Jatin K MalikandGitHub
0469defae6
* chore(release): prepare v0.8.0-beta * docs(web): align release messaging with v0.8.0-beta features * docs(web): tighten homepage messaging for v0.8.0-beta
388 lines
15 KiB
Markdown
388 lines
15 KiB
Markdown
# <img src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/56dabe5c-5c65-44d5-a36a-429c9fea0719" width="30" height="30"> Vocalinux
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#### Voice-to-text for Linux, finally done right!
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<!-- Project Status -->
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[](https://github.com/jatinkrmalik/vocalinux)
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[](https://github.com/jatinkrmalik/vocalinux/releases)
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[](https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0)
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<!-- Build & Quality -->
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[](https://github.com/jatinkrmalik/vocalinux/actions)
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[](https://github.com/jatinkrmalik/vocalinux)
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[](https://www.python.org/downloads/)
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[](https://www.gtk.org/)
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[](https://codecov.io/gh/jatinkrmalik/vocalinux)
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<!-- Tech & Community -->
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[](https://github.com/jatinkrmalik/vocalinux/stargazers)
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[](https://github.com/jatinkrmalik/vocalinux/network)
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[](https://github.com/jatinkrmalik/vocalinux/watchers)
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[](https://github.com/jatinkrmalik/vocalinux/commits)
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[](https://github.com/jatinkrmalik/vocalinux/commits)
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[](CONTRIBUTING.md)
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[](https://github.com/jatinkrmalik/vocalinux/issues)
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**A seamless free open-source private voice dictation system for Linux**, comparable to built-in solutions on macOS and Windows.
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## 📚 What's New in v0.8.0-beta
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> 🎉 **Major Release: Push-to-Talk, command controls, and reliability upgrades.**
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### 🚀 Highlights (v0.7.0 → v0.8.0)
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| Feature | Description |
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|---------|-------------|
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| **🎤 Push-to-Talk Mode** | Hold the shortcut key to speak, release to stop |
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| **⚙️ Voice Commands Toggle** | Enable/disable command parsing with smart VOSK auto-enable |
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| **⌨️ Shortcut Reliability** | Improved live mode switching and callback lifecycle stability |
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| **🧠 Better Input Handling** | More robust IBus detection and text injection behavior |
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### ✨ New Features (v0.8.0)
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- **Push-to-Talk Shortcut Mode** — Added a second shortcut mode alongside double-tap toggle
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- **Mode-aware Shortcut UI** — Settings now clearly describe toggle vs push-to-talk behavior
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- **Voice Commands Optional Mode** — Commands can be disabled, with auto mode optimized for VOSK
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### 🐛 Bug Fixes (v0.8.0)
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- **#277**: Detect active IBus input method before using IBus injection path
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- **#275**: Auto-detect supported audio channel count for better microphone compatibility
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- **#268**: Prevent GTK startup dialog crash on Fedora
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- **#261**: Resolve text injection reliability issues across desktop environments
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- **#259**: Prevent recognition-thread state flicker
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- **#262/#263**: Auto-detect device sample rate for broader audio hardware support
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### 🔧 Recent Improvements
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- **Web SEO Expansion** — Added 8 additional optimized pages for discoverability
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- **Web Visual Refresh** — Updated homepage gradients and voice-brand styling
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---
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## ✨ Features
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- 🎤 **Toggle or Push-to-Talk** activation modes
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- ⚡ **Real-time transcription** with minimal latency
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- 🌎 **Universal compatibility** across all Linux applications
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- 🔒 **100% Offline operation** for privacy and reliability
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- 🤖 **whisper.cpp by default** - High-performance C++ speech recognition
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- 🎮 **Universal GPU support** - Vulkan acceleration for AMD, Intel, and NVIDIA
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- 🎨 **System tray integration** with visual status indicators
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- 🚀 **Start on login support** via XDG autostart (desktop-session startup)
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- 🔊 **Pleasant audio feedback** - smooth gliding tones, headphone-friendly
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- ⚙️ **Graphical settings** dialog for easy configuration
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- 📦 **3 engine choices** - whisper.cpp (default), OpenAI Whisper, or VOSK
