9898bb8dd9
* feat(ui): add in-app Dictation Pad for Wayland-safe dictation Dictated text can now be routed into a text box inside Vocalinux's own window instead of being injected into other applications — an explicit fallback for desktops where cross-app injection is unreliable or blocked (notably Wayland). The pad opens from the tray menu, captures dictation when enabled via Settings or its own checkbox, and lets the user copy text out by hand. 'delete that' removes the last segment in-pad. Closes #726. * fix(ui): consult live config for pad auto-reveal and Copy All The reveal gate used the controller's enabled flag, which only syncs on pad show or its own checkbox — enabling capture via the Settings switch while the pad was closed silently buffered dictation with no reveal. _apply_append now reads dictate_to_pad from the shared config. Also: Copy All copies the widget text (dictation plus in-pad edits), and re-showing the pad no longer does a wholesale set_text — the view stays incrementally in sync, so manual edits survive hide/reopen. * fix(ui): keep dictation pad capture and commands inside the pad Address all Greptile findings on PR #887: - Read the capture toggle from the shared ConfigManager instead of re-parsing config.json per segment, so a torn mid-write read can no longer fail-open and send dictation to the focused app - Sync edits made directly in the pad widget back into the controller, keeping delete semantics consistent with the visible text - Stamp queued widget operations with a generation tag so a Clear drops appends still sitting in the GTK idle queue - Route undo/redo, select all/line/word/paragraph and cut/copy/paste to pad-local implementations while capturing, so their shortcuts never reach whichever application holds focus - Track where the last segment was delivered so "delete that" follows the text rather than the current capture toggle - Annotate every new signature and add callback-level tests that pin the routing, queue, and undo behavior * fix(ui): keep pad controller, queued ops, and delete target in sync Manual edits could overwrite queued dictation in the controller because GTK input events outrank idle callbacks; the changed handler now replays pending widget ops before syncing the view. The controller also tracks dictated segments across undo snapshots, so a pad undo pops the "delete that" target instead of leaving a stale length. Catches in the pad are narrowed to the GTK/config error set per repo style, and missing type annotations are added. * fix(ui): close flush races in pad idle queue and delete retarget Flushed idle ops stayed scheduled with GLib and ran a second time, duplicating appends; each queued op now only acts while its entry is still pending. A queued full-view refresh could also erase a manual edit that landed first, so the changed-handler flush now drops stale set-text ops instead of replaying them. And clearing the pad destination on undo-to-empty kept a redo from restoring the "delete that" target; the destination flag is preserved so redo re-arms it. * fix(ui): replay pad idle ops before edits land, not after Flushing in the changed handler still let queued appends leapfrog the keystroke that fired it, and a stale dispatch could cancel a later queued op with identical text. Pending entries now match by identity, and the replay moved to insert-text/delete-range — signals that fire before the edit is applied — so queued dictation and deletes keep true chronological order against manual edits. * fix(history): target late segments to their own snippet by id A straggler from a just-ended session could merge into whichever snippet was newest when it arrived, and audio captured before a session opened was attributed to that session while decoding on its worker. - TranscriptionHistory.add returns the snippet id and the new extend_entry() extends a specific entry, replacing the positional extend_latest target in the late-segment path - session_started_floor stamps when a session opens; in-session attribution also requires the capture to postdate it - test_capture_ceiling closes the mic-test window at callback restore so test speech still decoding can no longer leak into history * fix(settings): keep deferred edits from overwriting a newer choice The deferred-persist filter treated "config still equals the baseline" as untouched, so a reopened dialog that applied a key back to its baseline value could still lose it to the closed dialog worker. - Record the generation of the apply that last wrote each advanced key; a pending edit now survives only when no newer apply wrote that key - A worker apply whose snapshot a newer apply predates now skips its reconfigure and save entirely, so collection order — not lock order — decides which snapshot wins * fix(settings): skip stale applies before stopping dictation The superseded-apply check ran after stop_recognition, so a stale worker still interrupted a live dictation session. Recognition now stops inside the apply lock, after the generation check. * fix(shortcuts): keep language edits from breaking dictation Two per-language shortcut fixes (#805): - A binding edit landing while a session is live no longer stops recognition. The dialog's per-keystroke persist still saves the new binding, but the tray defers the listener rebuild to the next IDLE transition, so a held push-to-talk keeps its release callback and a toggle session is never cut off mid-utterance. - A row edited onto a key another row holds can no longer displace that row's binding. Each row's remembered shortcut is reserved for its own row before claims run in row order, so the stealing edit is rejected and the held binding survives. - Persists that resolve to the already-saved bindings (mid-edit keystrokes, rejected duplicates, reverted fields) skip the save and the listener rebuild entirely. --------- Co-authored-by: Jatin K Malik <jatinkrmalik@gmail.com>
Vocalinux turns speech into typed text in whatever app has focus. It is a free, AGPL-3.0-licensed desktop app for X11 and Wayland. After you download a model, local engines (whisper.cpp by default, plus OpenAI Whisper, Faster Whisper, VOSK, and Parakeet) run speech-to-text on your machine. An optional remote HTTP API is off unless you configure it.
