Offline
Offline Voice Dictation
Local engines keep speech recognition on your computer using whisper.cpp, VOSK, or OpenAI Whisper models on your hardware. Remote API is optional and talks only to a server you configure.
Works without a network
After the model is downloaded, local engines work with no internet. Remote API needs the server you configured.
Zero Data Collection
No telemetry, no analytics, no usage tracking. Local engines have nowhere to send audio unless you enable Remote API.
No Account Required
No signup, no login, no password to forget. Download and run - that's it.
Your Voice Stays Yours
Voice data is biometric. Your voice patterns, accent, and speech habits are yours alone.
Offline vs Cloud Dictation
| Feature | Vocalinux (Offline) | Cloud Dictation |
|---|---|---|
| Requires internet for local dictation | ||
| Voice data uploaded to vendor servers | ||
| Account/signup required | ||
| Subscription cost | ||
| Works in airplane mode after model download | ||
| Vendor can shut down service |
Local engines
Local engines keep audio on the machine
whisper.cpp, Whisper, and VOSK process speech on your hardware. That is a default for those engines, not a legal or compliance promise.
Works after the model is downloaded
Once the model is on disk, local engines keep working without a network. Remote API still needs the server you set.
Remote API is opt-in
If you point Vocalinux at a server you configure, audio goes there. Local engines do not.
How Offline Processing Works
Vocalinux uses speech recognition models that run entirely on your CPU or GPU:
- whisper.cpp - C++ port of OpenAI Whisper, runs locally with GPU acceleration
- VOSK - Lightweight offline engine, minimal resources
- OpenAI Whisper - PyTorch-based, runs on NVIDIA GPU or CPU
Models are downloaded once (74MB-3.0GB depending on size). After that, local engines process on the machine. Remote API is the exception: it sends audio to the server you configure.
Verify It Yourself
Don't trust - verify. Vocalinux is open source. You can:
- Read every line of code on GitHub
- Run with
--debugand watch network activity. Local engines should stay quiet during dictation. - Monitor with
tcpdumporwireshark. Local engines should stay quiet during dictation. - Disconnect from the internet and check that a local engine still dictates
Truly Private Voice Dictation
Install Vocalinux and use a local engine if you want speech recognition on the machine. Remote API stays optional.