For a text-only guided setup, open a Run dialog with Alt+F2 or Meta+R and use the command orca --text-setup Enter.
The first time Orca is launched you will be asked a few questions:
First you will be presented with a list of languages to choose from; there are currently about 45 languages supported. Most of this list will scroll off the screen, so you may have to use the terminal's scrollbar to view earlier parts of the list. Type in the number of your language choice (e.g., 7 for American English) and press Enter. You do not need to wait for the entire list to be spoken, and Orca attempts to make your default language the first choice (choice 1).
You are next asked to set Echo By Word. This option instructs Orca to speak words as you finish typing them. Type y or n and press Enter.
The next item is Key Echo. This option will speak all keys as they are pressed. Type y or n and press Enter.
Now select your desired keyboard layout; generally, you will want to choose the layout that matches your keyboard type - 1 for Desktop or 2 for Laptop. This choice will determine what key will act as the Orca modifier key. The Desktop layout uses Insert while the Laptop layout uses Caps Lock. A system, host, shift or modifier key is one which is used in conjunction with other keys, enabling keyboard access to most program functions.
Next, specify if you require braille output. This functionality assumes a BrlTTY-compatible device is available. Type y or n and press Enter. Note that you can usually just enter y here; Orca will recover gracefully and function even if it cannot find BrlTTY.
Lastly, indicate whether you want an on-screen braille output monitor. This is mostly for developers who need to verify BrlTTY output, but may also be useful in other situations, such as visually diagnosing or verifying braille output. Type y or n and press Enter.
That's it! Orca is now ready for use. If accessibility was not yet enabled, Orca does so now and asks you to logout and back in for the services to start. Type y and press Enter to restart your login session.
After completing the first-time Orca settings, use Alt+F2 or Meta+R to bring up the Run dialog, type in orca and press Enter. Accessibility functions should now be active. Orca's Configuration GUI (Section 3.2.4 ― Orca Configuration GUI) also has an option to let you indicate that Orca should be started automatically when you log in.
If you plan to use the Magnifier portion of Orca in full screen mode, nonfirm the Xserver "Composite" extension is enabled: use Alt+F2 or Meta+R to bring up the Run dialog, type in xdpyinfo and press Enter. Look for the string "Composite" in the output.