I get a different crash on 17.10, can you confirm this is the version you're using as well?
ouroumov@Artful-a2:~/Desktop$ apt-cache policy gnome-orca gnome-orca: Installed: 3.24.0-1ubuntu1 Candidate: 3.24.0-1ubuntu1 Version table: *** 3.24.0-1ubuntu1 500 500 http://fr.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu artful/main amd64 Packages 500 http://fr.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu artful/main i386 Packages 100 /var/lib/dpkg/status ouroumov@Artful-a2:~/Desktop$ which orca /usr/bin/orca ouroumov@Artful-a2:~/Desktop$ orca Traceback (most recent call last): File "/usr/bin/orca", line 272, in <module> sys.exit(main()) File "/usr/bin/orca", line 251, in main manager.activate(args.user_prefs, settingsDict) File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/orca/settings_manager.py", line 131, in activate raise Exception('SettingsManager._loadBackend failed.') Exception: SettingsManager._loadBackend failed. ouroumov@Artful-a2:~/Desktop$ -- You received this bug notification because you are a member of Desktop Packages, which is subscribed to gnome-orca in Ubuntu. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1704847 Title: orca crashes on startup Status in gnome-orca package in Ubuntu: Incomplete Bug description: Every time I run orca, it crashes immediately with the following message. ----- Fatal Python error: Segmentation fault Stack (most recent call first): File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/pyatspi/registry.py", line 219 in registerEventListener File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/orca/event_manager.py", line 410 in _registerListener File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/orca/event_manager.py", line 443 in registerScriptListeners File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/orca/script.py", line 269 in registerEventListeners File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/orca/scripts/default.py", line 720 in registerEventListeners File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/orca/script_manager.py", line 69 in activate File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/orca/orca.py", line 394 in loadUserSettings File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/orca/orca.py", line 514 in init File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/orca/orca.py", line 696 in main File "/usr/bin/orca", line 269 in main File "/usr/bin/orca", line 272 in <module> Segmentation fault To manage notifications about this bug go to: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-orca/+bug/1704847/+subscriptions -- Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~desktop-packages Post to : desktop-packages@lists.launchpad.net Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~desktop-packages More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp