Voice dictation for Linux Wayland - Press F8 to talk, release to type. Powered by OpenAI's Whisper AI for accurate speech recognition.
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
- Push-to-Talk or Toggle Mode - F8 (hold) or F9 (toggle) - fully customizable hotkeys
- 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" → [email protected])
- 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
yay -S talktype-appimage
# or
paru -S talktype-appimageDownload the latest AppImage from Releases:
chmod +x TalkType-v*.AppImage
./TalkType-v*.AppImageThe 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
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| OS | Linux with Wayland |
| Dependencies | ydotool, wl-clipboard (installed automatically on first run) |
| Audio | Working microphone |
| GPU (optional) | NVIDIA GPU for CUDA acceleration |
- Launch TalkType - Run the AppImage or use your app launcher
- First-run setup - TalkType will guide you through initial configuration
- Start dictating - Press F8 (hold to record) or F9 (toggle mode)
- Speak naturally - Text appears where your cursor is
- Use voice commands - Say "comma", "period", "new line", etc.
| Mode | Hotkey | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| Push-to-Talk | F8 | Hold to record, release to transcribe |
| Toggle | F9 | Press to start, press again to stop |
| Say This | Result |
|---|---|
| "comma" | , |
| "period" / "full stop" | . |
| "question mark" | ? |
| "exclamation point" | ! |
| "colon" | : |
| "semicolon" | ; |
| "open quote" / "close quote" | " " (smart quotes) |
| "dot dot dot" / "ellipsis" | ... |
| Say This | Result |
|---|---|
| "new line" | Line break |
| "new paragraph" | Double line break |
| "tab" | Tab character |
| Say This | Result |
|---|---|
| "undo last word" | Deletes last word |
| "undo last sentence" | Deletes to previous sentence |
| "undo everything" | Clears all dictated text |
Say "literal" before any command to output the word instead:
- "literal comma" → types "comma" (not ,)
- "literal period" → types "period" (not .)
Choose the right model for your needs in Preferences → General:
| Model | Size | Speed | Accuracy | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| tiny | 39 MB | Fastest | Basic | Quick notes |
| base | 74 MB | Fast | Good | Casual use |
| small | 244 MB | Balanced | Very Good | Recommended |
| medium | 769 MB | Slower | Excellent | Professional |
| large-v3 | ~3 GB | Slowest | Best | Technical work |
Tip: Start with "small" for everyday use. Enable GPU acceleration for larger models.
TalkType supports NVIDIA CUDA for 3-5x faster transcription:
- Automatic detection - TalkType detects your NVIDIA GPU on first run
- One-click download - Download CUDA libraries (~800MB) when prompted
- Automatic activation - GPU mode enables after download
You can also enable GPU later: Preferences → Advanced → Download CUDA Libraries
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" # Push-to-talk key
toggle_hotkey = "F9" # Toggle recording key
mode = "hold" # Default mode: "hold" or "toggle"
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# 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-trayTalkType 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- Check ydotoold is running:
systemctl --user status ydotoold - Verify socket exists:
ls $XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/.ydotool_socket
- Another app may be using F8/F9 - try different keys in Preferences
- Ensure TalkType service is running (check tray icon)
- Enable GPU acceleration if you have NVIDIA GPU
- Try a smaller model (tiny or base)
- Use Performance presets in tray menu
- TalkType offers to install its GNOME extension on first run
- Or manually: Preferences → Advanced → Install Extension
MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.
TalkType - Voice dictation that just works.
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