chore(release): prepare v0.6.0-beta with whisper.cpp as default (#181)

* docs: update all documentation for whisper.cpp as default engine

Comprehensive documentation update highlighting whisper.cpp as the new
default speech recognition engine:

README.md:
- Added 'Major Change: whisper.cpp is Now Default!' section
- Updated Features to highlight whisper.cpp and Vulkan GPU support
- Updated Quick Install section with engine choices
- Changed default engine from whisper to whisper_cpp in examples
- Updated configuration examples
- Updated roadmap to mark whisper.cpp as complete

docs/INSTALL.md:
- Added whisper.cpp section with performance benefits
- Updated installation options (--engine flag)
- Added GPU support matrix and Vulkan detection info
- Added installation time comparison table
- Updated system requirements (lower disk space for whisper.cpp)

docs/USER_GUIDE.md:
- Added comprehensive 'Choosing Your Engine' section
- Added GPU acceleration information
- Updated tips to mention whisper.cpp benefits
- Added model size recommendations

web/src/app/page.tsx:
- Updated hero to mention whisper.cpp (C++ optimized, Vulkan support)
- Changed installation time from ~5-10 min to ~1-2 min
- Updated Features section to mention Vulkan GPU support
- Added whisper.cpp as default engine card (3-column layout)
- Updated installation commands (--engine flags)
- Updated FAQ about switching engines

This ensures all documentation reflects whisper.cpp as the new default
and highlights its major benefits: 10x faster install, universal GPU
support, and C++ optimized performance.

* chore(release): prepare v0.6.0-beta

This release brings whisper.cpp as the new default speech recognition engine:

Version Updates:
- Bump version from 0.5.0-beta to 0.6.0-beta
- Update src/vocalinux/version.py
- Update web/package.json

Documentation Updates:
- README.md: Update all v0.5.0-beta references to v0.6.0-beta
- docs/INSTALL.md: Update version references and installation commands
- docs/UPDATE.md: Add new 'What's New' section highlighting whisper.cpp
- SECURITY.md: Update supported versions table (0.6.x now supported)

Website Updates:
- web/src/app/layout.tsx: Update softwareVersion to 0.6.0-beta

Release Highlights:
- whisper.cpp is now the default engine (10x faster install!)
- Universal GPU support via Vulkan (AMD, Intel, NVIDIA)
- C++ optimized inference with multi-threading
- ~1-2 minute installation vs ~5-10 minutes before

Testing:
- All 472 tests passing
- Black formatting clean
- Flake8 linting clean
- isort import ordering clean

* ui(website): improve hero section layout

* docs(readme): remove duplicate What's New section
This commit is contained in:
Jatin K Malik
2026-02-11 20:33:28 -08:00
committed by GitHub
parent 051c84fd84
commit 03d55a989f
9 changed files with 403 additions and 178 deletions
+62 -5
View File
@@ -46,7 +46,11 @@ Vocalinux supports several commands that you can speak to control formatting:
3. **Moderate pace**: Don't speak too quickly or too slowly
4. **Quiet environment**: Minimize background noise when possible
5. **Learn commands**: Familiarize yourself with voice commands for punctuation and formatting
6. **Use larger models**: For better accuracy, use `vocalinux --model medium` or `--model large`
6. **Use GPU acceleration**: If you have a GPU (AMD, Intel, or NVIDIA), whisper.cpp will automatically use it for faster transcription
7. **Choose the right model**:
- For real-time dictation: Use `tiny` or `base` (fastest)
- For better accuracy: Use `vocalinux --model medium` or `--model large`
8. **Check debug logs**: Run `vocalinux --debug` to see which backend is being used (Vulkan, CUDA, or CPU)
## Customization
@@ -59,12 +63,65 @@ Vocalinux uses a double-tap Ctrl keyboard shortcut for starting and stopping voi
### Model Settings
You can change the speech recognition model for better accuracy or faster performance:
You can change the speech recognition engine and model for better accuracy or faster performance:
1. Open settings from the tray icon menu
### Choosing Your Engine
Vocalinux now offers **three speech recognition engines**:
1. **whisper.cpp** ⭐ (Default) - High-performance C++ engine
- Fastest installation (~1-2 min)
- Works with AMD, Intel, NVIDIA GPUs via Vulkan
- True multi-threading (no Python GIL)
- Best for most users
2. **Whisper** (OpenAI) - PyTorch-based engine
- NVIDIA GPU only (requires CUDA)
- Larger download (~2.3GB with PyTorch)
- Installation takes ~5-10 min
- Use if you specifically need PyTorch features
3. **VOSK** - Lightweight engine
- Smallest footprint (~40MB)
- CPU only
- Great for older systems or minimal resource usage
### Changing Engine and Model
1. Open settings from the tray icon menu (right-click)
2. Go to the "Recognition" tab
3. Select your preferred model size (tiny is the default, use larger models for better accuracy)
4. Choose between Whisper (default, more accurate) and VOSK (lighter weight, faster)
3. Select your **Speech Engine**:
- whisper_cpp (recommended)
- whisper
- vosk
4. Select your **Model Size**:
- **tiny** (~39MB) - Fastest, good for real-time dictation
- **base** (~74MB) - Good balance
- **small** (~244MB) - Better accuracy
- **medium** (~769MB) - High accuracy
- **large** (~1.5GB) - Best accuracy, slower
### When to Use Each Model
**For real-time dictation:** Use **tiny** or **base** - they're fast enough to keep up with your speech.
**For transcription:** Use **small** or **medium** - better accuracy for recorded audio.
**For maximum accuracy:** Use **large** - best results but requires more RAM and GPU power.
### GPU Acceleration
**whisper.cpp** automatically uses GPU acceleration when available:
- **Vulkan** (AMD, Intel, NVIDIA) - Automatically detected and used
- **CUDA** (NVIDIA only) - Fallback if Vulkan not available
- **CPU** - Always works as fallback
To check which backend is being used, look for these log messages when starting Vocalinux:
```
[INFO] whisper.cpp using Vulkan GPU backend: AMD Radeon RX 6800
[INFO] whisper.cpp configured with n_threads=16
```
## Troubleshooting