Podcast player: say why it cannot speak, with a way out

"The podcasts don't even work on my Linux setup on Firefox." Firefox on
Linux speaks through speech-dispatcher; without it speechSynthesis is present
but empty and silent - getVoices() is empty, speak() does nothing, no events
- so the player looked broken.

- pressing play with zero installed voices (or a start that never arrives
  within 1.7s) raises a banner naming the cause, with the Linux fix
  (sudo apt install speech-dispatcher) and the iOS one where it applies;
- the banner offers "Use the natural voice" when a provider key exists (it
  switches the source, keeps playing and remembers it), "Add a provider key"
  when not (opens Settings) and a link into the picker;
- natural-voice errors (refused autoplay, provider refusal) show in that same
  banner instead of hiding inside the picker.

podcast-test fakes a present-but-empty speechSynthesis and pins the banner,
the Linux line and the one-tap switch. 48 checks. Version 0.7.8, SW v100.
This commit is contained in:
Martin Dvořák 2026-10-16 18:32:36 +00:00
commit 08a145b087
6 changed files with 147 additions and 8 deletions

View file

@ -1492,6 +1492,20 @@ Things I chose while building, with the reasoning:
into view as you type. No strings, so no i18n; the additive change sits on top of the merged
scene-heat rework unchanged.
106. **When the browser has no speech engine at all.** "The podcasts don't even work on my Linux
setup on Firefox": Firefox on Linux speaks through speech-dispatcher, and without it
`speechSynthesis` is *present* (so `speechAvailable()` says yes) but empty and silent —
`getVoices()` returns nothing and `speak()` does nothing, with no events. The player used to
sit there looking broken. Now the failure is named and has a way out: pressing play with zero
installed voices (or a start that never arrives within 1.7 s) raises a banner that says what is
missing — *"On Firefox/Linux install speech-dispatcher (sudo apt install speech-dispatcher) and
reopen this page"* — with **Use the natural voice** right there when a provider key exists (it
switches the source, starts playing and remembers the choice), **Add a provider key** when not
(it opens Settings), and a link into the voice picker. Natural-voice errors (a refused
autoplay, a provider refusal) are surfaced in the same place instead of hiding inside the
picker. The suite fakes a present-but-empty `speechSynthesis` and pins the banner, the Linux
line and the one-tap switch (48 checks).
105. **The play button that only worked once.** "It only plays once, and when you pause it you can't
unpause." WebKit's quirk, faithfully: `speechSynthesis.cancel()` leaves the synthesis **paused**,
and every later `speak()` is queued into that paused state — silently. Three fixes in the

