The Orca Screen Reader is a useful tool that provides accessibility options for visually impaired users. However, if you no longer need it or if it’s running unintentionally, you might want to stop or disable it. This guide will walk you through several methods to stop the Orca Screen Reader on Ubuntu.
To stop the Orca Screen Reader on Ubuntu, you can either kill the Orca process using the command killall orca, use the keyboard shortcut Insert + Q, disable Orca from the system settings, or remove the Orca package from your system using the command sudo apt-get remove orca.
Killing the Orca Process
The most straightforward method to stop Orca is by killing the process. Here’s how you can do it:
- Open a terminal. You can do this by pressing
Ctrl+Alt+T. - Type the command
killall orcaand pressEnter.
This command will terminate the Orca process. The killall command is a utility that sends a signal to terminate a process, and orca is the name of the process we want to terminate.
Using Keyboard Shortcuts
Another quick way to stop Orca is by using a keyboard shortcut. Press Insert + Q to quit Orca. However, this method might not work for all users or desktop environments.
Disabling Orca from System Settings
You can also disable Orca from the system settings. The steps may vary slightly depending on your Ubuntu version:
- For Ubuntu 18.04 and later versions:
- Open “System Settings.”
- Select “Keyboard Shortcuts” or “Universal Access.”
- Configure the shortcut or toggle to turn off Orca.
- For Ubuntu 14.04:
- Open “System Settings.”
- Select “Keyboard.”
- Go to the “Shortcuts” tab.
- Disable the “Turn screen reader on or off” option.
Remember to reboot your system after making any changes to ensure they take effect.
Removing the Orca Package
If you don’t need Orca at all, you can remove it from your system. Here’s how:
- Open a terminal.
- Type the command
sudo apt-get remove orcaand pressEnter. - If you also have the
gnome-orcapackage installed, typesudo apt-get remove gnome-orcaand pressEnter.
The sudo command allows you to run commands with administrative privileges, apt-get is the package handling utility in Ubuntu, and remove is the option to uninstall a package.
Alternatively, you can disable the Orca binary by typing sudo mv /usr/bin/orca /usr/bin/orca.xxx and pressing Enter. The mv command is used to move or rename files and directories.
Conclusion
Stopping the Orca Screen Reader on Ubuntu can be achieved in several ways, depending on your specific needs and circumstances. Whether you choose to kill the process, use keyboard shortcuts, disable it from system settings, or remove the package entirely, this guide has you covered.
Remember that the effectiveness of these solutions may vary depending on your Ubuntu version and desktop environment. Always make sure to reboot your system after making changes to ensure they take effect.
You can check if Orca Screen Reader is running by looking for the Orca icon in the system tray or by pressing the keyboard shortcut Insert + Space to hear the Orca status message.
Yes, you can temporarily disable Orca by pressing the keyboard shortcut Insert + Space and selecting "Disable Orca" from the menu. This will stop Orca from running until you enable it again.
Yes, you can customize the keyboard shortcuts for Orca by going to "System Settings," selecting "Keyboard Shortcuts" or "Universal Access," and configuring the desired shortcuts for Orca.
Disabling Orca will only affect the Orca Screen Reader and will not impact other accessibility features on Ubuntu. You can still use other accessibility options such as the magnifier or on-screen keyboard.
Yes, you can reinstall Orca after removing it from your system. Simply open a terminal and type the command sudo apt-get install orca to reinstall the Orca package.
Yes, you can stop Orca temporarily by pressing the keyboard shortcut Insert + Space and selecting "Suspend Speech" from the menu. This will pause Orca’s speech output until you resume it again.
To completely uninstall Orca from your Ubuntu system, open a terminal and type the command sudo apt-get purge orca. This will remove all the files associated with Orca, including its configuration files.