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## 📸 Screenshots
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Here are some screenshots showcasing Vocalinux in action:
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<table>
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<tr>
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<td align="center">
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<img src="resources/screenshots/00-transcription.png" alt="Transcription in Action" width="350"><br>
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<em>Real-time voice-to-text transcription</em>
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</td>
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<td align="center">
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<img src="resources/screenshots/02-system-tray.png" alt="System Tray" width="350"><br>
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<em>System tray with listening indicator</em>
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</td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td align="center">
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<img src="resources/screenshots/05-about-view.png" alt="About View" width="350"><br>
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<em>About view with version info</em>
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</td>
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<td align="center">
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<img src="resources/screenshots/03-log-viewer.png" alt="Log Viewer" width="350"><br>
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<em>Log viewer for debugging</em>
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</td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td colspan="2" align="center">
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<img src="resources/screenshots/04-features-overview.png" alt="Features Overview" width="500"><br>
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<em>Overview of key features and configuration options with annotations</em>
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</td>
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</tr>
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</table>
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## 🚀 Quick Install
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### Interactive Install (Recommended)
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Our new interactive installer guides you through setup with intelligent hardware detection:
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```bash
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curl -fsSL raw.githubusercontent.com/jatinkrmalik/vocalinux/v0.8.0-beta/install.sh -o /tmp/vl.sh && bash /tmp/vl.sh
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```
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**Choose your engine:**
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1. **whisper.cpp** ⭐ (Recommended) - Fast, works with any GPU via Vulkan
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2. **Whisper** (OpenAI) - PyTorch-based, NVIDIA GPU only
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3. **VOSK** - Lightweight, works on older systems
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The installer will:
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- **Auto-detect your hardware** (GPU, RAM, Vulkan support)
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- **Recommend the best engine** for your system
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- **Download the appropriate model** (~39MB for whisper.cpp tiny)
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- **Install in ~1-2 minutes** (vs 5-10 min with old Whisper)
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> **Note**: Installs v0.8.0-beta. For other versions, check [GitHub Releases](https://github.com/jatinkrmalik/vocalinux/releases).
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### Installation Options
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**Default (whisper.cpp - recommended):**
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```bash
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curl -fsSL raw.githubusercontent.com/jatinkrmalik/vocalinux/v0.8.0-beta/install.sh -o /tmp/vl.sh && bash /tmp/vl.sh
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```
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Fastest installation (~1-2 min), universal GPU support via Vulkan.
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**Whisper (OpenAI) - if you prefer PyTorch:**
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```bash
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curl -fsSL raw.githubusercontent.com/jatinkrmalik/vocalinux/v0.8.0-beta/install.sh -o /tmp/vl.sh && bash /tmp/vl.sh --engine=whisper
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```
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NVIDIA GPU only (~5-10 min, downloads PyTorch + CUDA).
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**VOSK only - for low-RAM systems:**
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```bash
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curl -fsSL raw.githubusercontent.com/jatinkrmalik/vocalinux/v0.8.0-beta/install.sh -o /tmp/vl.sh && bash /tmp/vl.sh --engine=vosk
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```
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Lightweight option (~40MB), works on systems with 4GB RAM.
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### Alternative: Install from Source
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```bash
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# Clone the repository
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git clone https://github.com/jatinkrmalik/vocalinux.git
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cd vocalinux
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# Run the installer (will prompt for Whisper)
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./install.sh
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# Or with Whisper support
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./install.sh --with-whisper
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```
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The installer handles everything: system dependencies, Python environment, speech models, and desktop integration.
