virtual keyboard

rolbit · n00b Joined: 09 Feb 2025 Posts: 3

Hello,
I am trying to install gentoo on my laptop. Since I cannot use my hands I am limited to the use of a mouse as an input device. Somehow the virtual keyboard in the liveusb cannot be activated. Do you have any idea how to do this?
Thanks
Roland

Banana · Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2025 7:11 am Post subject:

Hello and welcome to the forums.

If you are in the need for accessibility tools and want to install gentoo, I strongly suggest you use a different live-usb-image. Like Ubuntu or Fedora. They do give you a better start and have a lot of stuff in working order for you.

You would typically start with Preparing the disks, as the prevous steps are already not needed since you are using already a working usb-image.
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rolbit · n00b Joined: 09 Feb 2025 Posts: 3

Thanks! I will try with Linux Mint xfce since it has onboard installed already.

Ralphred · l33t Joined: 31 Dec 2013 Posts: 725

The state of onscreen keyboards is a bit bad in linux TBPH.
Apart from things that are DE specific, x11-misc/matchbox-keyboard is the best I could find (I was using a game controller to operate a web browser, the level of control offered by a mouse would make it better IMHO).

rolbit · n00b Joined: 09 Feb 2025 Posts: 3

It's not that bad actually. There is dasher if you have to rely on a joystick or game controller.

http://www.inference.org.uk/dasher/

The main issue is that many live systems do not include any onscreen keyboard. anyway I just need a onscreen keyboard until I have talon voice up and running.

https://talonvoice.com/

Much more concerning is that Wayland is useless when it comes to assistive technologies. So I am pretty much stuck with x11.