GitHub - ronb1964/TalkType: Privacy-first voice dictation for Linux Wayland — press a key to talk, release to type. Powered by Whisper AI, 100% offline, no subscription required.

TalkType — Speech-to-Text for Linux

Free, offline voice dictation for Linux — works on Wayland and X11 with any desktop environment. Powered by OpenAI's Whisper AI for accurate, private speech recognition. No cloud, no subscription, no data leaves your machine.

TL;DR: Download the AppImage, run it, press F8 to talk. Text appears where your cursor is. Works in any app — browsers, editors, terminals, chat apps, everywhere.

Why TalkType?

Most voice dictation tools on Linux are either cloud-based (privacy concerns), command-line only (not user-friendly), or broken on Wayland. TalkType is different:

• 100% offline — All processing happens locally using Whisper AI. Nothing is sent to the cloud.
• Works on Wayland — Built from the ground up for modern Linux desktops (also supports X11).
• Zero configuration — Download the AppImage, run it, start talking. First-run wizard handles the rest.
• Any desktop environment — GNOME (with native shell extension), KDE, XFCE, Sway, Hyprland, and more.
• GPU accelerated — Optional NVIDIA CUDA support for 3-5x faster transcription.

Screenshots

System tray menu • Recording indicator with timer

General settings with model selection • Advanced settings with GPU acceleration

Audio settings with microphone test • Custom voice commands

Built-in help with getting started guide • Complete voice commands reference

Features

• Dual Hotkeys Always Active - F8 (hold-to-talk) AND F9 (tap-to-toggle) simultaneously - fully customizable
• AI-Powered Transcription - Uses OpenAI's Whisper models (tiny to large-v3)
• GPU Acceleration - Optional NVIDIA CUDA support for 3-5x faster transcription
• Smart Text Processing - Auto-punctuation, smart quotes, auto-spacing
• Voice Commands - Say "comma", "period", "new paragraph", "undo last word", and more
• Custom Commands - Define your own phrase shortcuts (e.g., "my email" → your@email.com)
• Visual Feedback - On-screen recording indicator with timer
• GNOME Integration - Native shell extension for GNOME desktop
• Auto-Updates - Built-in update checker with one-click downloads
• Wayland Native - Works seamlessly on modern Linux desktops

Installation

Arch Linux (AUR)

yay -S talktype-appimage
# or
paru -S talktype-appimage

AppImage (All Distros)

Download the latest AppImage from Releases:

chmod +x TalkType-v*.AppImage
./TalkType-v*.AppImage

The AppImage includes everything needed - just download and run!

Note: AppImages require FUSE 2 (libfuse.so.2). Install if needed:

• Fedora/RHEL: sudo dnf install fuse
• Ubuntu/Debian: sudo apt install libfuse2
• Arch/Manjaro: sudo pacman -S fuse2
• openSUSE: sudo zypper install libfuse2

System Requirements

Quick Start

1. Launch TalkType - Run the AppImage or use your app launcher
2. First-run setup - TalkType will guide you through initial configuration
3. Start dictating - Press F8 (hold to record) or F9 (tap to toggle) — both always active
4. Speak naturally - Text appears where your cursor is
5. Use voice commands - Say "comma", "period", "new line", etc.

Hotkeys (Both Always Active)

Voice Commands

Punctuation

Formatting

Editing

Literal Words

Say "literal" before any command to output the word instead:

• "literal comma" → types "comma" (not ,)
• "literal period" → types "period" (not .)

AI Models

Choose the right model for your needs in Preferences → General:

Tip: Start with "small" for everyday use. Enable GPU acceleration for larger models.

GPU Acceleration

TalkType supports NVIDIA CUDA for 3-5x faster transcription:

1. Automatic detection - TalkType detects your NVIDIA GPU on first run
2. One-click download - Download CUDA libraries (~800MB) when prompted
3. Automatic activation - GPU mode enables after download

You can also enable GPU later: Preferences → Advanced → Download CUDA Libraries

Configuration

Settings are stored in ~/.config/talktype/config.toml:

model = "small"           # AI model: tiny, base, small, medium, large-v3
device = "cpu"            # "cpu" or "cuda" (GPU)
hold_hotkey = "F8"        # Hold-to-talk key (hold to record, release to stop)
toggle_hotkey = "F9"      # Tap-to-toggle key (press once start, press again stop)
# Both hotkeys are always active simultaneously
language_mode = "auto"    # "auto" or specific language code
beeps = true              # Audio feedback sounds
smart_quotes = true       # Use curly quotes " "
auto_space = true         # Auto-space between utterances
auto_period = true        # Add period at end of sentences

Development

From Source

# Prerequisites (Fedora/Nobara)
sudo dnf install -y portaudio-devel ffmpeg ydotool wl-clipboard \
                    python3-gobject libappindicator-gtk3 libnotify

# Clone and install
git clone https://github.com/ronb1964/TalkType.git
cd TalkType
poetry install

# Run
poetry run dictate-tray

ydotool Setup

TalkType requires ydotool for text injection:

# Create systemd service
mkdir -p ~/.config/systemd/user
cat > ~/.config/systemd/user/ydotoold.service <<'EOF'
[Unit]
Description=ydotool daemon
After=graphical-session.target

[Service]
Environment=XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=%t
ExecStart=/usr/bin/ydotoold --socket-path=%t/.ydotool_socket
Restart=on-failure

[Install]
WantedBy=default.target
EOF

# Enable and start
systemctl --user daemon-reload
systemctl --user enable --now ydotoold.service

Troubleshooting

Text not appearing?

• Check ydotoold is running: systemctl --user status ydotoold
• Verify socket exists: ls $XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/.ydotool_socket

Hotkey not working?

• Another app may be using F8/F9 - try different keys in Preferences
• Ensure TalkType service is running (check tray icon)

Transcription slow?

• Enable GPU acceleration if you have NVIDIA GPU
• Try a smaller model (tiny or base)
• Use Performance presets in tray menu

Tray icon not visible (GNOME)?

• TalkType offers to install its GNOME extension on first run
• Or manually: Preferences → Advanced → Install Extension

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.

TalkType - Voice dictation that just works.
Download • Changelog • Report Bug • Request Feature