Screen, input, speech, sound driver dependencies (see "Features, Drivers, Extras" section)
For full functionality on Linux: evdev, speech-dispatcher, sox

Features, Drivers, Extras, Dependencies

Input Drivers:

evdevDriver - Linux evdev input driver (recommended for Linux)
- python-evdev >=0.6.3 (This is commonly referred to as python3-evdev by your distribution)
- python-pyudev
- loaded uinput kernel module
- ReadWrite permission:
  - /dev/input
  - /dev/uinput
ptyDriver - Terminal emulation input driver (cross-platform)
- python-pyte
atspiDriver - AT-SPI input driver for desktop environments
- python-pyatspi2

Remote Drivers:

unixDriver - Unix socket remote control (default)
- socat (for command-line interaction)
tcpDriver - TCP socket remote control (localhost only)
- netcat or telnet (for command-line interaction)

Screen Drivers:

vcsaDriver - Linux VCSA devices driver (recommended for Linux TTY)
- python-dbus
- Read permission to the following files and services:
  - /sys/devices/virtual/tty/tty0/active
  - /dev/tty[1-64]
  - /dev/vcsa[1-64]
  - read logind DBUS
ptyDriver - Terminal emulation driver (cross-platform)
- python-pyte

Speech Drivers:

speechdDriver - Speech-dispatcher driver (recommended)
- Speech-dispatcher
- python-speechd
genericDriver - Generic subprocess speech driver
- espeak or espeak-ng (or any TTS command)
debugDriver - Debug speech driver for testing
- No dependencies

Sound Drivers:

genericDriver (default) - Generic subprocess sound driver
- Sox with opus support (recommended)
gstreamerDriver - GStreamer sound driver
- gstreamer >=1.0
- GLib
debugDriver - Debug sound driver for testing
- No dependencies

Extras:

spellchecker

python-pyenchant
aspell-YourLanguageCode (example aspell-en for us English)

Unix daemon (also needed for Systemd):

python-daemonize

Modify system volume:

pyalsaaudio (needs libasound2's headers).

installation

If there is a package for your distrobution of choice, please let us know so we can add it here.

Archlinux: PKGBUILD in AUR
- fenrir: stable release
- fenrir-git: Bleeding edge release
Manual:
- install "espeak" and "sox" with your package manager
- sudo pip install -r requirements.txt
- run install.sh or uninstall.sh as root
You can also just run it from Git without installing: Requires root privileges

cd src/ sudo ./fenrir

Settings are located in:

After installation: /etc/fenrir/settings/settings.conf
Development: config/settings/settings.conf

By default Fenrir uses:

Sound driver: genericDriver (via sox)
Speech driver: speechdDriver (via speech-dispatcher)
Input driver: evdevDriver (Linux) or ptyDriver (other platforms)
Screen driver: vcsaDriver (Linux TTY) or ptyDriver (terminal emulation)

Getting Started

Basic Usage

Start Fenrir:

sudo systemctl start fenrir  # If installed as service
# OR
sudo fenrir                  # Run directly

Basic Navigation:
- Fenrir Key: By default Insert, Keypad Insert, or Meta/Super key
- Tutorial Mode: Fenrir + H to learn all commands interactively
- Quit Fenrir: Fenrir + Q
Essential Commands:
- Ctrl - Stop speech (shut up)
- Fenrir + Keypad 5 - Read current screen
- Keypad 8 - Read current line
- Keypad 5 - Read current word
- Keypad 2 - Read current character
- Fenrir + T - Announce time
- Fenrir + S - Spell check current word

Keyboard Layouts

Fenrir supports two main keyboard layouts:

Desktop Layout: Uses numeric keypad for navigation (recommended for desktop users)
Laptop Layout: Alternative bindings for keyboards without numeric keypad

Configure in /etc/fenrir/settings/settings.conf:

[keyboard]
keyboardLayout=desktop  # or 'laptop'

First Time Setup

Enable Fenrir at boot:
```
sudo systemctl enable fenrir
```
Configure audio (if needed):
- For PulseAudio: Run configure_pulse.sh script (see below)
- For PipeWire: Run configure_pipewire.sh script (see below)

Test speech:

# Test speech-dispatcher directly
sudo spd-say "Hello World"

Remote Control

Fenrir includes a powerful remote control system that allows external applications and scripts to control Fenrir through Unix sockets or TCP connections. This is particularly useful for automation, integration with other applications, or providing alternative control methods.