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### 🌙 Nightly Releases (Bleeding Edge)
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For developers and early adopters who want to test the latest features, check out our [GitHub Releases page](https://github.com/jatinkrmalik/vocalinux/releases) which includes both beta and nightly builds.
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> **⚠️ Warning**: Nightly releases contain the absolute latest code and may be unstable. For production use, we recommend using the latest beta release.
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Nightly builds are automatically generated from the `main` branch every day. They include all merged changes but haven't undergone the same testing as beta releases.
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**Release Channels:**
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- **Beta** (Recommended) — Tested pre-releases with known features
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- **Nightly** — Untested bleeding edge with latest commits
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### After Installation
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```bash
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# If ~/.local/bin is in your PATH (recommended):
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vocalinux
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# Or activate the virtual environment first:
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source ~/.local/bin/activate-vocalinux.sh
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vocalinux
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# Or run directly:
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~/.local/share/vocalinux/venv/bin/vocalinux
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```
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Or launch it from your application menu!
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## 📋 Requirements
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- **OS**: Linux (tested on Ubuntu 22.04+, Debian 11+, Fedora 39+, Arch Linux, openSUSE Tumbleweed)
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- **Python**: 3.8 or newer
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- **Display**: X11 or Wayland
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- **Hardware**: Microphone for voice input
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**Note:** See [Distribution Compatibility](docs/DISTRO_COMPATIBILITY.md) for distribution-specific information and experimental support for Gentoo, Alpine, Void, Solus, and more.
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## 🎙️ Usage
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### Voice Dictation
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1. **Toggle mode**: Double-tap the shortcut key (default Ctrl) to start recording
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2. Speak clearly into your microphone
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3. **Toggle mode**: Double-tap again (or pause speaking) to stop, or **Push-to-Talk mode**: release the key to stop
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### Voice Commands
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| Command | Action |
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|---------|--------|
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| "new line" | Inserts a line break |
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| "period" / "full stop" | Types a period (.) |
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| "comma" | Types a comma (,) |
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| "question mark" | Types a question mark (?) |
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| "exclamation mark" | Types an exclamation mark (!) |
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| "delete that" | Deletes the last sentence |
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| "capitalize" | Capitalizes the next word |
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### Command Line Options
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```bash
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vocalinux --help # Show all options
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vocalinux --debug # Enable debug logging
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vocalinux --engine whisper_cpp # Use whisper.cpp engine (default)
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vocalinux --engine whisper # Use OpenAI Whisper engine
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vocalinux --engine vosk # Use VOSK engine
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vocalinux --model medium # Use medium-sized model
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vocalinux --wayland # Force Wayland mode
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vocalinux --start-minimized # Start without first-run modal prompts
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```
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### Autostart on Login
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Vocalinux uses the Linux desktop standard for autostart:
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- **Mechanism**: XDG autostart desktop entry (`vocalinux.desktop`)
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- **Path**: `$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/autostart/` or `~/.config/autostart/` (fallback)
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- **Launch mode**: Starts as a regular **user desktop app** in your graphical session
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- **Not used**: No `systemd` unit/service is created by Vocalinux for autostart
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How to enable/disable:
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- First-run welcome dialog
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- Tray menu: **Start on Login**
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- Settings dialog: **Start on Login**
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Compatibility notes:
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- Works on mainstream desktop environments (GNOME, KDE, Xfce, Cinnamon, MATE, LXQt)
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- On minimal/custom window-manager sessions, an autostart handler may be required
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(for example DE-specific startup hooks or tools like `dex`)
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## ⚙️ Configuration
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Configuration is stored in `~/.config/vocalinux/config.json`:
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```json
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{
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"speech_recognition": {
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"engine": "whisper_cpp",
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"model_size": "tiny",
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"vad_sensitivity": 3,
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"silence_timeout": 2.0
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}
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}
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```
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You can also configure settings through the graphical Settings dialog (right-click the tray icon).
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## 🔧 Development Setup
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```bash
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# Clone and install in dev mode
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git clone https://github.com/jatinkrmalik/vocalinux.git
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cd vocalinux
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./install.sh --dev
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# Activate environment
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source venv/bin/activate
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# Run tests
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pytest
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# Run from source with debug
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python -m vocalinux.main --debug
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```
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## 📁 Project Structure
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```
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vocalinux/
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├── src/vocalinux/ # Main application code
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│ ├── speech_recognition/ # Speech recognition engines (VOSK, Whisper, whisper.cpp)
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│ │ └── recognition_manager.py # Unified engine interface
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│ ├── text_injection/ # Text injection (X11/Wayland)
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│ ├── ui/ # GTK UI components
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│ └── utils/ # Utility functions
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│ ├── whispercpp_model_info.py # whisper.cpp model metadata & hardware detection
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│ └── vosk_model_info.py # VOSK model metadata
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├── tests/ # Test suite
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├── scripts/ # Development utilities
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│ └── generate_sounds.py # Sound generation script
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├── resources/ # Icons and sounds
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├── docs/ # Documentation
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└── web/ # Website source
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```
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## 📖 Documentation
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- [Installation Guide](docs/INSTALL.md) - Detailed installation instructions
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- [Update Guide](docs/UPDATE.md) - How to update Vocalinux
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- [User Guide](docs/USER_GUIDE.md) - Complete user documentation
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- [Distribution Compatibility](docs/DISTRO_COMPATIBILITY.md) - Distro/session behavior and caveats
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- [Contributing](CONTRIBUTING.md) - Development setup and contribution guidelines
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## 🔊 Sound Customization
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Vocalinux uses smooth, pleasant gliding tones for audio feedback:
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- **Start**: Ascending F4→A4 (0.6s) - positive, uplifting
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- **Stop**: Descending A4→F4 (0.6s) - resolves completion
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- **Error**: Lower descending E4→C4 (0.7s) - gentle but noticeable
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All sounds use pure sine waves with smoothstep interpolation for buttery smooth pitch transitions - perfect for headphone use!
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### Regenerate Sounds
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To modify or regenerate the notification sounds:
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```bash
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python scripts/generate_sounds.py
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```
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This script generates all three sounds using the same smooth glide algorithm. You can edit the frequencies, durations, and amplitudes in the script to customize the sounds to your preference.
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## 🗺️ Roadmap
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- [x] ~~Custom icon design~~ ✅
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- [x] ~~Graphical settings dialog~~ ✅
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- [x] ~~Whisper AI support~~ ✅
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- [x] ~~Multi-language support (FR, DE, RU)~~ ✅
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- [x] ~~whisper.cpp integration (default engine)~~ ✅
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- [x] ~~Vulkan GPU support~~ ✅
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- [ ] In-app update mechanism
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- [ ] Application-specific commands
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- [ ] Debian/Ubuntu package (.deb)
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- [x] ~~Wayland support via IBus~~ ✅
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- [ ] Voice command customization
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## 🤝 Contributing
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We welcome contributions! Whether it's bug reports, feature requests, or code contributions, please check out our [Contributing Guide](CONTRIBUTING.md).
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### Quick Links
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- 🐛 [Report a Bug](https://github.com/jatinkrmalik/vocalinux/issues/new?template=bug_report.md)
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- 💡 [Request a Feature](https://github.com/jatinkrmalik/vocalinux/issues/new?template=feature_request.md)
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- 💬 [Discussions](https://github.com/jatinkrmalik/vocalinux/discussions)
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## ⭐ Support
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If you find Vocalinux useful, please consider:
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- ⭐ Starring this repository
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- 🐛 Reporting bugs you encounter
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- 📖 Improving documentation
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- 🔀 Contributing code
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## 📜 License
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This project is licensed under the **GNU General Public License v3.0** - see the [LICENSE](LICENSE) file for details.
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---
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<p align="center">
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Made with ❤️ for the Linux community
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</p>
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