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Installation Guide

This guide provides detailed instructions for installing Vocalinux on Linux systems.

🚀 Quick Start

One-liner Installation (Recommended)

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jatinkrmalik/vocalinux/main/install.sh | bash

Note

: Always installs the latest release with whisper.cpp (our default engine). For a specific version, check GitHub Releases.

That's it! The installer handles everything automatically:

  • ✅ Installs whisper.cpp (~1-2 minutes, no heavy dependencies!)
  • ✅ Auto-detects your GPU (AMD, Intel, NVIDIA all supported)
  • ✅ Downloads the tiny model (~39MB)
  • ✅ Configures everything automatically

⏱️ Installation Time: ~1-2 minutes (vs 5-10 minutes with old Whisper AI)

From Source

git clone https://github.com/jatinkrmalik/vocalinux.git && cd vocalinux && ./install.sh

From PyPI

The PyPI package installs the Python application and Python dependencies, but it cannot install Linux desktop packages such as GTK typelibs, AppIndicator, PortAudio, or text injection tools. Install those system packages first, then install Vocalinux in a virtual environment.

Ubuntu/Debian:

sudo apt install -y \
    python3-venv python3-dev python3-gi python3-gi-cairo \
    gir1.2-gtk-3.0 gir1.2-ayatanaappindicator3-0.1 \
    libgirepository1.0-dev libcairo2-dev portaudio19-dev \
    pkg-config xdotool wtype

python3 -m venv ~/.local/share/vocalinux-pypi/venv --system-site-packages
source ~/.local/share/vocalinux-pypi/venv/bin/activate
pip install --upgrade pip setuptools wheel
pip install vocalinux
vocalinux

Fedora:

sudo dnf install -y \
    python3-virtualenv python3-devel python3-gobject gtk3 gtk3-devel \
    libappindicator-gtk3 gobject-introspection-devel portaudio-devel \
    pkg-config xdotool wtype

python3 -m venv ~/.local/share/vocalinux-pypi/venv --system-site-packages
source ~/.local/share/vocalinux-pypi/venv/bin/activate
pip install --upgrade pip setuptools wheel
pip install vocalinux
vocalinux

Arch Linux:

sudo pacman -S --needed \
    python python-virtualenv python-gobject gtk3 libappindicator-gtk3 \
    gobject-introspection python-cairo portaudio pkg-config xdotool wtype

python -m venv ~/.local/share/vocalinux-pypi/venv --system-site-packages
source ~/.local/share/vocalinux-pypi/venv/bin/activate
pip install --upgrade pip setuptools wheel
pip install vocalinux
vocalinux

If vocalinux starts but reports a missing speech model, open Settings and download a model, or use the recommended installer which downloads the default model during setup.

On Ubuntu 24.04+ or Pop!_OS, install libgirepository-2.0-dev if libgirepository1.0-dev is not available.

System Requirements

Requirement Details
Operating System Ubuntu 22.04+ (recommended), Debian 11+, Fedora 38+, Arch Linux
Python 3.9 or newer
Display Server X11 or Wayland
Hardware Microphone for speech input
Disk Space ~200MB (including whisper.cpp model)
RAM 4GB minimum, works great with 8GB

GPU Support (Optional)

whisper.cpp supports GPU acceleration via Vulkan, which works with:

  • ✅ AMD GPUs (RX series, integrated graphics)
  • ✅ Intel GPUs (Arc, integrated graphics)
  • ✅ NVIDIA GPUs (RTX, GTX series)

No special drivers needed - if your GPU supports Vulkan, whisper.cpp will use it automatically!

To check Vulkan support: vulkaninfo --summary

Installation Options

Interactive Installation (Recommended)

The new interactive installer guides you through engine selection:

./install.sh

Choose your engine:

  1. whisper.cpp ⭐ (Recommended) - Fast, works with any GPU via Vulkan
  2. Whisper (OpenAI) - PyTorch-based, NVIDIA GPU only
  3. VOSK - Lightweight, works on older systems

The installer will auto-detect your hardware and recommend the best option!

