espeak_setup_fix.md

ESpeak-NG Setup Fix

Issue Description

Users are reporting two distinct errors:

1. Missing espeak-ng-data/phontab file:

Error processing file '/home/runner/work/espeakng-loader/espeakng-loader/espeak-ng/_dynamic/share/espeak-ng-data/phontab': No such file or directory.

2. Invalid pipeline state:

Error generating speech: The object is in an invalid state.

Root Cause Analysis

1. ESpeak-NG Data Issue

The dependency chain has changed:

Before:
kokoro-fastapi (phonemizer 3.3.0) -> kokoro -> misaki -> phonemizer

After:
kokoro-fastapi -> kokoro -> misaki -> phonemizer-fork + espeakng-loader

The issue arises because:

1. misaki now uses espeakng-loader to manage espeak paths
2. espeakng-loader looks for data in its package directory
3. We have a direct dependency on phonemizer 3.3.0 that conflicts

2. Pipeline State Issue

The "invalid state" error occurs due to device mismatch in pipeline creation.

Solution

1. For ESpeak-NG Data

Update dependencies and environment:

1. Remove direct phonemizer dependency:

- "phonemizer==3.3.0",  # Remove this

2. Let misaki handle phonemizer-fork and espeakng-loader

3. Set environment variable in Dockerfile:

ENV PHONEMIZER_ESPEAK_PATH=/usr/bin \
    PHONEMIZER_ESPEAK_DATA=/usr/share/espeak-ng-data \
    ESPEAK_DATA_PATH=/usr/share/espeak-ng-data  # Add this

This approach:

• Works with misaki's new dependencies
• Maintains our working espeak setup
• Avoids complex file copying or path manipulation

2. For Pipeline State

Use kokoro_v1's pipeline management:

# Instead of creating pipelines directly:
# pipeline = KPipeline(...)

# Use backend's pipeline management:
pipeline = backend._get_pipeline(pipeline_lang_code)

Implementation Steps

1. Update pyproject.toml:

   • Remove direct phonemizer dependency
   • Keep misaki dependency as is

2. Update Dockerfiles:

   • Add ESPEAK_DATA_PATH environment variable
   • Keep existing espeak-ng setup

3. Update tts_service.py:

   • Use backend's pipeline management
   • Add proper error handling

Testing

1. Test espeak-ng functionality:

   # Verify environment variables
   echo $ESPEAK_DATA_PATH
   echo $PHONEMIZER_ESPEAK_DATA
   
   # Check data directory
   ls /usr/share/espeak-ng-data

2. Test pipeline state:

   • Test on both CPU and GPU
   • Verify no invalid state errors
   • Test with different voice models

Success Criteria

1. No espeak-ng-data/phontab file errors
2. No invalid state errors
3. Consistent behavior across platforms
4. Successful CI/CD pipeline runs

Future Considerations

1. Potential PR to misaki:

   • Add fallback mechanism if espeakng-loader fails
   • Make path configuration more flexible
   • Add better error messages

2. Environment Variable Documentation:

   • Document ESPEAK_DATA_PATH requirement
   • Explain interaction with espeakng-loader
   • Provide platform-specific setup instructions

Notes

• This solution works with misaki's new dependencies while maintaining our setup
• Environment variable approach is simpler than file copying
• May want to contribute improvements back to misaki later