Abdullah, You are already ahead of the game with switching to Linux. I personally ended up using slint Linux. In my case I was a command line user for years and am most comfortable with Linux using speakup. However I recently started using the GUI Orca screen reader with MATE desktop so I can read previously inaccessible websites using Firefox. My typical session goes like this: 1. boot the system to start a text console login 2. login and run screen to get a half dozen screens up for this or that 3. Hit ALT-F2 to switch to console 2 and run startx to run MATE after that I switch back and forth between my text screens ALT-Ctrl-F1 and the GUI Mate screen Alt-F7 as needed. Hope this helps and have fun. -- Rudy Vener An audio release of Beast Hunt Vol 1, containing my short story Dragon Wing, is loose in the wild: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DPN1QGGJ Latest Limerick - Supreme Court Justice Barrett Blasts Justice Jackson's Dismal Dissent https://limerickdude.substack.com/p/supreme-court-justice-barrett-blasts Website: http://www.rudyvener.com On Wed, Jul 02, 2025 at 03:12:24AM +0500, Abdullah Zubair wrote: > Hi everyone, > I hope you're all doing well. > Let me quickly introduce myself. My name is Abdullah, writing to you > from Pakistan. I'm 25 years old, and a lifelong technology enthusiast. > Professionally, I work as a Web Developer and DevOps Engineer, so Linux > has been part of my daily workflow for quite some time, though mostly > in a headless, server-side environment. > I regularly manage Debian-based LEMP stacks (Linux, NGINX, MariaDB, > PHP-FPM), handle deployments, maintain Docker containers, and oversee > several web applications and services. So, I'd consider myself an > intermediate Linux user in the server context. > However, I've been a Windows user for over 20 years, from Windows 98 > all the way to Windows 10, which I currently use with NVDA 2024.1.2. > For a long time now, I've wanted to transition to Linux for personal > desktop use, not just on remote servers. > I truly admire Linux for its freedom, flexibility, and licensing model, > and I feel it's time to make the switch, but I'm aware that as a blind > user, this change will come with new challenges, especially around > accessibility, desktop environments, screen readers, shortcuts, and > overall UX. > That brings me to my main reason for reaching out. > I'd love some guidance, mentorship, or a roadmap on how to start this > transition. Specifically: > * Which distro(s) are most accessible for blind users? > * How different is the desktop experience compared to Windows + NVDA? > * Which screen readers or tools should I get familiar with? > * What should I learn first? Are there any key tutorials or > beginner-friendly resources? > * How do you handle common tasks like file management, software > installation, and system settings with a screen reader? > * Any must-know keyboard shortcuts or accessibility hacks? > > If there are any detailed guides, blog posts, or YouTube videos you > recommend, I'm all ears. I'm ready to invest the time to learn and > would really appreciate your help. > Looking forward to your kind insights, experiences, and suggestions. > Thanks in advance for supporting a fellow blind techie! > Cheers, > Abdullah Zubair > Pakistan > Web Developer & DevOps Engineer > (Blind Linux Enthusiast-in-Transition ) > > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send > an email to [1]blinux-list+unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxx. > > References > > 1. mailto:blinux-list+unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxx To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to blinux-list+unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxx.