Dictare / Docs / Getting Started

Getting Started

Dictare is a voice layer for AI coding agents. It runs 100% locally, captures your voice, transcribes it, and delivers the text to agents like Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, or Aider via the OpenVIP protocol.

No cloud. No subscriptions. MIT licensed.

Here's the simplest way to get started. There are many options, but this is what we recommend:

1. Install

macOS:

brew install dragfly/tap/dictare

This installs Dictare, creates ~/Applications/Dictare.app (the hotkey launcher), and registers a background service.

Linux:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/dragfly/dictare/main/install.sh | bash

2. Grant permissions

macOS — grant all three when prompted:

  1. Microphone — prompted automatically on first launch
  2. Input Monitoring — System Settings → Privacy & Security → Input Monitoring → enable Dictare
  3. Accessibility — System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility → enable Dictare (needed for keyboard mode)

After granting all three: dictare service restart

Linux:

sudo usermod -aG input $USER   # required for hotkey — log out/in after

For keyboard mode on Wayland: sudo apt install ydotool

3. Check the tray icon

After installation, a tray icon appears in your menu bar (macOS) or system tray (Linux):

  • Purple — Dictare is running and ready
  • Gray — Dictare is off

Right-click the tray icon to: - Toggle listening on/off - See the current agent - Switch between agents - Open settings (browser-based UI) - Restart the engine - View logs

4. Launch your agent

dictare agent freddie

This opens Claude Code (the default profile) with a voice-enabled status bar at the bottom.

5. Start talking

  • Single tap the hotkey (Right ⌘ on macOS, Scroll Lock on Linux) to toggle listening
  • The status bar turns green when listening, gray when off
  • Speak — your transcription appears directly in the agent
  • Double tap the hotkey to submit (sends Enter)

6. Switch agents

Want to use a different coding agent? Just say "agent ozzy" or specify a profile:

dictare agent ozzy --profile codex      # OpenAI Codex
dictare agent gilmour --profile gemini  # Google Gemini CLI
dictare agent bowie --profile aider     # Aider

Or switch mid-session with your voice: say "agent codex" and Dictare routes your voice to the other agent.

Verify It Works

Check the service is running:

dictare status

You should see the engine status, connected agents, and STT model info.

What's Next

  • Installation for detailed platform setup and troubleshooting
  • Basic Usage for voice commands, submit, mute, and agent switching
  • Configuration to customize audio, STT, TTS, and hotkey settings
  • Agents for agent profiles and multi-agent setup