voculinux/docs/UPDATE.md

Updating Vocalinux

This guide explains how to update Vocalinux to the latest version.

What's New in v0.6.1-beta

✨ New Features

• Interactive Backend Selection: When installing whisper.cpp, you can now choose between GPU (Vulkan/CUDA) or CPU backend with intelligent hardware detection
• Enhanced Welcome Message: Completely redesigned end-of-installation message showing what was installed, testing instructions, and voice command examples

🔧 Improvements

• Version Consistency: Install commands now download install.sh directly from the release tag, ensuring perfect version matching
• Simplified Install Commands: No more --tag parameter needed - cleaner syntax like curl .../v0.6.1-beta/install.sh | bash
• Better GPU Support: Fixed Vulkan development library detection and installation

🐛 Bug Fixes

• Fixed TTY Check: Interactive mode now works correctly with --interactive flag
• Auto-install Git: Installer now automatically installs git if not present
• GPU Installation: Fixed pip command execution for GPU backend installation
• Bash Arithmetic: Fixed issues with ((var++)) and set -e compatibility

📚 Documentation

• Updated all install commands to use tag-based URLs
• Improved error messages with correct install instructions
• Better inline help in install script

See the full changelog.

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Previous Versions

v0.6.0-beta

• whisper.cpp as default engine: Fast, works with any GPU via Vulkan
• Multi-language support: Auto-detect language with manual override
• System tray indicator: Better desktop integration
• Wayland support: Full compatibility with modern Linux desktops

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Quick Update (Recommended)

If You Installed via curl (One-liner)

Simply re-run the installation command with the new version tag:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jatinkrmalik/vocalinux/v0.6.1-beta/install.sh | bash

The installer will:

• Update your existing installation
• Preserve your configuration and models
• Install any new dependencies

Note

: The installer automatically detects and updates existing installations.

If You Installed from Source

cd vocalinux
git fetch origin
git checkout v0.6.1-beta
./install.sh

Or to always get the latest main branch:

cd vocalinux
git pull origin main
./install.sh

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Detailed Update Methods

Method 1: Reinstall via Installer (Easiest)

The installer handles everything automatically:

# From the repo (if you have it cloned)
cd vocalinux
./install.sh --tag=v0.4.1-alpha

# Or via curl (for any installation)
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jatinkrmalik/vocalinux/v0.6.1-beta/install.sh | bash

What gets preserved:

• Your configuration at ~/.config/vocalinux/
• Your speech models at ~/.local/share/vocalinux/models/
• Your custom settings and preferences

Method 2: Manual Update (Advanced)

If you prefer manual control over the update process:

# 1. Navigate to your vocalinux directory
cd vocalinux

# 2. Pull the latest changes
git fetch origin
git checkout v0.6.1-beta

# 3. Activate your virtual environment
source venv/bin/activate

# 4. Update the package
pip install --upgrade .

# 5. Exit and restart
exit
vocalinux

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Checking Your Current Version

To see which version you have installed:

# Check the package version
python3 -c "import vocalinux; print(vocalinux.version.__version__)"

# Or check from the repo
git describe --tags

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What's New in v0.6.1-beta

🚀 Major Feature: whisper.cpp is Now Default!

This release brings whisper.cpp as the new default speech recognition engine—a game-changing upgrade!

Key Improvements:

• ⚡ 10x faster installation — No more 2.3GB PyTorch downloads (~1-2 min vs ~5-10 min)
• 🎮 Universal GPU support — Works with AMD, Intel, and NVIDIA via Vulkan (not just NVIDIA CUDA)
• 💾 Smaller footprint — Tiny model is only ~39MB vs ~75MB
• 🔥 Better performance — C++ optimized inference with true multi-threading (no Python GIL)
• 🌍 99+ languages with automatic language detection

Additional Improvements:

• Interactive installer: Choose between 3 engines (whisper.cpp, Whisper, VOSK)
• Hardware auto-detection: Automatically detects your GPU and recommends optimal settings
• Enhanced logging: Comprehensive debug info for whisper.cpp troubleshooting
• Better documentation: Updated all docs to reflect whisper.cpp as the new default

See the full changelog.

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Previous Versions

v0.4.1-alpha

• Language selector UI: Choose from 10 languages with auto-detection support for Whisper
• App drawer launch fix: Desktop entry now works when installing from local repo
• Better commit handling: Fixed error with special characters in commit messages
• Improved update mechanism: Corrected git fetch syntax for tag-based updates

v0.4.0-alpha

• Multi-language support: French, German, and Russian
• Debian 13+ compatibility: Fixed appindicator package issues
• Python 3.12+ support: Improved venv handling
• Better install script: Tag-based version selection

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Troubleshooting

Update Won't Install

Symptom: Installation fails during update

Solution: Run the uninstaller first, then reinstall:

# Keep your config and models
./uninstall.sh --keep-config --keep-data

# Reinstall
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jatinkrmalik/vocalinux/v0.6.1-beta/install.sh | bash

Old Version Still Running

Symptom: After update, old version is still active

Solution: Fully exit and restart:

# Kill any running instances
pkill -f vocalinux

# Start fresh
vocalinux

Dependencies Changed

Symptom: New version has different system dependencies

Solution: The installer handles this, but if you see errors:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y python3-gi python3-gi-cairo gir1.2-gtk-3.0

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Automatic Updates (Coming Soon)

We're working on an in-app update mechanism. For now, please use the manual update methods above.

To check if a new version is available:

# Check latest release
curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/jatinkrmalik/vocalinux/releases/latest | grep "tag_name"

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Need Help?

• 📖 Installation Guide
• 📖 User Guide
• 🐛 Report Issues
• 💬 Discussions