Configuration

Enable remote control in /etc/fenrir/settings/settings.conf:

[remote]
enable=True
driver=unixDriver              # or tcpDriver
port=22447                     # for TCP driver
socketFile=                    # custom socket path (optional)
enableSettingsRemote=True      # allow settings changes
enableCommandRemote=True       # allow command execution

Remote Drivers

unixDriver (recommended): Uses Unix domain sockets
- Socket location: /tmp/fenrirscreenreader-deamon.sock (TTY mode) or /tmp/fenrirscreenreader-<pid>.sock
- More secure, local-only access
- Works with socat
tcpDriver: Uses TCP sockets on localhost
- Default port: 22447
- Works with netcat, telnet, or any TCP client
- Local connections only (127.0.0.1)

Using socat with Unix Sockets

The socat command provides the easiest way to send commands to Fenrir:

Basic Speech Control

# Interrupt current speech
echo "command interrupt" | socat - UNIX-CLIENT:/tmp/fenrirscreenreader-deamon.sock

# Speak custom text
echo "command say Hello, this is a test message" | socat - UNIX-CLIENT:/tmp/fenrirscreenreader-deamon.sock

# Temporarily disable speech (until next keystroke)
echo "command tempdisablespeech" | socat - UNIX-CLIENT:/tmp/fenrirscreenreader-deamon.sock

Settings Control

# Enable highlight tracking mode
echo "setting set focus#highlight=True" | socat - UNIX-CLIENT:/tmp/fenrirscreenreader-deamon.sock

# Change speech parameters
echo "setting set speech#rate=0.8" | socat - UNIX-CLIENT:/tmp/fenrirscreenreader-deamon.sock
echo "setting set speech#pitch=0.6" | socat - UNIX-CLIENT:/tmp/fenrirscreenreader-deamon.sock
echo "setting set speech#volume=0.9" | socat - UNIX-CLIENT:/tmp/fenrirscreenreader-deamon.sock

# Change punctuation level (none/some/most/all)
echo "setting set general#punctuationLevel=all" | socat - UNIX-CLIENT:/tmp/fenrirscreenreader-deamon.sock
echo "setting set general#punctuationLevel=none" | socat - UNIX-CLIENT:/tmp/fenrirscreenreader-deamon.sock

# Voice and TTS engine control
echo "setting set speech#voice=en-us+f3" | socat - UNIX-CLIENT:/tmp/fenrirscreenreader-deamon.sock
echo "setting set speech#module=espeak-ng" | socat - UNIX-CLIENT:/tmp/fenrirscreenreader-deamon.sock

# Disable sound temporarily
echo "setting set sound#enabled=False" | socat - UNIX-CLIENT:/tmp/fenrirscreenreader-deamon.sock
echo "setting set sound#volume=0.5" | socat - UNIX-CLIENT:/tmp/fenrirscreenreader-deamon.sock

# Keyboard and input settings
echo "setting set keyboard#charEchoMode=1" | socat - UNIX-CLIENT:/tmp/fenrirscreenreader-deamon.sock
echo "setting set keyboard#wordEcho=True" | socat - UNIX-CLIENT:/tmp/fenrirscreenreader-deamon.sock

# Screen control (ignore specific TTYs)
echo "setting set screen#ignoreScreen=1,2,3" | socat - UNIX-CLIENT:/tmp/fenrirscreenreader-deamon.sock

# Multiple settings at once
echo "setting set speech#rate=0.8;sound#volume=0.7;general#punctuationLevel=most" | socat - UNIX-CLIENT:/tmp/fenrirscreenreader-deamon.sock

# Reset all settings to defaults
echo "setting reset" | socat - UNIX-CLIENT:/tmp/fenrirscreenreader-deamon.sock

# Save current settings
echo "setting save" | socat - UNIX-CLIENT:/tmp/fenrirscreenreader-deamon.sock
echo "setting saveas /tmp/my-fenrir-settings.conf" | socat - UNIX-CLIENT:/tmp/fenrirscreenreader-deamon.sock

Clipboard Operations

# Place text into clipboard
echo "command clipboard This text will be copied to clipboard" | socat - UNIX-CLIENT:/tmp/fenrirscreenreader-deamon.sock

