Chichi, to improve the accessibility and efficiency of Thunderbird with NVDA, Jaws and Linux

Versions : 2.0 pour Thunderbird 102 et ultérieurs ;
Auteur : Yannick (philaos)

Table of contents

• Warning
• 1. Presentation
• 2. Download and install
  • 2.1. Add-on for Jaws
• 3. Set startup folder
• 4. Chichi's commands
• 5. Column arrangement
• 6. History of changes

Warning

Chichi is not finished, so this page is provisional.

This documentation has been translated from French with Google Translate, errors are possible.

1. Presentation

Chichi is an add-on that installs directly on Thunderbird. It offers various features and commands that make it easier to use this email client with NVDA and Jaws screen readers for Windows as well as that of Linux.

2. Download and install

Proceed as indicated below:

• Download the latest version of ChichiAT FREE.FR;
• Go to your download folder then select the file: chichiAT FREE.FR-....xpi;
• Press Shift+F10 and in the contextual menu, validate on: Copy as path, a;
• Launch or switch to Thunderbird;
• Open the Tools menu then validate on: Complementary modules and Themes;
• In the tab that opened, activate the sub-tab: Extensions;
• Tab until you hear the button: Tools for all modules, then press Enter;
• In the contextual menu, go down then validate on: Install a module from a file;
• In the file opening dialog that has opened, paste the access path that you copied previously in the "File name" field then validate on the "OK" button;
  Note: if you have not copied this path, you will need to locate the chichiAT FREE.FR.xpi file from this dialog;
• Follow the procedure until its completion;
• Restart Thunderbird;
• If you are using the Thunderbird+4 extension for NVDA, you must restart NVDA by pressing Control+Alt+n. This will allow Thunderbird+4 to detect Chichi's presence. You will have to do the same after each deactivation and reactivation of Chichi;

2.1. Add-on for Jaws

In order for Chichi to make Jaws speak, it is necessary to copy a DLL into the Thunderbird installation folder.

Proceed as follows:

• Download the DLL for Jaws;
• Extract the archive, a Chichi-DLL-Jaws subfolder will be created. Place yourself in it;
• Select the file: Copy DLL to Thunderbird.cmd;
• Press the Applications key or Shift+F10 and in the contextual menu, validate on: Run as administrator;
• Restart Thunderbird;

3. Set startup folder

When Thunderbird starts, Chichi can select the main tab and a folder in the tree that you have set as the startup folder.

To do this, select the folder you consult first in the morning then press the Applications key or Shift+f10;
In the contextual menu, go down then validate on "Startup folder" in order to check this item;
Restart Thunderbird to see the result;

Note: If you are using the Start With inbox module, it is best to disable it;

4. Chichi's commands

These commands are executed by pressing the following hotkeys:

• Space on a message from the message list,as long as the preview pane is displayed with F8:
  A single keystroke: reads the content of the RSS feed message or article;
  By double typing: displays the list of links contained in the message. Pressing enter on one of these will take you to the page in your web browser;
  For an RSS feed article, this shortcut will open it in your browser;
• A letter or a number in the folder tree: reaches the next folder whose name begins with the typed character;
• Alt+F1: displays the list of folders that contain unread messages. Pressing Enter on one of these folders will take you to the first unread message in that folder. The Space key marks the file as read, without asking for confirmation;
• Alt+f2: displays the list of inboxes of your e-mail accounts. Pressing Enter on one of these folders activates it in the tree;
• Alt+f3: Displays the list of columns of the list of messages in order to be able to add, delete or move them;

5. Column arrangement

Proceed as follows:

• Press Alt+F3;
• Explanations of the author:
  This list consists of 2 parts:
  
  the one at the top groups the visible columns, while the other groups the hidden ones.
  
  columns belonging to the second group cannot be moved.
  
  move commands:
  
  control +up arrow moves the column up, i.e. left when on a post.
  
  control + down arrow moves the column down, i.e. to the right when you are on a message.
  
  control+left arrow moves the column to the very top i.e. to the far left when you are on a message.
  
  control + right arrow moves the column all the way down, i.e. to the far right when you are on a message.
  
  to add or remove a column:
  
  use space bar for column indent or add.
  
  the first (topmost) group contains columns that can be removed, but the second group contains columns that can be added to the first group.
  
  simpler: these groups act as communicating vessels, by removing a column in one of the groups, the latter appears immediately in the other.
  
  
  
  Alt+F4: displays in a list your accounts that can be moved.
  
  the following keys will be able to change the order in which your accounts appear:
  
  control + up arrow moves the count up.
  
  control + down arrow moves your account down
  
  control + left arrow moves the count to the top.
  
  control + right arrow moves the count all the way down.
  
  These changes will take effect after restarting Thunderbird.
  

1. See also + Thunderbird+ extension for NVDA using Chichi

6. History of changes