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@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
import Link from "next/link";
import { useCallback, useEffect, useMemo, useRef, useState } from "react";
import { Button } from "@/components/ui";
import { useI18n } from "@/lib/i18n";
import { createPodcastAudio, type PodcastAudio } from "@/lib/podcast-audio";
import {
@ -32,6 +33,7 @@ import {
import { speechAvailable, speechLocale, stopSpeaking } from "@/lib/speech";
import type { Podcast } from "@/lib/schemas";
import { useAppReducedMotion as useReducedMotion } from "@/lib/motion-pref";
import { openSettings } from "@/lib/ui-events";
import {
CheckCircleIcon,
ChevronLeftIcon,
@ -63,6 +65,9 @@ export function PodcastPlayer({ episode }: { episode: Podcast }) {
const [playing, setPlaying] = useState(false);
const [position, setPosition] = useState<PodcastVoice | null>(null);
const [unsupported, setUnsupported] = useState(false);
/** The system voice never started (no engine installed) — Firefox/Linux,
* a bare Windows install: the banner explains and offers the way out. */
const [voiceSilent, setVoiceSilent] = useState(false);
const [voiceOpen, setVoiceOpen] = useState(false);
/** "system" = the platform's voices; "natural" = the provider's TTS. */
const [voiceSource, setVoiceSource] = useState<"system" | "natural">(() => readNaturalPref().source);
@ -430,13 +435,28 @@ export function PodcastPlayer({ episode }: { episode: Podcast }) {
persist();
return;
}
if (!naturalActive && availableVoices.length === 0) {
/* Nothing to speak with: say so instead of doing nothing. */
setVoiceSilent(true);
return;
}
/* Other readers (a card's read-aloud) yield to the episode. */
stopSpeaking();
harness()?.play(position ?? { section: 0, word: 0 });
/* The system engine can also be *present* and still do nothing (no voice
data behind it). If nothing starts, the banner takes over. */
if (!naturalActive) {
const attempt = Date.now();
window.setTimeout(() => {
if (Date.now() - attempt < 1500) return;
if (!playingRef.current) setVoiceSilent(true);
}, 1700);
}
};
const seek = (next: PodcastVoice) => {
if (!canPlay) return;
setVoiceSilent(false);
latest.current = next;
setPosition(next);
/* A seek is an instruction to show that place: follow it at once. */
@ -568,13 +588,59 @@ export function PodcastPlayer({ episode }: { episode: Podcast }) {
className="no-scrollbar min-h-0 flex-1 overflow-y-auto overscroll-contain px-4 pb-40 pt-24"
>
<div className="mx-auto w-full max-w-3xl space-y-6">
{(!supported || unsupported) && !naturalActive ? (
<p className="rounded-2xl border border-amber-300/50 bg-amber-50/70 px-3.5 py-3 text-[12.5px] leading-relaxed text-amber-800 dark:border-amber-400/25 dark:bg-amber-400/10 dark:text-amber-200">
{t("podcast.noVoice")}
{isAppleMobile() ? ` ${t("podcast.voiceIos")}` : ""}
{naturalError ? (
<p
role="alert"
className="rounded-2xl border border-rose-300/50 bg-rose-50/70 px-3.5 py-3 text-[12.5px] leading-relaxed text-rose-800 dark:border-rose-400/25 dark:bg-rose-400/10 dark:text-rose-200"
>
{naturalError}
</p>
) : null}
{(!naturalActive && (!supported || unsupported || voiceSilent)) || (naturalActive && !natural) ? (
<div className="space-y-2.5 rounded-2xl border border-amber-300/50 bg-amber-50/70 px-3.5 py-3 text-[12.5px] leading-relaxed text-amber-800 dark:border-amber-400/25 dark:bg-amber-400/10 dark:text-amber-200">
<p>
{naturalActive && !natural
? t("podcast.voiceNeedsKey")
: `${
voiceSilent || unsupported
? t("podcast.voiceSilent")
: t("podcast.noVoice")
}${isAppleMobile() ? ` ${t("podcast.voiceIos")}` : ""}`}
</p>
<div className="flex flex-wrap items-center gap-2">
{ttsProviderIds.length > 0 ? (
<Button
size="sm"
onClick={() => {
setVoiceSilent(false);
setUnsupported(false);
setNaturalError(null);
setVoiceSource("natural");
writeNaturalPref({ source: "natural" });
}}
>
{t("podcast.voiceUseNatural")}
</Button>
) : (
<Button size="sm" onClick={() => openSettings()}>
{t("podcast.voiceOpenProviders")}
</Button>
)}
<button
type="button"
onClick={() => {
setVoiceSilent(false);
setVoiceOpen(true);
}}
className="text-[12.5px] font-semibold underline decoration-dotted"
>
{t("podcast.voiceAria")}
</button>
</div>
</div>
) : null}
<div className="card space-y-2 p-5">
<h1 className="text-[22px] font-extrabold leading-tight tracking-[-0.01em] text-[var(--text)]">
{episode.title}

View file

@ -314,6 +314,9 @@ const en: Record<string, string> = {
"podcast.voiceNaturalNote": "Generated by your own provider key — the words are timed to the audio, so the highlight still follows the voice.",
"podcast.voiceNeedsKey": "Add an OpenAI or Groq key in Settings → Providers to use natural voices.",
"podcast.voiceNoSystem": "This device reports no system voices. The natural voice works anywhere — or add a voice in your system settings.",
"podcast.voiceSilent": "The system voice did not start — this browser has no speech engine behind it. On Firefox/Linux install speech-dispatcher (sudo apt install speech-dispatcher) and reopen this page.",
"podcast.voiceUseNatural": "Use the natural voice",
"podcast.voiceOpenProviders": "Add a provider key",
"podcast.voiceGenerating": "Generating the voice…",
"podcast.voiceRobotic": "Only the basic system voices are installed. For a natural host voice, add one in your system settings (Windows: Speech; macOS: Spoken Content; Chrome ships the Google voices).",
"podcast.tapToJump": "Tap any word to jump there.",
@ -1401,6 +1404,9 @@ const cs: Record<string, string> = {
"podcast.voiceNaturalNote": "Generuje ho klíč tvého providera — slova jsou časovaná podle audia, takže zvýraznění drží s hlasem.",
"podcast.voiceNeedsKey": "Pro přirozené hlasy si v Nastavení → Provideři přidej klíč OpenAI nebo Groq.",
"podcast.voiceNoSystem": "Tohle zařízení nehlásí žádné systémové hlasy. Přirozený hlas funguje všude — nebo si hlas přidej v nastavení systému.",
"podcast.voiceSilent": "Systémový hlas se nespustil — prohlížeč za ním nemá žádný hlasový engine. Na Firefoxu/Linuxu doinstaluj speech-dispatcher (sudo apt install speech-dispatcher) a stránku otevři znovu.",
"podcast.voiceUseNatural": "Použít přirozený hlas",
"podcast.voiceOpenProviders": "Přidat klíč providera",
"podcast.voiceGenerating": "Generuji hlas…",
"podcast.voiceRobotic": "Jsou nainstalované jen základní systémové hlasy. Pro přirozený hlas moderátora si nějaký přidej v nastavení systému (Windows: Řeč; macOS: Mluvený obsah; Chrome má hlasy Google).",
"podcast.tapToJump": "Klikni na kterékoli slovo a přeskočíš tam.",