# Export clipboard to file
echo "command exportclipboard" | socat - UNIX-CLIENT:/tmp/fenrirscreenreader-deamon.sock

Window Management

# Define a window area (x1 y1 x2 y2)
echo "command window 0 0 80 24" | socat - UNIX-CLIENT:/tmp/fenrirscreenreader-deamon.sock

# Reset window to full screen
echo "command resetwindow" | socat - UNIX-CLIENT:/tmp/fenrirscreenreader-deamon.sock

VMenu Control

# Set virtual menu context
echo "command vmenu nano/file" | socat - UNIX-CLIENT:/tmp/fenrirscreenreader-deamon.sock

# Reset virtual menu
echo "command resetvmenu" | socat - UNIX-CLIENT:/tmp/fenrirscreenreader-deamon.sock

Application Control

# Quit Fenrir
echo "command quitapplication" | socat - UNIX-CLIENT:/tmp/fenrirscreenreader-deamon.sock

Using TCP Driver

If using the TCP driver, replace socat commands with netcat:

# Using netcat
echo "command say Hello from TCP" | nc localhost 22447

# Using telnet
echo "command interrupt" | telnet localhost 22447

Remote Command Reference

Command Format

command <action> [parameters]
setting <action> [parameters]

Available Commands

Speech Commands:

command say <text> - Speak the specified text
command interrupt - Stop current speech
command tempdisablespeech - Disable speech until next key press

Clipboard Commands:

command clipboard <text> - Add text to clipboard
command exportclipboard - Export clipboard to file

Window Commands:

command window <x1> <y1> <x2> <y2> - Define window area
command resetwindow - Reset to full screen

VMenu Commands:

command vmenu <menu_path> - Set vmenu context
command resetvmenu - Reset vmenu

Application Commands:

command quitapplication - Quit Fenrir

Available Settings

Settings Commands:

setting set <section>#<key>=<value> - Set configuration value
setting reset - Reset all settings to defaults
setting save [path] - Save current settings
setting saveas <path> - Save settings to specific file

Common Settings:

Speech Settings:

speech#enabled=True/False - Enable/disable speech
speech#rate=0.1-1.0 - Speech rate (speed)
speech#pitch=0.1-1.0 - Speech pitch (tone)
speech#volume=0.1-1.0 - Speech volume
speech#voice=voice_name - Voice selection (e.g., "en-us+f3")
speech#module=module_name - TTS module (e.g., "espeak-ng")
speech#driver=driver_name - Speech driver (speechdDriver/genericDriver)
speech#autoReadIncoming=True/False - Auto-read new text

Sound Settings:

sound#enabled=True/False - Enable/disable sound
sound#volume=0.1-1.0 - Sound volume
sound#driver=driver_name - Sound driver (genericDriver/gstreamerDriver)
sound#theme=theme_name - Sound theme

General Settings:

general#punctuationLevel=none/some/most/all - Punctuation verbosity
general#debugLevel=0-3 - Debug level
general#emoticons=True/False - Enable emoticon replacement
general#autoSpellCheck=True/False - Automatic spell checking

Focus Settings:

focus#cursor=True/False - Follow text cursor
focus#highlight=True/False - Follow text highlighting

Keyboard Settings:

keyboard#charEchoMode=0-2 - Character echo (0=none, 1=always, 2=capslock only)
keyboard#wordEcho=True/False - Echo complete words
keyboard#charDeleteEcho=True/False - Echo deleted characters
keyboard#interruptOnKeyPress=True/False - Interrupt speech on key press

Screen Settings:

screen#ignoreScreen=1,2,3 - TTY screens to ignore
screen#autodetectIgnoreScreen=True/False - Auto-detect screens to ignore
screen#screenUpdateDelay=float - Screen update delay

Time Settings:

time#enabled=True/False - Enable time announcements
time#presentTime=True/False - Announce time
time#presentDate=True/False - Announce date changes
time#delaySec=seconds - Announcement interval
time#onMinutes=00,30 - Specific minutes to announce

Scripting Examples

Bash Script for Speech Notifications

#!/bin/bash
# notify_fenrir.sh - Send notifications to Fenrir

SOCKET="/tmp/fenrirscreenreader-deamon.sock"

fenrir_say() {
    echo "command say $1" | socat - UNIX-CLIENT:$SOCKET
}

fenrir_interrupt() {
    echo "command interrupt" | socat - UNIX-CLIENT:$SOCKET
}

