TalkTerm

What is TalkTerm?

I manage my own servers, and most terminal programs are hard to use with a screen reader. New text scrolls by, the cursor jumps around, and you end up arrowing through the whole screen to find one line. So I built TalkTerm.

TalkTerm splits the terminal into two parts. Everything the server prints goes into a read-only output box you can review line by line. You type commands in a separate command box. Your screen reader always knows where you are.

Highlights

• Smart reading. While a command runs, TalkTerm reads only progress, errors, warnings and questions that need an answer, like "Do you want to continue? [Y/n]". When the command finishes, it reads short output in full and long output as a summary. Everything stays in the output box.
• Speaks through JAWS directly, and through Windows notifications for NVDA and Narrator.
• An accessible file editor. Type edit /path/to/file and the file opens in a normal Windows editing window. Ctrl+S saves it back to the server.
• nano, top, less and htop work too. Moving with the arrow keys reads the line, word or character under the cursor, and review mode lets you read and select the screen with the usual Windows keys. A Server files menu opens common server settings files in nano.
• Choose how much you hear. Smart reading, the last line only, or everything, with progress read every percent.
• Back up your SSH key and restore it on another computer, protected with a passphrase.
• SSH keys made easy. TalkTerm can create a key on your PC and install it on a server for you.
• Remember your password, if it's your own PC and you choose to. It's kept in Windows Credential Manager, encrypted with your Windows login.
• Everything works from the keyboard. Press F1 in TalkTerm for the list of shortcuts.

Installing TalkTerm

1. Download TalkTerm-Setup-3.3.exe and run it. You don't need to be an administrator, and you don't need to install anything else first.
2. Open TalkTerm from the Start menu.
3. TalkTerm starts on the Add server button. Press Enter on it to add your first server.
4. Press F5 to connect. The first time you connect to a server, TalkTerm shows its key fingerprint and asks whether to trust it.

Already have an older version? Just run the new installer. It upgrades TalkTerm in place and keeps your servers and settings.

To check your download is genuine, compare its SHA-256 checksum. In PowerShell, type Get-FileHash TalkTerm-Setup-3.3.exe. It should be:
2346AF34CAE5EB8D43859986AB8D404E3143CECB53AFF740C304F9749A6A901E

Getting past Windows security warnings

You may see one or more of these warnings. Each set of steps works with the keyboard and a screen reader.

1. Your browser says the file isn't commonly downloaded

Microsoft Edge, on Windows 10 and 11:

1. Edge shows a message that TalkTerm-Setup-3.3.exe isn't commonly downloaded. Press Ctrl+J to open Downloads if you can't find it.
2. Choose the More actions button (three dots) next to the file, then choose Keep.
3. If Edge asks again, choose Show more, then Keep anyway.

Google Chrome: press Ctrl+J to open Downloads, find TalkTerm-Setup-3.3.exe, and choose Keep, or Download suspicious file.

2. "Windows protected your PC"

This is Windows SmartScreen. The steps are the same on Windows 10 and Windows 11.

1. Choose the More info link. With the keyboard, press Tab until you reach More info, then press Enter.
2. The window now shows the file name and "Publisher: Unknown publisher". A Run anyway button appears.
3. Press Tab to Run anyway, then press Enter. The TalkTerm installer starts.

You only need to do this once. After TalkTerm is installed, it opens normally.

3. If there's no Run anyway button

Remove the "downloaded from the internet" mark from the file, on Windows 10 or 11:

1. Open File Explorer and go to your Downloads folder.
2. Select TalkTerm-Setup-3.3.exe and press Alt+Enter to open Properties.
3. On the General tab, near the bottom, check the Unblock checkbox, then choose OK.
4. Run the installer again.

4. Windows 11: "Smart App Control blocked an app"

Smart App Control is a stricter Windows 11 feature. It's only on for some people, mostly on new PCs, and it doesn't allow single-app exceptions, so Run anyway and Unblock don't work with it. If it blocks TalkTerm, you'll need to turn Smart App Control off to install it:

1. Press the Windows key, type Smart App Control, and press Enter.
2. In the Smart App Control settings, choose Off, and choose Yes if Windows asks to allow changes.
3. Run the TalkTerm installer again.

On some versions of Windows 11, Smart App Control can't be turned back on afterwards without resetting Windows, so think it over before you do this.

5. Turning off SmartScreen

If you'd rather turn SmartScreen off, here's how. It protects you from harmful downloads from anywhere, not just TalkTerm, so we recommend turning it back on after TalkTerm is installed. The steps for that are below.

Windows 11:

1. Press the Windows key, type Reputation-based protection, and press Enter. Windows Security opens on the Reputation-based protection page.
   (Or open Start, then Windows Security, then App & browser control, then Reputation-based protection settings.)
2. Press Tab to the Check apps and files switch and press Space to turn it Off.
3. Windows asks "Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device?" Choose Yes, or press Alt+Y.
4. Press Tab to the SmartScreen for Microsoft Edge switch and press Space to turn it Off. Choose Yes again if Windows asks. This stops Edge's download warning.
5. Close Windows Security with Alt+F4, then run the TalkTerm installer.

Windows 10:

1. Press the Windows key, type Reputation-based protection, and press Enter.
   (Or open Start, then Settings, then Update & Security, then Windows Security, then App & browser control, then Reputation-based protection settings.)
2. Press Tab to the Check apps and files switch and press Space to turn it Off.
3. Choose Yes, or press Alt+Y, when Windows asks to allow changes.
4. Press Tab to the SmartScreen for Microsoft Edge switch and press Space to turn it Off, choosing Yes if asked.
5. Close Windows Security with Alt+F4, then run the TalkTerm installer.

On older versions of Windows 10, the Reputation-based protection page doesn't exist. Open App & browser control instead, and under Check apps and files, choose Off.

Turning SmartScreen back on (recommended once TalkTerm is installed): follow the same steps for your version of Windows and turn both switches back On. TalkTerm keeps working normally afterwards.

Changelog

Questions or ideas?

TalkTerm is still growing. If something doesn't work with your screen reader, or you have an idea for a feature, choose Help, Send feedback in TalkTerm, or contact me.