No Voca account is required. Models download once. After that, speech-to-text stays on your machine.
Current release: v0.17.0. Minor: Faster Whisper and Parakeet engines, Speech Model simple setup, first-run system language, Snap with native Wayland typing, Flatpak bundles on the GitHub Release. Details: docs/UPDATE.md.
Features
- On-device after model download: Local engines; speech-to-text stays on your machine
- X11 and Wayland: Text injection via xdotool, IBus, wtype, ydotool, or clipboard fallback
- Several engines: whisper.cpp (default), OpenAI Whisper, Faster Whisper, VOSK, Parakeet, plus optional remote HTTP API or local VocaGateway from Settings (not on-device)
- GPU acceleration: Vulkan for AMD, Intel, and NVIDIA with whisper.cpp
- Toggle or push-to-talk: New installs default to hold Right Alt; existing configs keep their shortcut
- System tray + settings: Searchable sidebar, Speech Model simple setup with Advanced as an island, status icons, audio feedback
- Start on login: XDG autostart (desktop session, not a systemd service)
- Packaging: install script, AppImage, AUR, PyPI, Snap (
--edge), Flatpak (release bundles and local build; not on Flathub)
Screenshots
Vocalinux in action. Full gallery on the website screenshots page.
Product
 Real-time voice-to-text transcription |
 System tray with listening indicator |
 About & Updates in Settings |
 Log viewer for debugging |
Settings
 Speech Engine |
 Recognition |
 Audio |
 Performance |
 General |
 Advanced |
 Floating overlay while listening (green) |
 Floating overlay while processing (amber) |
Install
Recommended (interactive installer)
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/VocaHQ/vocalinux/main/install.sh -o /tmp/vl.sh
bash /tmp/vl.sh
Prefer to review the script first: open /tmp/vl.sh before running it, or clone the repo and run ./install.sh locally.
The installer detects hardware, recommends an engine, downloads a default model (~74MB for whisper.cpp tiny), installs neural VAD when ONNX Runtime is available, and sets up desktop integration. Typical install time with whisper.cpp is about 1-2 minutes.
| Engine | When to use |
|---|---|
| whisper.cpp (default) | Best default; Vulkan GPU on AMD, Intel, and NVIDIA |
| Whisper (OpenAI) | PyTorch path; NVIDIA/CUDA |
| Faster Whisper | CPU-friendly Whisper via CTranslate2 / INT8 |
| VOSK | Low RAM / minimal footprint |
| Parakeet | CPU; NVIDIA NeMo ASR via sherpa-onnx; 25 European languages |
| Remote API | Offload to a server you configure |
Non-interactive options:
bash /tmp/vl.sh --auto # whisper.cpp defaults
bash /tmp/vl.sh --auto --engine=whisper # OpenAI Whisper
bash /tmp/vl.sh --auto --engine=faster_whisper # Faster Whisper (CPU)
bash /tmp/vl.sh --auto --engine=vosk # VOSK only
bash /tmp/vl.sh --auto --engine=parakeet # Parakeet (CPU)
For a specific release tag, see GitHub Releases or ./install.sh --tag=v0.17.0.
Arch Linux (AUR)
yay -S vocalinux
See docs/AUR.md.
AppImage
Download the x86_64 or aarch64 AppImage from Releases, mark it executable, and run it. Built against glibc 2.35 (Debian 12+, Ubuntu 22.04+, Fedora 36+, Arch, Tumbleweed). Host text-injection tools (xdotool on X11; wtype / ydotool / clipboard tools on Wayland) are still required. Current AppImages rebuild whisper.cpp with Vulkan and use the host GPU driver. Prefer the installer when you want system deps, a CUDA build, and models set up automatically.
