BRLTTY(1)

NAME
brltty - refreshable braille display driver for Linux/Unix

SYNOPSIS
brltty [option ...]

DESCRIPTION
brltty is a background process (daemon) which provides access to the console screen (when in text mode) for a blind person using a refreshable braille display. It drives the braille display, and provides complete screen review functionality. Some speech capability has also been incorporated.

OPTIONS
Options can be passed to brltty in a number of ways. From most to least influential, these are:

1.  Command Line Options

2.  Boot Parameters

3.  Environment Variables (if the -E (--environment-variables) option is in effect)

4.  The Configuration File

5.  Built-in Defaults

  Command Line Options
The options are processed sequentially from left to right. If an option is specified more than once, or in case of a conflict, the rightmost specification takes precedence.

The following options are supported:

-a table (--attributes-table=)
    The path to the attributes table. Relative paths are anchored at /usr/share/brltty/Attributes. The .atb extension is optional. The built-in default is left_right.atb.

-b driver,...|auto (--braille-driver=)
    The driver for the braille display (see Driver Specification). The built-in default is auto.

-c table (--contraction-table=)
    The path to the contraction table. Relative paths are anchored at /usr/share/brltty/Contraction. The .ctb extension is optional.

-d device,... (--braille-device=)
    The device to which the braille display is connected. The built-in default is usb:,bluetooth:.

    The general form of a braille device specification is qualifier:data. For backward compatibility with earlier releases, if the qualifier is omitted then serial: is assumed. The following device types are supported:

    Bluetooth
        For a bluetooth device, specify bluetooth:address. The address must be six two-digit hexadecimal numbers separated by colons, e.g. 01:23:45:67:89:AB.

    Serial
        For a serial device, specify serial:device. The serial: qualifier is optional (for backward compatibility). If a relative path is given then it's anchored at /dev/ (the usual location where devices are defined on a Unix-like system). The following device specifications all refer to the primary serial device on Linux: serial:ttyS0, serial:/dev/ttyS0, ttyS0, /dev/ttyS0.

    USB For a USB device, specify usb:. brltty will search for the first USB device which matches the braille display driver being used. If this is inadequate, e.g. if you have more than one USB braille display which requires the same driver, then you can refine the device specification by appending the serial number of the display to it, e.g. usb:12345. N.B.: The "identification by serial number" feature doesn't work for some models because some manufacturers either don't set the USB serial number descriptor at all or do set it but not to a unique value.

    A comma-delimited list of braille devices may be specified. If this is done then autodetection is performed on each listed device in sequence. This feature is particularly useful if you have a braille display with more than one interface, e.g. both a serial and a USB port.

-e (--standard-error)
    Write logs to standard error rather than to the system log (useful for debugging).

-f file (--configuration-file=)
    The path to the configuration file. Relative paths are anchored at the current working directory. The built-in default is /etc/brltty.conf.

-h (--help)
    Print a command line usage summary (commonly used options only), and then exit.

-i name (--speech-input=)
    The file system object (FIFO, named pipe, named socket, etc) which gives other applications access to brltty's speech driver for text-to-speech conversion. It's created at start-up and removed at termination. Relative paths are anchored at the current working directory. The built-in default is that the file system object is not created.

-k table (--keyboard-table=)
    The path to the keyboard table. Relative paths are anchored at /usr/share/brltty/Keyboard. The .ktb extension is optional.

-l level (--log-level=)
    The minimum severity level for messages written to the log. Any of the following numbers, or any abbreviation of their corresponding names, may be specified:

    0   emergency

    1   alert

    2   critical

    3   error

    4   warning

    5   notice

    6   information

    7   debug

The built-in default is notice.

-m device (--midi-device=)
    The device to use for the Musical Instrument Digital Interface. For ALSA it's client:port, where each may be either a number or a case-sensitive substring of its name. For other interfaces it's the full path to an appropriate system device. The built-in default is:

    Linux/ALSA
        the first available MIDI output port

    Linux/OSS
        /dev/sequencer

-n (--no-daemon)
    Remain in the foreground (useful for debugging).

-o name=value,... (--override-preference=)
    Override a preference setting. For the location of the preferences file, see the -F (--preferences-file) option.

-p device (--pcm-device=)
    The device to use for digital audio. For ALSA it's name[:argument,...]. For other interfaces it's the full path to an appropriate system device. The built-in default is:

    FreeBSD
        /dev/dsp

    Linux/ALSA
        hw:0,0

    Linux/OSS
        /dev/dsp

    NetBSD
        /dev/audio

    OpenBSD
        /dev/audio

    Qnx the preferred PCM output device

    Solaris
        /dev/audio

-q (--quiet)
    Suppress the start-up messages. This is done by reducing the default log level (see the -l (--log-level=) option) to warning (information if either -v (--verify) or -V (--version) is also specified).

-r (--release-device)
    Release the device to which the braille display is connected when the current screen or window can't be read.