Automatic Installation

Skip the interactive prompts with --auto:

./install.sh --auto                    # Default: whisper.cpp
./install.sh --auto --engine=whisper   # Use OpenAI Whisper
./install.sh --auto --engine=vosk      # Use VOSK only

Development Installation

For contributing or development work:

./install.sh --dev

This installs additional tools: pytest, black, isort, flake8, pre-commit.

All Installer Options

./install.sh --help

Installation Modes:
  (no flags)       Interactive mode - guided setup with recommendations
  --auto           Automatic mode - install with defaults (whisper.cpp)
  --auto --engine=whisper   Auto mode with Whisper engine

Options:
  --interactive, -i  Force interactive mode (default)
  --auto           Non-interactive automatic installation
  --engine=NAME    Speech engine: whisper_cpp (default), whisper, vosk
  --dev            Install in development mode with all dev dependencies
  --test           Run tests after installation
  --venv-dir=PATH  Specify custom virtual environment directory
  --skip-models    Skip downloading speech models during installation
  --rebuild-whispercpp     Rebuild/reinstall pywhispercpp even if already installed
  --no-rebuild-whispercpp  Reuse existing pywhispercpp when present (auto-mode default)
  --tag=TAG        Install specific release tag
  --help           Show this help message

Examples:
  ./install.sh                           # Interactive mode (recommended)
  ./install.sh --auto                    # Auto-install with whisper.cpp
  ./install.sh --auto --engine=vosk      # Auto-install VOSK only
  ./install.sh --dev --test              # Dev mode with tests

What the Installer Does

  1. Detects your Linux distribution and installs appropriate system packages
  2. Creates a Python virtual environment with system site-packages access
  3. Installs the Vocalinux package and all dependencies
  4. Installs the speech recognition engine you selected:
    • whisper.cpp (default): High-performance C++ engine with Vulkan GPU support
    • Whisper: OpenAI's PyTorch-based engine (NVIDIA GPU only)
    • VOSK: Lightweight engine for older systems
  5. Downloads speech recognition models:
    • whisper.cpp: ~39MB tiny model (or larger if selected)
    • Whisper: ~75MB tiny model + PyTorch dependencies (~2.3GB with CUDA)
    • VOSK: ~40MB small model
  6. Installs desktop integration (icons, .desktop file)
  7. Creates activation script for easy environment activation

Installation Time Comparison

Engine Download Size Install Time GPU Support
whisper.cpp (default) ~39-500MB ~1-2 min AMD, Intel, NVIDIA (Vulkan)
Whisper (OpenAI) ~2.3GB+ ~5-10 min NVIDIA only (CUDA)
VOSK ~40MB ~30 sec CPU only

Running Vocalinux

After installation:

# If installed via curl (and ~/.local/bin is in PATH):
vocalinux

# Or run directly:
~/.local/share/vocalinux/venv/bin/vocalinux

# If installed from source:
source venv/bin/activate
vocalinux

Command Line Options

vocalinux --help                  # Show all options
vocalinux --debug                 # Enable debug logging
vocalinux --engine whisper_cpp    # Use whisper.cpp engine (default)
vocalinux --engine whisper        # Use OpenAI Whisper engine
vocalinux --engine vosk           # Use VOSK engine
vocalinux --model tiny            # Use tiny model (default, fastest)
vocalinux --model small           # Use small model
vocalinux --model medium          # Use medium model
vocalinux --model large           # Use large model
vocalinux --wayland               # Force Wayland compatibility mode
vocalinux --start-minimized       # Start without first-run modal prompts

Autostart Approach

Vocalinux autostart is implemented with XDG Autostart (desktop entry), not as a systemd background service.

  • Enabling Start on Login creates vocalinux.desktop in:
    • $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/autostart/, or
    • ~/.config/autostart/ (fallback)
  • The autostart entry launches Vocalinux as a normal user desktop app at login.
  • No systemd --user unit is created by Vocalinux for this feature.

This keeps behavior aligned with standard Linux desktop sessions and avoids service/session environment mismatches for GUI apps.