Flatpak (any distro)
Install and auto-update via the self-hosted VocaHQ remote (flatpak update picks up each release):
flatpak install https://vocahq.github.io/vocalinux-flatpak/com.vocalinux.Vocalinux.flatpakref
The .flatpakref adds the vocahq remote and resolves the GNOME runtime through Flathub. Manually instead:
flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://dl.flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo
flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists vocahq https://vocahq.github.io/vocalinux-flatpak/vocahq.flatpakrepo
flatpak install vocahq com.vocalinux.Vocalinux
Or sideload a GitHub Release bundle (Vocalinux-<version>-x86_64.flatpak or -aarch64.flatpak) after the Flathub GNOME runtime is present — bundles do not auto-update:
flatpak install --user ./Vocalinux-<version>-x86_64.flatpak
Local build:
flatpak install flathub org.gnome.Platform//50 org.gnome.Sdk//50
flatpak-builder --user --install --force-clean build-dir \
packaging/flatpak/com.vocalinux.Vocalinux.yml
flatpak run com.vocalinux.Vocalinux
Ships whisper.cpp with Vulkan. It is not on Flathub (submission flathub#9368 closed 2026-07-23 on policy grounds). Details: packaging/flatpak/README.md.
Snap (Ubuntu Snap Store)
Listing: snapcraft.io/vocalinux. stable is promoted from candidate after QA. Tagged releases also attach vocalinux_<version>_amd64.snap on GitHub.
sudo snap install vocalinux --edge
sudo snap connect vocalinux:audio-record # if mic is not auto-connected
sudo snap connect vocalinux:raw-input # global keyboard shortcuts (evdev)
sudo snap connect vocalinux:hardware-observe # list keyboards (/proc/bus/input/devices)
sudo snap connect vocalinux:uinput # native Wayland typing (ydotool)
v0.17.0 includes ydotool and the uinput plug. The Store still has to finish review of that plug, so snap info vocalinux may still show v0.16.2 (rev 7) on edge. That revision has no uinput plug; snap connect vocalinux:uinput fails until a 0.17.0+ revision is listed.
Until then, sideload the GitHub file:
sudo snap install --dangerous ./vocalinux_0.17.0_amd64.snap
sudo snap connect vocalinux:uinput
From source
git clone https://github.com/VocaHQ/vocalinux.git
cd vocalinux
./install.sh
# or pick the engine up front
./install.sh --engine=whisper_cpp
./install.sh --engine=vosk
./install.sh --engine=parakeet --auto
After installation
vocalinux # if ~/.local/bin is on PATH
# or
~/.local/share/vocalinux/venv/bin/vocalinux
You can also launch Vocalinux from your application menu.
Nightly builds
Daily builds from main appear on Releases. Use the latest stable or beta release for production; nightlies are untested.
Requirements
| OS | Linux (Ubuntu 24.04+, Debian 12+, Fedora 42+, Arch, openSUSE Tumbleweed) |
| Python | 3.11 or newer |
| Display | X11 or Wayland |
| Hardware | Microphone; GPU optional (Vulkan) |
The distro must ship Python 3.11+ because Vocalinux uses distro PyGObject (python3-gi). Ubuntu 22.04 (Python 3.10) and Debian 11 (3.9) are below that floor. Distribution notes: docs/DISTRO_COMPATIBILITY.md.
Usage
Dictation
- Push-to-talk (default on new installs): hold Right Alt (Option on Mac-layout keyboards) and speak
- Speak into the microphone
- Release to stop, or switch to Toggle mode in Settings (double-tap a key to start/stop)
Existing configs keep their saved shortcut.
Voice commands
English phrases always work. With a non-English recognition language, matching punctuation / line-break phrases in that language are also recognized (Italian virgola / punto, French virgule / point, etc.).
| Command | Action |
|---|---|
| "new line" | Line break |
| "period" / "full stop" / "dot" | . |
| "comma" | , |
| "question mark" | ? |
| "exclamation mark" | ! |
| "delete that" | Delete last sentence |
| "capitalize" | Capitalize next word |
CLI
vocalinux --help
vocalinux --version
vocalinux --debug
vocalinux --engine whisper_cpp # default
vocalinux --engine whisper
vocalinux --engine faster_whisper
vocalinux --engine vosk
vocalinux --engine parakeet
vocalinux --engine remote_api
vocalinux --model medium
vocalinux --model medium.en-q5_0 # exact whisper.cpp variant
vocalinux --model large-v3-turbo
vocalinux --wayland
vocalinux --start-minimized
Autostart
Start on Login creates an XDG autostart desktop entry (~/.config/autostart/). It does not install a systemd unit. Enable from the first-run dialog, tray menu, or Settings.