-s driver,...|auto (--speech-driver=)
    The driver for the speech synthesizer (see Driver Specification). The built-in default is auto.

-t table (--text-table=)
    The path to the text table. Relative paths are anchored at /usr/share/brltty/Text. The .ttb extension is optional. The built-in default is en-nabcc.ttb (the North American Braille Computer Code).

-v (--verify)
    Print the start-up messages and then exit. This always includes the versions of brltty itself, the server side of its application programming interface, and each of the selected braille and speech drivers. If the -q (--quiet) option isn't also specified then it also includes the values of the options after all sources have been considered. If more than one braille driver and/or more than one braille device has been specified then braille display autodetection is performed. If more than one speech driver has been specified then speech synthesizer autodetection is performed.

-x driver (--screen-driver=)
    The screen driver. The built-in default is operating system appropriate.

-A name=value,... (--api-parameters=)
    Parameters for the application programming interface. If the same parameter is specified more than once then the rightmost specification is used. Parameter names may be abbreviated.

-B [driver:]name=value,... (--braille-parameters=)
    Parameters for the braille display driver. If the same parameter is specified more than once then the rightmost specification is used. Parameter names may be abbreviated. If a parameter assignment is qualified with a driver identification code then it's only processed if that braille display driver is being used.

-D directory (--drivers-directory=)
    The path to the directory which contains the dynamically loadable driver objects. The built-in default is /usr/lib/brltty.

-E (--environment-variables)
    Recognize environment variables.

-F file (--preferences-file=)
    The path to the preferences file. Relative paths are anchored at /var/lib/brltty. The built-in default is brltty.prefs.

-H (--full-help)
    Print a command line usage summary (all options), and then exit.

-I (--install-service)
    (Windows only) Install brltty as the BrlAPI service so that it will be automatically started when the system is booted, and so that applications can know that a BrlAPI server is running.

-K arg (--keyboard-properties=)
    Properties of the keyboard.

-L file (--log-file=)
    The file to which log messages are written. Relative paths are anchored at the current working directory. The default is to send log messages to the system log.

-M csecs (--message-delay=)
    The message hold time in hundredths of a second. The built-in default is 400 (4 seconds).

-N (--no-api)
    Don't start the application programming interface.

-P file (--pid-file=)
    The full path to the process identifier file. If this option is supplied, brltty writes its process identifier (pid) into the specified file at start-up. The file is removed when brltty terminates.

-R (--remove-service)
    (Windows only) Remove the BrlAPI service so that brltty will not be automatically started when the system is booted, and so that applications can know that no BrlAPI server is running.

-S [driver:]name=value,... (--speech-parameters=)
    Parameters for the speech synthesizer driver. If the same parameter is specified more than once then the rightmost specification is used. Parameter names may be abbreviated. If a parameter assignment is qualified with a driver identification code then it's only processed if that speech synthesizer driver is being used.

-T directory (--tables-directory=)
    The path to the directory which contains the text, contraction, attributes, keyboard, and input tables. The built-in default is /usr/share/brltty.

-U directory (--updatable-directory=)
    The path to a directory which contains files that can be updated. The built-in default is /var/lib/brltty.

-V (--version)
    Print the versions of brltty itself, the server side of its application programming interface, and those drivers which were configured in at build-time, and then exit. If the -q (--quiet) option isn't also specified then also print copyright information.

-W directory (--writable-directory=)
    The path to a directory which can be written to. The built-in default is /run/brltty.

-X name=value,... (--screen-parameters=)
    Parameters for the screen driver. If the same parameter is specified more than once then the rightmost specification is used. Parameter names may be abbreviated.

-Y text (--start-message=)
    The text to be shown when the braille driver starts and to be spoken when the speech driver starts. The built-in default is BRLTTY 6.9.

-Z text (--stop-message=)
    The text to be shown when the braille driver stops. The built-in default is BRLTTY stopped.

  Environment Variables
The following environment variables are recognized if the -E (--environment-variables) option is specified:

BRLTTY_API_PARAMETERS=name=value,...
    Parameters for the application programming interface. See the -A (--api-parameters=) option for details.

BRLTTY_ATTRIBUTES_TABLE=table
    The attributes table. See the -a (--attributes-table=) option for details.

BRLTTY_BRAILLE_DEVICE=device,...
    The device to which the braille display is connected. See the -d (--braille-device=) option for details.

BRLTTY_BRAILLE_DRIVER=driver,...|auto
    The driver for the braille display. See the -b (--braille-driver=) option for details.

BRLTTY_BRAILLE_PARAMETERS=[driver:]name=value,...
    Parameters for the braille display driver. See the -B (--braille-parameters=) option for details.

BRLTTY_CONFIGURATION_FILE=file
    The configuration file. See the -f (--configuration-file=) option for details.

BRLTTY_CONTRACTION_TABLE=table
    The contraction table. See the -c (--contraction-table=) option for details.