Directory Structure

Vocalinux follows the XDG Base Directory Specification:

Directory Purpose
~/.config/vocalinux/ Configuration files
~/.local/share/vocalinux/ Application data, speech models
~/.local/share/applications/ Desktop entry
~/.local/share/icons/hicolor/scalable/apps/ Application icons

Manual Installation

If you prefer manual installation or the automatic installer doesn't work:

1. Install System Dependencies

Ubuntu:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y \
    python3-pip python3-venv python3-dev \
    python3-gi python3-gi-cairo \
    gir1.2-gtk-3.0 \
    libgirepository1.0-dev portaudio19-dev \
    wget curl unzip

# For appindicator (system tray icon):
# - On older Ubuntu versions:
sudo apt install -y gir1.2-appindicator3-0.1
# - On newer Ubuntu versions:
sudo apt install -y gir1.2-ayatanaappindicator3-0.1

# For X11
sudo apt install -y xdotool

# For Wayland
sudo apt install -y wtype

Debian 11/12:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y \
    python3-pip python3-venv python3-dev \
    python3-gi python3-gi-cairo \
    gir1.2-gtk-3.0 \
    libgirepository1.0-dev libcairo2-dev portaudio19-dev \
    wget curl unzip

# For appindicator (system tray icon):
sudo apt install -y gir1.2-ayatanaappindicator3-0.1

# For X11
sudo apt install -y xdotool

# For Wayland
sudo apt install -y wtype

Debian 13+:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y \
    python3-pip python3-venv python3-dev \
    python3-gi python3-gi-cairo \
    gir1.2-gtk-3.0 \
    libgirepository-2.0-dev libcairo2-dev portaudio19-dev \
    wget curl unzip

# For appindicator (system tray icon):
sudo apt install -y gir1.2-ayatanaappindicator3-0.1

# For X11
sudo apt install -y xdotool

# For Wayland
sudo apt install -y wtype

Fedora:

sudo dnf install -y \
    python3-pip python3-devel python3-virtualenv \
    python3-gobject gtk3 libappindicator-gtk3 \
    gobject-introspection-devel portaudio-devel \
    wget curl unzip xdotool

Arch Linux:

sudo pacman -S --noconfirm \
    python-pip python-gobject gtk3 \
    libappindicator-gtk3 gobject-introspection \
    python-cairo portaudio python-virtualenv \
    wget curl unzip xdotool

2. Create Virtual Environment

cd vocalinux
python3 -m venv venv --system-site-packages
source venv/bin/activate
pip install --upgrade pip setuptools wheel

3. Install Package

# Standard installation
pip install .

# With Whisper support
pip install ".[whisper]"

# Development mode
pip install -e ".[dev]"

For PyPI instead of a local checkout, use pip install vocalinux after installing the same system packages and creating the virtual environment with --system-site-packages.

4. Set Up Desktop Integration

# Create directories
mkdir -p ~/.config/vocalinux
mkdir -p ~/.local/share/vocalinux/models
mkdir -p ~/.local/share/applications
mkdir -p ~/.local/share/icons/hicolor/scalable/apps

# Install desktop entry
cp vocalinux.desktop ~/.local/share/applications/
VENV_PATH=$(realpath venv/bin/vocalinux)
sed -i "s|^Exec=vocalinux|Exec=$VENV_PATH|" ~/.local/share/applications/vocalinux.desktop

# Install icons
cp resources/icons/scalable/*.svg ~/.local/share/icons/hicolor/scalable/apps/

# Update icon cache
gtk-update-icon-cache -f -t ~/.local/share/icons/hicolor

About whisper.cpp

What is whisper.cpp?

whisper.cpp is a high-performance C++ port of OpenAI's Whisper speech recognition model. It's now the default engine in Vocalinux because it offers significant advantages:

Performance Benefits:

  • 10x faster installation - No 2.3GB PyTorch download (just ~39MB model)
  • C++ optimized inference - Faster than Python-based Whisper
  • True multi-threading - Uses all CPU cores (no Python GIL limitations)
  • Lower memory usage - More efficient than PyTorch

GPU Support:

  • Vulkan acceleration - Works with AMD, Intel, and NVIDIA GPUs
  • Automatic backend selection - Uses Vulkan → CUDA → CPU (in that order)
  • No special drivers - Just needs standard Vulkan support

Models: whisper.cpp uses the same models as OpenAI Whisper, converted to ggml format:

