"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.