whis 0.4.4

Voice-to-text CLI for terminal users using OpenAI Whisper API
whis-0.4.4 is not a library.

whis

Website: whis.ink

Minimal voice-to-text CLI for terminal users. Record your voice, get instant transcription to clipboard.

Demo

whis Demo

Quick Start

# Install
cargo install whis

# Set API key (add to ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc)
export OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-your-key-here

# Run
whis

Usage

whis
  1. Recording starts automatically
  2. Press Enter to stop
  3. Transcription copies to clipboard

That's it. Paste into your AI coding tool.

Hotkey Mode

For hands-free operation with a global hotkey:

# One-time setup (run these once, then logout/login)
sudo usermod -aG input $USER
echo 'KERNEL=="uinput", GROUP="input", MODE="0660"' | sudo tee /etc/udev/rules.d/99-uinput.rules
sudo udevadm control --reload-rules && sudo udevadm trigger

# Start the service with built-in hotkey
whis listen                        # Default: Ctrl+Shift+R
whis listen --hotkey "ctrl+alt+r"  # Custom hotkey
whis listen -k "super+r"           # Short form

Press your hotkey anywhere to toggle recording. Works on all Linux distros (X11 and Wayland).

Other commands:

whis status          # Check service status
whis stop            # Stop background service

Requirements

  • cargo (Rust package manager)
  • OpenAI API key (get one here)
  • FFmpeg (for audio compression)
  • Linux with working microphone
  • ALSA or PulseAudio
  • input group + uinput access (for hotkey mode, see setup above)

Installing FFmpeg

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt install ffmpeg

# macOS
brew install ffmpeg

Building from Source

cargo build --release

Binary will be at ./target/release/whis

FAQ

How does hotkey mode work?

A lightweight background service listens for your hotkey via evdev (works on both X11 and Wayland). The input group and uinput access allow reading and re-emitting keyboard events without root.

What hotkeys can I use?

Combinations of modifiers (ctrl, shift, alt, super) and keys (a-z, 0-9, f1-f12, space, enter, etc.). Examples: ctrl+shift+r, super+space, alt+1.

Does the simple mode still work?

Yes! Running whis without arguments works exactly as before. Hotkey mode is completely optional.

License

MIT