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* fix(settings): make model downloads explicit and cancel the whole intent "Use it" on the recommendation card applied a different model than the one shown, a cancelled or failed apply left the staged model behind so the next Test Dictation downloaded it, and cancelling a download tore down and then reloaded the previous model while the dialog waited. - Recommendation is now passive text, compared by size tier, with a link to docs/MODEL_SELECTION.md. The "Use it" button is gone. - Every Settings download asks first and shows size and source host. Declining, cancelling or failing drops the staged model spec and puts the pickers back on the saved config. - Test Dictation refuses a model that is not on disk instead of applying it. - reconfigure() fetches a missing model before releasing the loaded one, so a cancel restores state without reloading or rehashing the old model. Cancellation state is reset only when a download claim is taken or ended. - Follow-layout mode shows the resolved language in the simple Main language control, read-only, and simple edits keep the "layout" setting. Fixes #979 Fixes #980 Fixes #981 Fixes #982 Fixes #985 Fixes #988 * fix(settings): restore follow-layout mode when a model change is declined * fix(settings): keep follow-layout and dictation consistent during model changes * style(tests): format follow-layout regression tests * fix(recognition): skip resume reinit while a model download is running * fix(recognition): keep a lazy reload pending when resume is skipped during a download --------- Co-authored-by: Jatin K Malik <jatinkrmalik@gmail.com>
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Choosing a speech model
Vocalinux never downloads a speech model on its own. Changing the model pickers in Settings → Speech Model only selects a model. If that model is not on disk yet, the info card shows its download size and a Download button, and the transfer starts only after you confirm it. Cancelling the download, or declining the confirmation, puts the pickers back on the model you were already using.
This page is a static guide to help you pick. The numbers are approximate starting points, not measurements of your machine. If dictation feels slow, go one size down; if it makes too many mistakes and speed is fine, go one size up.
whisper.cpp (default engine)
| Your hardware | Suggested size | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Under 8 GB RAM, CPU only | Tiny | Fastest. Accuracy is noticeably lower. |
| 8 to 16 GB RAM, CPU only | Tiny or Base | Base is a good default on a recent CPU. |
| 16 GB RAM or more, CPU only | Base, or Small if you can wait | Small on CPU can take a few seconds per sentence. |
| Vulkan GPU (AMD, Intel, NVIDIA) with under 8 GB RAM | Base | |
| Vulkan GPU with 8 GB RAM or more | Small | Older or low power GPUs may still prefer Base. |
| NVIDIA GPU (CUDA) with under 4 GB VRAM | Base | |
| NVIDIA GPU (CUDA) with 4 to 8 GB VRAM | Small | |
| NVIDIA GPU (CUDA) with 8 GB VRAM or more | Medium, or Large v3 Turbo | Large v3 Turbo is close to Large in accuracy at lower cost. |
Settings → Speech Model may show a line such as "Suggested for this computer: Small". That line is information only, based on the same rules as this table. It never changes your model and never starts a download.
Model sizes and variants
Each size comes in several variants. The quantized ones (q5_0, q5_1, q8_0) are
smaller files that use less memory, at a small cost in accuracy; q8_0 is the
closest to the full model. The .en variants are English only and are a little
more accurate for English.
| Size | Full download | Q8_0 | Q5 | Parameters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tiny | 74 MB | 32 MB | 15 MB (q5_1) | 39M |
| Base | 141 MB | 82 MB | 60 MB (q5_1) | 74M |
| Small | 465 MB | 190 MB | 163 MB (q5_1) | 244M |
| Medium | 1.4 GB | 823 MB | 568 MB (q5_0) | 769M |
| Large v3 Turbo | 1.6 GB | 874 MB | 574 MB (q5_0) | 809M |
| Large (v3) | 2.9 GB | 1.1 GB (q5_0) | 1550M |
Sizes are the catalog values Vocalinux shows before a download; the file on disk can differ slightly.
If you already have a quantized model of the size you want (for example Small Q8_0), there is no reason to download the full model of the same size.
Other engines
- Vosk: the small models (about 40 MB) run on any CPU and are the lightest option.
- Faster Whisper and OpenAI Whisper: the same size guidance as the table above.
- Parakeet: one model of about 640 MB.
- Remote API: transcription runs on your server, nothing is downloaded locally.
Models are stored under ~/.local/share/vocalinux/models/ by default. Deleting a file there
removes the model; Vocalinux will show it as not downloaded again.