VoicePad

Global desktop shortcut

VoicePad can start or stop recording while another application has focus. On Linux and Wayland, the desktop compositor owns the key combination; VoicePad does not read privileged keyboard devices.

When the TUI launches, one native status card reports that VoicePad is starting while CUDA is admitted and Parakeet is warmed. A VoicePad is ready card then replaces it and closes explicitly after three seconds, so the terminal may remain in the background.

The shortcut runs:

voicepad toggle

That lightweight command contacts the running TUI over a user-only Unix socket and requests the same record/stop action as Space. The resident TUI remains responsible for the microphone, durable WAV recording, and transcription.

COSMIC on Wayland

  1. Start VoicePad and wait for ready.
  2. Open the Settings tab.
  3. Under global desktop shortcut, confirm that the shortcut is configured.
  4. If setup is required, select open keyboard settings and add a custom shortcut using the displayed absolute toggle command.
  5. Assign a combination such as Super+Space.

Press the shortcut once from any application to record. Press it again to stop, finalize the WAV, and transcribe. VoicePad switches its TUI to the Record tab and uses one transient desktop status card for recording, transcribing, completion, or errors. While recording, its monotonic MM:SS counter updates once per second. COSMIC renders and positions the card natively, updates it in place, and applies the desktop’s current fonts and display scaling. VoicePad explicitly closes completion and error cards after their short display interval instead of relying on desktop-specific expiration policy. VoicePad does not create an XWayland overlay window.

COSMIC uses Super+Space for input-source switching by default. Replace or disable that existing binding if COSMIC reports a conflict.

Other Linux desktops

Open your desktop environment’s custom keyboard-shortcut settings and bind the absolute command shown in VoicePad’s Settings tab. Compositor-managed shortcuts are the supported Wayland mechanism.

Local control security

The control socket is created under XDG_RUNTIME_DIR with mode 0600, accepts only the toggle command, and is removed when VoicePad exits. It cannot start a separate background model process: the already-running TUI must own the resident model and reach ready first.

If VoicePad is not running, the command exits with an actionable error instead of starting a recording elsewhere.