  • tiny (~39MB) - Fastest, good for real-time dictation
  • base (~74MB) - Good balance of speed and accuracy
  • small (~244MB) - Better accuracy, still fast
  • medium (~769MB) - High accuracy
  • large (~1.5GB) - Best accuracy, slower

Checking GPU Support

To verify your GPU is detected:

# Check Vulkan support (for AMD, Intel, NVIDIA)
vulkaninfo --summary | grep -i "deviceName"

# In Vocalinux, look for these log messages:
# [INFO] whisper.cpp backend selection priority: Vulkan -> CUDA -> CPU
# [INFO] whisper.cpp using Vulkan GPU backend: AMD Radeon RX 6800

Reusing Existing whisper.cpp Builds

When updating an existing install, the installer checks for a working pywhispercpp installation before rebuilding it. Interactive installs ask whether to rebuild, with the default set to no. Automatic installs reuse the existing build by default.

./install.sh --auto                         # Reuse pywhispercpp if already installed
./install.sh --auto --rebuild-whispercpp    # Force a rebuild/reinstall

Switching Engines

If you want to try a different engine after installation:

# Edit the config file
nano ~/.config/vocalinux/config.json

Change the engine field:

{
  "speech_recognition": {
    "engine": "whisper_cpp",  // Options: whisper_cpp, whisper, vosk
    "model_size": "tiny"
  }
}

Or use the GUI: Right-click tray icon → Settings → Speech Engine

Troubleshooting

Virtual Environment Issues

Symptom: "command not found: vocalinux"

Solution:

# Make sure you've activated the environment
source activate-vocalinux.sh

# Or activate directly
source venv/bin/activate

Audio Input Problems

Symptom: "No audio detected" or microphone not working

Solutions:

  1. Check system audio settings
  2. Run arecord -l to list audio devices
  3. Try with debug mode: vocalinux --debug
  4. Check microphone permissions

GTK/AppIndicator Errors

Symptom: "No module named gi" or AppIndicator errors

Solution:

# Reinstall GTK dependencies
sudo apt install python3-gi python3-gi-cairo

# For appindicator (system tray icon) - try one of these:
sudo apt install gir1.2-appindicator3-0.1  # For older Debian/Ubuntu
# OR
sudo apt install gir1.2-ayatanaappindicator3-0.1  # For Debian 11+ or newer Ubuntu

# Recreate venv with system packages
rm -rf venv
python3 -m venv venv --system-site-packages
source venv/bin/activate
pip install -e .

Text Injection Not Working

Symptom: Recognized text doesn't appear in applications

Solutions:

For X11:

sudo apt install xdotool
# Test: xdotool type "hello"

For Wayland:

sudo apt install wtype
# Test: wtype "hello"

Model Download Fails

Symptom: Can't download speech models

Solution:

# Models will auto-download on first run
# Or manually download:
mkdir -p ~/.local/share/vocalinux/models
cd ~/.local/share/vocalinux/models
wget https://alphacephei.com/vosk/models/vosk-model-small-en-us-0.15.zip
unzip vosk-model-small-en-us-0.15.zip

Model names with more language and size variety can be found in VOSK Models page.

Icons Not Displaying

Symptom: Tray icon missing or generic

Solution:

# Refresh icon cache
gtk-update-icon-cache -f -t ~/.local/share/icons/hicolor

# Restart the application

Uninstallation

Using the Uninstaller

./uninstall.sh

Options:

  • --keep-config - Keep configuration files
  • --keep-data - Keep application data (models, etc.)

Manual Uninstallation

# Remove application files
rm -rf venv
rm -f activate-vocalinux.sh

# Remove user data
rm -rf ~/.config/vocalinux
rm -rf ~/.local/share/vocalinux
rm -f ~/.local/share/applications/vocalinux.desktop
rm -f ~/.local/share/icons/hicolor/scalable/apps/vocalinux*.svg

# Update icon cache
gtk-update-icon-cache -f -t ~/.local/share/icons/hicolor

Updating Vocalinux

Already have Vocalinux installed? See the Update Guide for instructions on upgrading to the latest version.

Quick update command:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jatinkrmalik/vocalinux/main/install.sh | bash

Getting Help

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