BRLTTY_MIDI_DEVICE=device
    The device to use for the Musical Instrument Digital Interface. See the -m (--midi-device=) option for details.

BRLTTY_PCM_DEVICE=device
    The device to use for digital audio. See the -p (--pcm-device=) option for details.

BRLTTY_PREFERENCES_FILE=file
    The preferences file. See the -F (--preferences-file=) option for details.

BRLTTY_RELEASE_DEVICE=on|off
    Release the device to which the braille display is connected when the current screen or window can't be read. See the -r (--release-device) option for details.

BRLTTY_SCREEN_DRIVER=driver
    The screen driver. See the -x (--screen-driver=) option for details.

BRLTTY_SCREEN_PARAMETERS=name=value,...
    Parameters for the screen driver. See the -X (--screen-parameters=) option for details.

BRLTTY_SPEECH_DRIVER=driver,...|auto
    The driver for the speech synthesizer. See the -s (--speech-driver=) option for details.

BRLTTY_SPEECH_INPUT=name
    The file system object which gives other applications access to brltty's speech driver for text-to-speech conversion. See the -i (--speech-input=) option for details.

BRLTTY_SPEECH_PARAMETERS=[driver:]name=value,...
    Parameters for the speech synthesizer driver. See the -S (--speech-parameters=) option for details.

BRLTTY_TEXT_TABLE=table
    The text table. See the -t (--text-table=) option for details.

  The Configuration File
Blank lines are ignored. If the character # occurs on any line then all characters from it to the end of that line are treated as a comment.

The following configuration directives are supported:

api-parameters name=value,...
    Parameters for the application programming interface. See the -A (--api-parameters=) option for details.

attributes-table table
    The attributes table. See the -a (--attributes-table=) option for details.

braille-device device,...
    The device to which the braille display is connected. See the -d (--braille-device=) option for details.

braille-driver driver,...|auto
    The driver for the braille display. See the -b (--braille-driver=) option for details.

braille-parameters [driver:]name=value,...
    Parameters for the braille display driver. See the -B (--braille-parameters=) option for details.

contraction-table table
    The contraction table. See the -c (--contraction-table=) option for details.

midi-device device
    The device to use for the Musical Instrument Digital Interface. See the -m (--midi-device=) option for details.

pcm-device device
    The device to use for digital audio. See the -p (--pcm-device=) option for details.

preferences-file file
    The preferences file. See the -F (--preferences-file=) option for details.

release-device on|off
    Release the device to which the braille display is connected when the current screen or window can't be read. See the -r (--release-device) option for details.

screen-driver driver
    The screen driver. See the -x (--screen-driver=) option for details.

screen-parameters name=value,...
    Parameters for the screen driver. See the -X (--screen-parameters=) option for details.

speech-driver driver,...|auto
    The driver for the speech synthesizer. See the -s (--speech-driver=) option for details.

speech-input me
    The file system object which gives other applications access to brltty's speech driver for text-to-speech conversion. See the -i (--speech-input=) option for details.

speech-parameters [driver:]name=value,...
    Parameters for the speech synthesizer driver. See the -S (--speech-parameters=) option for details.

text-table table
    The text table. See the -t (--text-table=) option for details.

  Driver Specification
A braille display or speech synthesizer driver must be specified via its identification code:

    al  Alva

    an  Android

    at  Albatross

    ba  BrlAPI

    bc  BrailComm

    bd  Braudi

    bl  BrailleLite

    bm  Baum

    bn  BrailleNote

    cb  CombiBraille

    ce  Cebra

    cn  Canute

    dp  DotPad

    ec  EcoBraille

    en  eSpeak-NG

    es  eSpeak

    eu  EuroBraille

    fa  FrankAudiodata

    fl  FestivalLite

    fs  FreedomScientific

    fv  Festival

    gs  GenericSay

    hd  Hedo

    hm  HIMS

    ht  HandyTech

    hw  HumanWare

    ir  Iris

    ic  Inceptor

    lb  Libbraille

    lt  LogText

    mb  MultiBraille

    md  MDV

    mm  BrailleMemo

    mn  MiniBraille

    mp  Mikropuhe

    mt  Metec

    no  no driver

    np  NinePoint

    pg  Pegasus

    pm  Papenmeier

    sd  SpeechDispatcher

    sk  Seika

    sw  Swift

    th  Theta

    tn  TechniBraille Systems Inc.

    ts  Telesensory Systems Inc.

    vd  VideoBraille

    vo  Voyager, Part232 (serial adapter), BraillePen/EasyLink

    vs  VisioBraille

    vv  ViaVoice

    xs  ExternalSpeech

    A comma-delimited list of drivers may be specified. If this is done then autodetection is performed using each listed driver in sequence. You may need to experiment in order to determine the most reliable order since some drivers autodetect better than others.

    If the single word auto is specified then autodetection is performed using only those drivers which are known to be reliable for this purpose.

SEE ALSO
For full documentation, see brltty's on-line manual at [http://brltty.app/documentation.html].