# Usage examples
fenrir_say "Build completed successfully"
fenrir_interrupt

Python Integration

#!/usr/bin/env python3
import socket
import os

def send_fenrir_command(command):
    """Send command to Fenrir via Unix socket"""
    socket_path = "/tmp/fenrirscreenreader-deamon.sock"
    if os.path.exists(socket_path):
        sock = socket.socket(socket.AF_UNIX, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
        try:
            sock.connect(socket_path)
            sock.send(command.encode('utf-8'))
        finally:
            sock.close()

# Examples
send_fenrir_command("command say Processing complete")
send_fenrir_command("setting set speech#rate=0.9")

Security Considerations

Unix sockets are accessible only to the user running Fenrir
TCP driver binds only to localhost (127.0.0.1)
Socket file permissions are set to write-only (0o222)
Commands are processed with Fenrir's privileges
Settings changes can be disabled via enableSettingsRemote=False
Command execution can be disabled via enableCommandRemote=False

Troubleshooting

Socket not found:

Verify Fenrir is running: ps aux | grep fenrir
Check socket location: /tmp/fenrirscreenreader-*
Ensure remote driver is enabled in settings

Commands not working:

Verify enableCommandRemote=True in settings
Check Fenrir debug logs: /var/log/fenrir.log
Test with simple command: echo "command interrupt" | socat - UNIX-CLIENT:/tmp/fenrirscreenreader-deamon.sock

Configure pulseaudio

Pulseaudio by default only plays sound for the user its currently running for. As fenrir is running as root, your local user does not hear the sound and speech produced by fenrir. for this fenrir provides a script to configure pulseaudio to stream the sound played as root to your local user. This is not a issue of fenrir but this is how pulseaudio works.

just run the configuration script twice (once as user, once as root):

/usr/share/fenrirscreenreader/tools/configure_pulse.sh
sudo /usr/share/fenrirscreenreader/tools/configure_pulse.sh

The script is also located in the tools directory in git

Configure pipewire

Pipewire by default only plays sound for the user its currently running for. As fenrir is running as root, your local user does not hear the sound and speech produced by fenrir. for this fenrir provides a script to configure pipewire to stream the sound played as root to your local user. This is not a issue of fenrir but this is how pipewire works.

just run the configuration script twice (once as user, once as root):

/usr/share/fenrirscreenreader/tools/configure_pipewire.sh
sudo /usr/share/fenrirscreenreader/tools/configure_pipewire.sh

The script is also located in the tools directory in git

Command Line Options

Fenrir supports several command-line options for different use cases:

fenrir [OPTIONS]

Options:

-h, --help - Show help message and exit
-v, --version - Show version information and exit
-f, --foreground - Run in foreground (don't daemonize)
-s, --setting SETTING-FILE - Path to custom settings file
-o, --options SECTION#SETTING=VALUE;.. - Override settings file options
-d, --debug - Enable debug mode
-p, --print - Print debug messages to screen
-e, --emulated-pty - Use PTY emulation with escape sequences for input (enables desktop/X/Wayland usage)
-E, --emulated-evdev - Use PTY emulation with evdev for input (single instance)
-F, --force-all-screens - Force Fenrir to respond on all screens, ignoring ignoreScreen setting

Examples:

# Run in foreground with debug output
sudo fenrir -f -d

# Use PTY emulation for desktop use
sudo fenrir -e

# Override settings via command line
sudo fenrir -o "speech#rate=0.8;sound#volume=0.5"

# Force Fenrir to work on all screens (ignore ignoreScreen setting)
sudo fenrir -F

Localization

Translation files are located in the locale/ directory. To install translations:

# Copy translation file to system location
sudo cp locale/your_language/LC_MESSAGES/fenrir.mo /usr/share/locale/your_language/LC_MESSAGES/fenrir.mo

Available languages:

German (de)
Spanish (es)
Polish (pl)
Portuguese (pt)
Russian (ru)

Documentation and Support

Email list: stormux+subscribe@groups.io with the subject subscribe
Fenrir Wiki: https://git.stormux.org/storm/fenrir/wiki
IRC: irc.stormux.org #stormux
Issues: Report bugs and feature requests on the project repository