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devin-ai-integration[bot]GitHubJatin K Malik
 1d4dbe33cc chore(release): prepare v0.18.0 (#895) 
* chore(release): prepare v0.18.0

Bump version surfaces for the v0.18.0 minor release: version.py,
web/package.json + lockfile, softwareVersion schema, SECURITY.md
supported-versions table, AUR pkgver/_tag (source and -bin),
AppStream metainfo release entry, and the release-history table in
RELEASE_PROCESS.md.

Docs and site copy for the delta since v0.17.0: README blurb, snap
sideload versions in README/INSTALL/UPDATE, CHANGELOG current-stable
entry, docs/UPDATE.md What's New with the 0.18 highlights table and
per-PR credits, website changelog + desktop-reliability entries, and
PRODUCT.md capability lines for Dictation Pad, per-language shortcuts,
tray history, overlay, ducking, PipeWire, portal injection, D-Bus
activation, custom dictionary, and file transcription.

* fix(release): address review findings on the v0.18.0 prep

- Keep the checked-in vocalinux-bin PKGBUILD on v0.17.0 so its real
  AppImage digests stay consistent with its sources; release.yml bumps
  pkgver/_tag and pins both-arch digests atomically at publish
- Qualify the Flatpak release note: PipeWire system-audio capture and
  RemoteDesktop portal injection are native-install paths
- Refresh dateModified on the changelog and desktop-reliability pages
- Restore the release-history table order in RELEASE_PROCESS.md
- Revert the build-regenerated web/next-env.d.ts route-types reference

---------

Co-authored-by: Jatin K Malik <jatinkrmalik@gmail.com>
2026-10-06 14:03:21 -07:00

