[PLUG] Anyone using Linux based speech recognition for text entry?
Ben Koenig
techkoenig at gmail.com
Wed Nov 11 20:37:30 UTC 2020
On 11/6/20 5:36 AM, Richard Owlett wrote:
> I'm a lousy typist. Trying to make notes on a laptop does not work
> well because typing interrupts my train of thought.
>
> Many years ago when I was a Windows user and Dragon Naturally Speaking
> was in its initial release I followed speech recognition casually -
> but not recently.
>
> Are there now end-user, Debian compatible, dictation applications that
> do NOT require proprietary software nor internet connectivity? My
> internet searching turned up primarily old material or tool-set
> packages packages aimed at programmers creating their own packages
> {e.g. Sphinx}.
>
> I asked on the debian-user list and received comments from some with
> interest in speech recognition (but not users). I was pointed to
> Mozilla's DeepSpeech [1][2]. May not be ready to use "out of the box",
> but seems pointed in the right direction.
>
> Comments or suggestions?
> TIA
This is somewhat off-topic which is why I waited to bring it up. If
there is a particular Windows-only software that you used in the past
and liked, it is worth contacting their support team and asking if they
have a Linux port.
I can almost guarantee that you will receive a canned response. However
these days most support teams operate according to "THE DATA". Every
linux user asking for a port is a datapoint that disproves the narrative
that "nobody uses linux". I've seen a few software applications where
the company started off saying they have no interest in a linux port and
then after a few years of people asking they release one.
Tech/Customer support teams are usually more sympathetic to the plight
of the linux user. It's the Sales/Marketing groups that have their heads
stuck firmly up their own rear ends. Not a short term solution by any
means but it doesn't take a whole lot of effort so it's worth a couple
emails to your favorite app developer.
-Ben
More information about the PLUG
mailing list