View file

@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
{
"name": "freezmo",
"version": "0.7.7",
"version": "0.7.8",
"private": true,
"license": "GPL-3.0-only",
"scripts": {

View file

@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
*
* Bumping CACHE_VERSION is how a new deploy invalidates old assets.
*/
const CACHE_VERSION = "freezmo-v99";
const CACHE_VERSION = "freezmo-v100";
const SHELL_CACHE = `${CACHE_VERSION}-shell`;
const ASSET_CACHE = `${CACHE_VERSION}-assets`;

View file

@ -73,7 +73,8 @@ Object.defineProperty(window, "speechSynthesis", {
configurable: true,
value: {
speak(utterance) { window.__utterances.push(utterance); queueMicrotask(() => utterance.onstart && utterance.onstart({ name: "start", charIndex: 0 })); },
cancel() {}, getVoices() { return []; }, addEventListener() {}, removeEventListener() {}, speaking: false, paused: false,
cancel() {}, getVoices() { return [{ name: "Daniel", lang: "en-GB", voiceURI: "daniel", localService: true, default: true }]; },
addEventListener() {}, removeEventListener() {}, speaking: false, paused: false,
},
});
`;
@ -160,7 +161,8 @@ Object.defineProperty(window, "speechSynthesis", {
},
cancel() { window.__cancelCount += 1; this._speaking = false; this._paused = true; },
resume() { this._paused = false; },
getVoices() { return []; },
/* One installed voice: a working engine, which is what this stub is. */
getVoices() { return [{ name: "Daniel", lang: "en-GB", voiceURI: "daniel", localService: true, default: true }]; },
},
});
`;
@ -383,6 +385,57 @@ try {
await context.close();
}
/* 4b2b. no speech engine behind the browser (Firefox on Linux) ------- */
{
const { context, page } = await makePage(browser, { width: 390, height: 844, deviceScaleFactor: 1, isMobile: true, hasTouch: true });
/* speechSynthesis exists but is empty and silent — exactly what Firefox
does on a Linux box without speech-dispatcher. */
await page.addInitScript(() => {
class FakeUtterance {
constructor(text) { this.text = String(text); this.rate = 1; this.lang = "en-US"; }
}
Object.defineProperty(window, "SpeechSynthesisUtterance", { configurable: true, value: FakeUtterance });
Object.defineProperty(window, "speechSynthesis", {
configurable: true,
value: {
speak() { /* nothing at all: no engine, no events */ },
cancel() {},
getVoices: () => [],
addEventListener() {},
removeEventListener() {},
speaking: false,
paused: false,
},
});
localStorage.setItem(
"freezmo.providers.v1",
JSON.stringify({ keys: { openai: "sk-test" }, models: {}, customBaseUrl: "", generation: null }),
);
});
await seed(page, { decks: [], theme: "dark", extra: { "freezmo.podcasts.v1": JSON.stringify([EPISODE_RECORD]) } });
await page.goto(`${APP}/podcast/pod_local`, { waitUntil: "networkidle" });
await page.waitForTimeout(1000);
await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Play the episode" }).click();
await page.waitForTimeout(400);
const banner = await page.getByText(/speech engine behind it/).count();
check("no engine: the banner explains what is missing", banner === 1, String(banner));
check(
"no engine: it names the Linux fix",
(await page.getByText(/speech-dispatcher/).count()) === 1,
);
const toNatural = page.getByRole("button", { name: "Use the natural voice" });
check("no engine: the one-tap way out is offered", (await toNatural.count()) === 1);
await toNatural.click();
await page.waitForTimeout(400);
check(
"no engine: the switch sticks",
(await page.evaluate(() => localStorage.getItem("freezmo.podcast-natural.v1")))?.includes("natural"),
String(await page.evaluate(() => localStorage.getItem("freezmo.podcast-natural.v1"))),
);
await context.close();
}
/* 4b3. natural voices: the provider TTS behind the same player ------- */
{
const { context, page } = await makePage(browser, { width: 390, height: 844, deviceScaleFactor: 1, isMobile: true, hasTouch: true });