Configuration
Stored at ~/.config/vocalinux/config.json. Prefer the Settings dialog for day-to-day changes. Settings → Speech Model starts with a simple setup; expand Advanced for engine, size, and specialization.
Neural VAD (Silero) is used when onnxruntime is available; install via pip install "vocalinux[vad]" for manual/PyPI installs. The installer attempts this automatically.
Documentation
| Document | Description |
|---|---|
| Installation | Installer, AppImage, AUR, Flatpak, Snap, running |
| Manual / PyPI install | Package lists and pip workflows |
| Troubleshooting | Common failures |
| User guide | Dictation, engines, models, tips |
| Update guide | Upgrade steps and release notes |
| Changelog | Release history pointers |
| Support | Where to get help |
| Distribution compatibility | Distro matrix and session notes |
| Remote HTTP API | Offload transcription to a server |
| Local VocaGateway (optional) | Start a local gateway from Settings; not on-device |
| Contributing | Dev setup, style, PR process |
| Security | Supported versions and vulnerability reporting |
| Docs index | Full documentation map |
Privacy and security
- Local engines process audio on-device after you download a model; no Voca account required
- Optional remote API is off by default and only used when you configure a server
- Model downloads are checked against pinned checksums
Report vulnerabilities privately per SECURITY.md.
Development
git clone https://github.com/VocaHQ/vocalinux.git
cd vocalinux
./install.sh --dev
source venv/bin/activate
pytest
python -m vocalinux.main --debug
See CONTRIBUTING.md for the two-venv layout, just recipes, and PR guidelines.
Roadmap
Shipped: graphical settings, multi-language support, whisper.cpp default, Vulkan GPU, Wayland/IBus, Flatpak packaging, AppImage, in-app update checker, Parakeet and Faster Whisper engines, Snap recipe.
Planned:
- Application-specific voice commands
- Debian/Ubuntu package (
.deb) - User-customizable voice command map
- Flathub publication (not currently listed; see #167)
Voca ecosystem
Vocalinux is part of VocaHQ. On-device speech-to-text first, one app per platform. Optional VocaGateway is self-hosted and not on-device.
| Platform | Project | Website | GitHub |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | VocaLinux | vocalinux.com | VocaHQ/vocalinux |
| macOS | VocaMac | vocamac.com | VocaHQ/vocamac |
| Windows | VocaWin | vocawin.com | VocaHQ/vocawin |
| Phone | VocaPhone | vocaphone.vocahq.com | VocaHQ/vocaphone |
| Gateway | VocaGateway | vocagateway.vocahq.com | VocaHQ/vocagateway |
Talk to us: Discord · X @vocahq · hello@vocahq.com
Contributing
Bug reports, docs, and code are welcome. Start with CONTRIBUTING.md and good first issues.
Contributors
Thanks to everyone who has contributed code, docs, or fixes:
Repository mirrors
GitHub is the primary forge for issues, PRs, CI, and releases.
| Role | URL |
|---|---|
| Primary | https://github.com/VocaHQ/vocalinux |
| Read-only mirror (Codeberg) | https://codeberg.org/jatinkrmalik/vocalinux |
Open issues and pull requests on GitHub only.
License
This project is licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 (AGPL-3.0), aligning with the other VocaHQ distribution projects.
You may use, study, modify, and redistribute the software under AGPL-3.0. If you run a modified version as a network service, AGPL also requires that you make the corresponding source available.
Star Chart
Optional Orukeet model
With the Parakeet engine installed, Settings → Speech Model → Parakeet also
offers orukeet-v0.1.0. It uses the existing local sherpa-onnx recognizer for
25 European languages; the recommended Parakeet model and default whisper.cpp
engine stay unchanged.
The download comes from a pinned revision of oruk/orukeet on Hugging Face. Vocalinux checks every file against its bundled SHA-256 pins and checks the publisher's release manifest against those same pins. The manifest download participates in Hugging Face's normal model-download accounting. Cached recognition works offline and does not send audio or usage events. The model occupies about 641 MiB; its CC BY-SA 4.0 weights license and NVIDIA attribution are included.