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<div align="center">
<img src="https://vocalinux.com/brand/vocalinux-mark-circle.svg" width="50" height="50" alt="Vocalinux">
# Vocalinux
**Voice dictation for Linux**
[![Ubuntu](https://img.shields.io/badge/Ubuntu-24.04+-E95420?logo=ubuntu&logoColor=white)](docs/DISTRO_COMPATIBILITY.md)
[![Debian](https://img.shields.io/badge/Debian-12+-A81D33?logo=debian&logoColor=white)](docs/DISTRO_COMPATIBILITY.md)
[![Fedora](https://img.shields.io/badge/Fedora-42+-51A2DA?logo=fedora&logoColor=white)](docs/DISTRO_COMPATIBILITY.md)
[![Arch](https://img.shields.io/badge/Arch-rolling-1793D1?logo=archlinux&logoColor=white)](docs/DISTRO_COMPATIBILITY.md)
[![openSUSE](https://img.shields.io/badge/openSUSE-Tumbleweed-73BA25?logo=opensuse&logoColor=white)](docs/DISTRO_COMPATIBILITY.md)
[![Privacy: on-device](https://img.shields.io/badge/privacy-on--device-success)](https://github.com/VocaHQ/vocalinux#privacy-and-security)
[![X11 & Wayland](https://img.shields.io/badge/display-X11%20%7C%20Wayland-lightgrey)](https://github.com/VocaHQ/vocalinux#features)
[![License: AGPL-3.0](https://img.shields.io/badge/License-AGPL--3.0-blue.svg)](https://www.gnu.org/licenses/agpl-3.0)
[![Python 3.11+](https://img.shields.io/badge/python-3.11+-blue.svg)](https://www.python.org/downloads/)
[![PRs Welcome](https://img.shields.io/badge/PRs-welcome-brightgreen.svg)](CONTRIBUTING.md)
[![Discord](https://img.shields.io/discord/1538633755877580810?logo=discord&logoColor=white&label=Discord)](https://discord.gg/t6muquAJbm)
[![VocaHQ](https://img.shields.io/badge/VocaHQ-vocahq.com-1a7f4e)](https://vocahq.com)
[![Follow on X](https://img.shields.io/badge/Follow%20%40vocahq-000000?style=flat&logo=x&logoColor=white)](https://x.com/vocahq)
[![GitHub release](https://img.shields.io/github/v/release/VocaHQ/vocalinux)](https://github.com/VocaHQ/vocalinux/releases)
[![PyPI](https://img.shields.io/pypi/v/vocalinux)](https://pypi.org/project/vocalinux/)
[![AUR](https://img.shields.io/aur/version/vocalinux)](https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/vocalinux)
[Website](https://vocalinux.com) · [Install](#install) · [Docs](#documentation) · [Releases](https://github.com/VocaHQ/vocalinux/releases)
</div>
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:** [v0.18.0](https://github.com/VocaHQ/vocalinux/releases/tag/v0.18.0). Minor: Dictation Pad for Wayland-safe dictation, PipeWire capture with system-audio sources, RemoteDesktop portal typing, per-language shortcuts and dictation history, file transcription with speaker labels, and the dictation hotkey no longer leaking into the focused app. Details: [docs/UPDATE.md](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](https://vocalinux.com/screenshots/).
### Product
<table>
<tr>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<img src="web/public/screenshots/00-transcription.png" alt="Transcription in Action" width="350"><br>
<em>Real-time voice-to-text transcription</em>
</td>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<img src="web/public/screenshots/02-system-tray.png" alt="System Tray" width="350"><br>
<em>System tray with listening indicator</em>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">
<img src="web/public/screenshots/05-about-view.png" alt="About View" width="350"><br>
<em>About &amp; Updates in Settings</em>
</td>
<td align="center">
<img src="web/public/screenshots/03-log-viewer.png" alt="Log Viewer" width="350"><br>
<em>Log viewer for debugging</em>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
### Settings
<table>
<tr>
<td align="center" width="33%">
<img src="web/public/screenshots/settings-speech-engine.png" alt="Speech Engine settings" width="260"><br>
<em>Speech Engine</em>
</td>
<td align="center" width="33%">
<img src="web/public/screenshots/settings-recognition.png" alt="Recognition settings" width="260"><br>
<em>Recognition</em>
</td>
<td align="center" width="33%">
<img src="web/public/screenshots/settings-audio.png" alt="Audio settings" width="260"><br>
<em>Audio</em>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">
<img src="web/public/screenshots/settings-performance.png" alt="Performance settings" width="260"><br>
<em>Performance</em>
</td>
<td align="center">
<img src="web/public/screenshots/settings-general.png" alt="General settings" width="260"><br>
<em>General</em>
</td>
<td align="center">
<img src="web/public/screenshots/settings-advanced.png" alt="Advanced tuning and settings" width="260"><br>
<em>Advanced</em>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">
<img src="web/public/screenshots/06-dictation-overlay-listening.png" alt="Dictation overlay listening" width="96"><br>
<em>Floating overlay while listening (green)</em>
</td>
<td align="center">
<img src="web/public/screenshots/07-dictation-overlay-processing.png" alt="Dictation overlay processing" width="96"><br>
<em>Floating overlay while processing (amber)</em>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
## Install
### Recommended (interactive installer)
```bash
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
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](https://github.com/VocaHQ/vocalinux/releases) or `./install.sh --tag=v0.18.0`.
### Arch Linux (AUR)
```bash
yay -S vocalinux
```
See [docs/AUR.md](docs/AUR.md).
