[pulseaudio-discuss] Proper PulseAudio use on accessible computers?

[Milan Zamazal]

I'm not sure how to manage PulseAudio instances on a computer with
accessible environment, namely speech synthesis.  Imagine the following
scenario:

- The computer boots up and gdm login screen gets displayed.  This gdm
  login screen must be accessible to a blind user who uses the computer
  so it speaks through Speech Dispatcher connected to a PulseAudio
  server.

- A blind user logs in and wants to use Speech Dispatcher, audio
  applications and desktop sounds (esd emulation), all connected to a
  PulseAudio server.

- The blind user leaves and a sighted user comes to the computer.  He
  switches to his own desktop (let's say by using the GNOME switch user
  function).  He doesn't want to listen to speech synthesis and he wants
  to run his own PulseAudio server for desktop sounds and audio
  applications.

What's the proper way to implement such environment?  Using a system
wide daemon may not be the best idea.  But if the PulseAudio doesn't run
globally, should it run as several different instances?  For instance:

- A PulseAudio server started from gdm setup scripts.

- A PulseAudio server started by the blind user's session.  What to do
  with Speech Dispatcher output?  Should the gdm PulseAudio server
  continue running and redirect the Speech Dispatcher output to the
  user's server?  Or should Speech Dispatcher reconnect to the new
  server once the gdm server disappears?

- A PulseAudio server started by the sighted user's session.  This is
  probably a standard situation handled by suspending the previous
  PulseAudio server and activating new PulseAudio server.

- How about Speech Dispatcher output from Linux text consoles before gdm
  starts?  Should another PulseAudio server be run for the purpose??

Thanks,

Milan Zamazal