The Raspbian Canute Controller Software

The Raspbian Canute Controller Software is Copyright © 2022 by Bristol Braille Technology CIC.

Contents

Installation and Upgrading

The source for the Raspbian Canute Controller Software is on the bbt-canute branch of BRLTTY's source repository.

Files pertaining to the most recent stable release can be found at https://brltty.app/archive/Canute. Its commit identifier is in git-commit.txt. An archive of its build can be downloaded in the following formats:

bzip2 canute-controller.tar.bz2
gzip canute-controller.tar.gz
xz canute-controller.tar.xz

To install it for the first time, download the canute-install script and run it as root.

After it has been installed, you can upgrade it by running the canute-upgrade script as root.

Commands

The Raspbian Canute Controller Software provides several commands. Each of them has a -h (help) option which shows its usage summary.

What follows is a lsit of these commands along with their associated usage summaries.

User Sessions

canute-startx

Start an X session with a terminal that has the same dimensions as the
Canute's braille display.

Syntax: canute-startx [-option ...]

Options:
  -h       show this usage summary, and then exit
  -q       decrease output verbosity
  -v       increase output verbosity
  -t       test mode - log (but don't execute) the host commands
  -l file  the log file - the default is /tmp/canute-startx.log
  -s file  the X session script - the default is
           /brltty/current/libexec/canute-xsession
  -n       no monitor - use a virtual X display
  -c       clear screen on exit

canute-screen

Start a text-mode session with a terminal that has the same dimensions
as the Canute's braille display.

Syntax: canute-screen [-option ...]

Options:
  -h   show this usage summary, and then exit
  -q   decrease output verbosity
  -v   increase output verbosity
  -t   test mode - log (but don't execute) the host commands

canute-ttysize

Configure the current terminal to have the same dimensions as the
Canute's braille display.

Syntax: canute-ttysize [-option ...]

Options:
  -h   show this usage summary, and then exit
  -q   decrease output verbosity
  -v   increase output verbosity

System Administration

canute-upgrade

Upgrade the Raspbian Canute Controller software.

Syntax: canute-upgrade [-option ...]

Options:
  -h   show this usage summary, and then exit
  -q   decrease output verbosity
  -v   increase output verbosity

canute-status

Show the current status of the Canute braille display process.

Syntax: canute-status [-option ...]

Options:
  -h   show this usage summary, and then exit
  -q   decrease output verbosity
  -v   increase output verbosity

canute-start

Start the Canute braille display process now.

Syntax: canute-start [-option ...]

Options:
  -h   show this usage summary, and then exit
  -q   decrease output verbosity
  -v   increase output verbosity

canute-stop

Stop the Canute braille display process now.

Syntax: canute-stop [-option ...]

Options:
  -h   show this usage summary, and then exit
  -q   decrease output verbosity
  -v   increase output verbosity

canute-enable

The Canute braille display process will be started when the system
boots.

Syntax: canute-enable [-option ...]

Options:
  -h   show this usage summary, and then exit
  -q   decrease output verbosity
  -v   increase output verbosity

canute-disable

The Canute braille display process won't be started when the system
boots.

Syntax: canute-disable [-option ...]

Options:
  -h   show this usage summary, and then exit
  -q   decrease output verbosity
  -v   increase output verbosity

BrlAPI Parameter Management

canute-table

Manage which table is used to render text on the Canute's braille
display.

Syntax: canute-table [-option ...] [table-name]

Parameters:
  table-name  the braille table to switch to

Options:
  -h   show this usage summary, and then exit
  -q   decrease output verbosity
  -v   increase output verbosity
  -c   interpret the name as that of a computer braille table
  -l   interpret the name as that of a literary braille table
  -L   interpret the name as that of a LibLouis table

The parameter specifies the new table to be used for rendering braille.
If it isn't specified then the name and type of the current table are
shown. It may be specified with or without its file extension, and may
refer to a text (computer braillei), contraction (literary braille), or
LibLouis table. This can be constrained via the -c, -l, and -L options.
If none of these options are specified then -c and -l are assumed; -L
isn't because several BRLTTY and LibLouis tables have the same names.

canute-cursor

Manage how the cursor is rendered on the Canute's braille display.

Syntax: canute-cursor [-option ...] [cursor-style]

Parameters:
  cursor-style  the name of the cursor style to switch to (left right
                underline hide block)

Options:
  -h   show this usage summary, and then exit
  -q   decrease output verbosity
  -v   increase output verbosity

If the parameter isn't specified then the name of the current cursor
style is shown.

canute-parameter

Show or set the values of BrlAPI parameters.

Syntax: canute-parameter [-option ...] [name [value]]

Parameters:
  name   the name of a BrlAPI parameter
  value  the new value to assign to the parameter

Options:
  -h   show this usage summary, and then exit
  -q   decrease output verbosity
  -v   increase output verbosity
  -g   the parameter is global

If the parameter's name isn't specified then all the parameters are
listed. If just a name is specified then only that parameter's value is
shown. If a value is also specified then it's assigned to the named
parameter.

BrlAPI Session Establishment

canute-client

Run a BrlAPI client within a prepared environment. Java clients aren't
supported (use canute-java instead).

Syntax: canute-client [-option ...] command [argument ...]

Parameters:
  command       the na,e of, or the relative or absolute path to, the
                command
  argument ...  the command's arguments

Options:
  -h   show this usage summary, and then exit
  -q   decrease output verbosity
  -v   increase output verbosity

canute-java

Run a BrlAPI Java client within a prepared environment.

Syntax: canute-java [-option ...] class [arg ...]

Parameters:
  class    the class (or jar) to run
  arg ...  the arguments to pass to the class

Options:
  -h   show this usage summary, and then exit
  -q   decrease output verbosity
  -v   increase output verbosity

canute-apitool

Usage Summary for the ApiTool Command
Syntax: apitool [-option ...] program/client [argument ...]

Command line access to the functionality provided by the BrlAPI interface.

These options may be specified:
  -help

These programs and clients have been defined (each has its own -help
option):
  api-error
  api-exception
  bound-commands
  computer-braille
  driver-keys
  echo
  get-driver
  get-model
  get-size
  list-parameters
  pause
  set-parameter
  version
  write-arguments
  write-dots
  write-text

Miscellaneous Commands

weather-current

Show the current weather conditions.

Syntax: weather-current [-option ...]

Options:
  -h   show this usage summary, and then exit
  -q   decrease output verbosity
  -v   increase output verbosity
  -m   monitor the weather