### AppImage
Download the `x86_64` or `aarch64` AppImage from [Releases](https://github.com/VocaHQ/vocalinux/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):
```bash
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:
```bash
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:
```bash
flatpak install --user ./Vocalinux-<version>-x86_64.flatpak
```
Local build:
```bash
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](https://github.com/flathub/flathub/pull/9368) closed 2026-07-23 on policy grounds). Details: [packaging/flatpak/README.md](packaging/flatpak/README.md).
### Snap (Ubuntu Snap Store)
Listing: [snapcraft.io/vocalinux](https://snapcraft.io/vocalinux). `stable` is promoted from `candidate` after QA. Tagged releases also attach `vocalinux_<version>_amd64.snap` on GitHub.
```bash
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)
```
v0.18.0 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 0.18.0+ revision is listed.
Until then, sideload the GitHub file:
```bash
sudo snap install --dangerous ./vocalinux_0.18.0_amd64.snap
sudo snap connect vocalinux:uinput
```
### From source
```bash
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
```bash
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](https://github.com/VocaHQ/vocalinux/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](docs/DISTRO_COMPATIBILITY.md).
## Usage
### Dictation
1. **Push-to-talk (default on new installs):** hold Right Alt (Option on Mac-layout keyboards) and speak
2. Speak into the microphone
3. **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
```bash
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. Set `post_processing.script_path` to an executable to transform each transcription result (stdin → stdout) before it is injected; leave empty to disable.
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](docs/INSTALL.md) | Installer, AppImage, AUR, Flatpak, Snap, running |
| [Manual / PyPI install](docs/INSTALL_MANUAL.md) | Package lists and pip workflows |
| [Troubleshooting](docs/TROUBLESHOOTING.md) | Common failures |
| [User guide](docs/USER_GUIDE.md) | Dictation, engines, models, tips |
| [Update guide](docs/UPDATE.md) | Upgrade steps and release notes |
| [Changelog](CHANGELOG.md) | Release history pointers |
| [Support](SUPPORT.md) | Where to get help |
| [Distribution compatibility](docs/DISTRO_COMPATIBILITY.md) | Distro matrix and session notes |
| [Remote HTTP API](docs/HTTP_REMOTE.md) | Offload transcription to a server |
| [Local VocaGateway (optional)](docs/GATEWAY_EMBED.md) | Start a local gateway from Settings; not on-device |
| [Contributing](CONTRIBUTING.md) | Dev setup, style, PR process |
| [Security](SECURITY.md) | Supported versions and vulnerability reporting |
| [Docs index](docs/README.md) | 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](SECURITY.md).
## Development
```bash
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](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](https://vocahq.com). On-device speech-to-text first, one app per platform. Optional [VocaGateway](https://vocagateway.vocahq.com) is self-hosted and not on-device.
| Platform | Project | Website | GitHub |
|----------|---------|---------|--------|
| Linux | **VocaLinux** | [vocalinux.com](https://vocalinux.com) | [VocaHQ/vocalinux](https://github.com/VocaHQ/vocalinux) |
| macOS | **VocaMac** | [vocamac.com](https://vocamac.com) | [VocaHQ/vocamac](https://github.com/VocaHQ/vocamac) |
| Windows | **VocaWin** | [vocawin.com](https://vocawin.com) | [VocaHQ/vocawin](https://github.com/VocaHQ/vocawin) |
| Phone | **VocaPhone** | [vocaphone.vocahq.com](https://vocaphone.vocahq.com) | [VocaHQ/vocaphone](https://github.com/VocaHQ/vocaphone) |
| Gateway | **VocaGateway** | [vocagateway.vocahq.com](https://vocagateway.vocahq.com) | [VocaHQ/vocagateway](https://github.com/VocaHQ/vocagateway) |
Talk to us: [Discord](https://discord.gg/t6muquAJbm) · [X @vocahq](https://x.com/vocahq) · [hello@vocahq.com](mailto:hello@vocahq.com)
## Contributing
Bug reports, docs, and code are welcome. Start with [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) and [good first issues](https://github.com/VocaHQ/vocalinux/issues?q=is%3Aissue+is%3Aopen+label%3A%22good+first+issue%22).
- [Report a bug](https://github.com/VocaHQ/vocalinux/issues/new?template=bug_report.md)
- [Request a feature](https://github.com/VocaHQ/vocalinux/issues/new?template=feature_request.md)
- [Discussions](https://github.com/VocaHQ/vocalinux/discussions)
### Contributors
Thanks to everyone who has contributed code, docs, or fixes:
<a href="https://github.com/VocaHQ/vocalinux/graphs/contributors">
<img src="https://contrib.rocks/image?repo=VocaHQ/vocalinux" alt="Vocalinux contributors" />
</a>
## 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](LICENSE)), aligning with the other [VocaHQ](https://github.com/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
[![Star History Chart](https://api.star-history.com/chart?repos=VocaHQ/vocalinux&type=date&legend=top-left&sealed_token=ZWyQQLhSORoR4mKf6UXMGFSCBXRxM_yEZgc8MFCH_ysBjaFUm_OCH-bI3TD7OivczEzm-ADRIpF9xCWFOMHvBPW95eQBxzfRMpNksChz7rN_eiqL7AIMDw)](https://www.star-history.com/?type=date&repos=VocaHQ%2Fvocalinux)
### 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](https://huggingface.co/oruk/orukeet). 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.
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