This page was last edited on February 20, 2026
The method for configuring Orca to be launched automatically as the preferred screen reader will depend upon which desktop environment is use. These commands are for the GNOME desktop.
Keybinding to launch Orca:
To toggle Orca on and off in GNOME, press:
Super+Alt+s
NOTE: If you have a Dell machine with Ubuntu pre-installed, press:
Ctrl+Alt+s
Terminal and Run Dialog Commands
Orca can be launched with a command in a terminal window or within the Run dialog.
To open a terminal window in GNOME, press:
Ctrl+Alt+t
To open a Run dialog in GNOME, press:
Alt+F2
With a terminal window, or the Run dialog open, type:
orca
Load-Time Options
The following options can be specified when launching Orca in a terminal window or within the Run dialog:
| Options | Description |
|---|---|
| -h, --help | Show the help message |
| -v, --version | Show the version of Orca |
| -s, --setup | Set up user preferences |
| -u, --user-prefs=dirname | Use dirname as the alternate directory for user preferences |
| -e, --enable=option | Force use of option, where the option can be one of the following:
|
| -d, --disable=option | Prevent the use of an option, where the option can be one of the following:
|
| -p, --profile=filename | Import a profile from a given Orca profile file |
| -r, --replace | Replace a currently-running Orca |
| -l, --list-apps | Print the known running applications |
| --debug | Send debug output to debug-YYYY-MM-DD-HH:MM:SS.out |
| --debug-file=filename | Send debug output to the specified file |