voiceio

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Speak → text, locally, instantly.

voiceio-demo.mp4

Quick start

# 1. Install system dependencies (Ubuntu/Debian)
sudo apt install pipx ibus gir1.2-ibus-1.0 python3-gi python3-dev portaudio19-dev

# 2. Install voiceio
pipx install python-voiceio

# 3. Run the setup wizard
voiceio setup

That's it. Press Ctrl+Alt+V (or your chosen hotkey) to start dictating.

Fedora

sudo dnf install pipx ibus python3-gobject python3-devel portaudio-devel
pipx install python-voiceio
voiceio setup

Arch Linux

sudo pacman -S python-pipx ibus python-gobject portaudio
# Note: Arch includes Python headers by default with the python package
pipx install python-voiceio
voiceio setup

Windows

# Option A: Install with pip (requires Python 3.11+)
pip install python-voiceio
voiceio setup

# Option B: Download the installer from GitHub Releases (no Python needed)
# https://github.com/Hugo0/voiceio/releases
# Also available as a portable .zip if you prefer no installation.

Windows uses pynput for hotkeys and text injection. No extra system dependencies required.

macOS

pipx install python-voiceio
voiceio setup

Build from source

If you want the source code locally to hack on or customize for personal use. PRs are welcome!

git clone https://github.com/Hugo0/voiceio
cd voiceio
uv pip install -e ".[linux,dev]"

# Bootstrap CLI commands onto PATH (creates ~/.local/bin/voiceio)
uv run voiceio setup

Note: Source installs live inside a virtualenv, so voiceio isn't on PATH until setup creates symlinks in ~/.local/bin/. If voiceio isn't found after setup, restart your terminal or run export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH".

You can also install with uv tool install python-voiceio or pip install python-voiceio.

How it works

hotkey → mic capture → whisper (local) → text at cursor
          pre-buffered   streaming        IBus / clipboard

Press your hotkey to start recording (1s pre-buffer catches the first syllable). Text streams into the focused app as an underlined preview. Press again to commit. Transcription runs locally via faster-whisper, text is injected through IBus (any GTK/Qt app) with clipboard fallback for terminals.

Features

• Streaming: text appears as you speak, not after you stop
• Works everywhere: IBus input method for GUI apps, clipboard for terminals
• Wayland + X11: evdev hotkeys work on both, no root required
• Pre-buffer: never miss the first syllable
• Voice commands: "new line", "comma", "scratch that", punctuation by name
• Autocorrect: LLM-powered review of recurring Whisper mistakes (voiceio correct)
• Text-to-speech: hear selected text spoken back (Piper, eSpeak, Edge TTS)
• Smart post-processing: numbers ("twenty five" → "25"), punctuation, capitalization
• Auto-healing: falls back to the next working backend if one fails
• Autostart: optional systemd service, restarts on crash
• Self-diagnosing: voiceio doctor checks everything, --fix repairs it

Models

Model	Size	Speed	Accuracy	Good for
tiny	75 MB	~10x realtime	Basic	Quick notes, low-end hardware
base	150 MB	~7x realtime	Good	Daily use (default)
small	500 MB	~4x realtime	Better	Longer dictation
medium	1.5 GB	~2x realtime	Great	Accuracy-sensitive work
large-v3	3 GB	~1x realtime	Best	Maximum quality, GPU recommended

Models download automatically on first use. Switch anytime: voiceio --model small.

Commands

voiceio                  Start the daemon
voiceio setup            Interactive setup wizard
voiceio doctor           Health check (--fix to auto-repair)
voiceio test             Test microphone + live transcription
voiceio demo             Interactive guided tour of all features
voiceio toggle           Toggle recording on a running daemon
voiceio correct          Review and fix recurring transcription errors
voiceio history          View transcription history
voiceio update           Update to latest version
voiceio service install  Autostart on login (systemd / Windows Startup)
voiceio logs             View recent logs
voiceio uninstall        Remove all system integrations

Configuration

voiceio setup handles everything interactively. To tweak later, edit the config file or override at runtime:

• Linux/macOS: ~/.config/voiceio/config.toml
• Windows: %LOCALAPPDATA%\voiceio\config\config.toml

voiceio --model large-v3 --language auto -v

See config.example.toml for all options.

Troubleshooting

voiceio doctor           # see what's working
voiceio doctor --fix     # auto-fix issues
voiceio logs             # check debug output

Problem	Fix
No text appears	voiceio doctor --fix - usually a missing IBus component or GNOME input source
Hotkey doesn't work on Wayland	sudo usermod -aG input $USER then log out and back in
Transcription too slow	Use a smaller model: voiceio --model tiny
Want to start fresh	voiceio uninstall then voiceio setup
Windows: antivirus blocks hotkeys	pynput uses global keyboard hooks — add an exception for voiceio
Windows: no sound feedback	Check voiceio logs for audio device info
macOS issues	Experimental — consider aquavoice.com or contribute a PR

Platform support

Platform	Status	Text injection	Hotkeys	Streaming preview
Ubuntu / Debian (GNOME, Wayland)	Tested daily	IBus	evdev / GNOME shortcut	Yes
Ubuntu / Debian (GNOME, X11)	Supported	IBus	evdev / pynput	Yes
Fedora (GNOME)	Supported	IBus	evdev / GNOME shortcut	Yes
Arch Linux	Supported	IBus	evdev	Yes
KDE / Sway / Hyprland	Should work	IBus / ydotool / wtype	evdev	Yes
Windows 10/11	Experimental	pynput / clipboard	pynput	Type-and-correct (no preedit)
macOS	Experimental	pynput / clipboard	pynput	Type-and-correct (no preedit)

voiceio auto-detects your platform and picks the best available backends. Run voiceio doctor to see what's working on your system.

Uninstall

voiceio uninstall        # removes service, IBus, shortcuts, symlinks
pipx uninstall python-voiceio   # removes the package

Roadmap

Contributions welcome! See CONTRIBUTING.md and open issues.

Now

• macOS polish (IMKit for native preedit, Accessibility API for text injection)

Soon

• Per-app context awareness (detect focused app, adapt formatting/behavior)
• File/audio transcription mode (voiceio transcribe recording.mp3)

Backlog

• Multiple engine backends (whisper.cpp for Vulkan/AMD, VOSK for low-end hardware)
• Echo cancellation (filter system audio for meeting use)
• Wake word activation ("Hey voiceio") Done
• Text-to-speech output (Piper/eSpeak/Edge TTS — completes the "io")
• LLM auto-audit dictionary (voiceio correct --auto — scan history with LLM, interactive correction)
• LLM post-processing via Ollama (grammar cleanup, spelling fixes on final pass)
• Corrections dictionary — auto-replace misheard words, "correct that" voice command
• Transcription history — searchable log of everything you've dictated
• Number-to-digit conversion ("three hundred forty two" → "342")
• VAD-based silence filtering (Silero VAD, prevents Whisper hallucinations)
• Voice commands — "new line", "new paragraph", "scratch that", punctuation by name
• Custom vocabulary / personal dictionary (bias Whisper via initial_prompt)
• Smart punctuation & capitalization post-processing
• Windows support
• System tray icon with animated states
• Auto-stop on silence

License

MIT