The following table describes Emacsvox support, not every platform that the
Omnivox project can build. “Host check required” means that automated build
and archive verification does not prove playback through your audio device;
an audible omnivox --check on that machine remains the acceptance test.
| Emacs platform | Recommended route | Current support evidence |
|---|---|---|
| GNU/Linux x86-64 with an Ubuntu 24.04-compatible runtime | Omnivox 1.18.0 release archive using eSpeak NG | The published archive is built and verified on Ubuntu 24.04. Compatible glibc, libstdc++, libgcc, and ALSA runtime libraries are required; the audible host check remains required. |
| Other GNU/Linux systems | Source-built Omnivox using eSpeak NG | Use the source route for Linux ARM64, an older distribution ABI, or a host that cannot run the published x86-64 archive. |
| macOS on Apple silicon | Omnivox through the official Homebrew tap, using AVSpeechSynthesizer | Native ARM64 tap checks cover installation, synthesis, reinstall, a packaging-revision upgrade, and removal; audible Emacs acceptance remains required. |
| macOS on Intel | Omnivox through the official Homebrew tap, using AVSpeechSynthesizer | Native Intel tap checks cover installation, synthesis, reinstall, a packaging-revision upgrade, and removal; audible Emacs acceptance remains required. |
| Emacs in WSL2 on x86-64 Windows | Omnivox 1.18.0 Windows x64 release archive using WinRT | The published archive is checksum-protected and release CI verifies its architecture, adjacent data, WinRT and eSpeak synthesis. The audible host check remains required. |
| Emacs in WSL2 on Windows on ARM | Omnivox 1.18.0 Windows ARM64 release archive using WinRT | Release CI verifies the ARM64 archive, adjacent data, WinRT and eSpeak synthesis, and the guided installer selects it automatically. A complete WSL2 host and audible check remains required. |
| Native Windows x64 Emacs 30.2 or newer | Guided PowerShell installation with Omnivox 1.18.0 using WinRT | Supported. Native installer, complete byte-code compilation, fresh-process verification, and two-lane speech checks cover this route. Confirm audible speech on the installed host. Native Windows ARM64 is not yet supported. |
Use Homebrew on macOS, the guided installer under WSL2, or the matching release archive on GNU/Linux. Manual Mac archive installation remains available. A bare executable, repository tag, or unpackaged CI artifact is not a complete installation: keep the release’s runtime data and notices beside the executable. Homebrew preserves that layout for you.
Do not set OMNIVOX_ENGINE during initial setup. Its empty value selects
the normal platform engine above. Engine routing and optional Piper,
Eloquence, or DECtalk support are later customisations, not prerequisites for
first speech.
For Emacs running on a remote SSH host, see Remote Workstation Speech.
Omnivox 1.18.0 is the minimum supported release. It supplies named punctuation profiles, palette-aware character speech and editable engine configuration, alongside managed voice libraries, eSpeak variants, engine-specific voice controls, individual fallback tuning and complete voice previews. A newer compatible release may be used. The manual archive examples and guided installers pin the 1.18.0 core and matching optional engines exactly; the macOS Homebrew tap follows its maintained stable formula.
Updating Emacsvox source alone does not upgrade Omnivox. Rerunning a guided installer can install its pinned Omnivox release; Homebrew and manual installations use their own update procedures. Check which route owns the selected installation before changing it. Voice-library management uses the bundled local management route. Remote and direct-native launches do not acquire the WSL launcher’s file or release-management capabilities merely by connecting to an Omnivox worker. The individual procedures identify their required host and capabilities.