Your first dictation on Omarchy
Hold your talk key, speak, and release it to paste your words. Fab can record and transcribe on the Omarchy machine itself. You do not need a Mac or a paired device.
You need: Omarchy on x86_64 · A microphone · Internet for installation and the first model download (about 670 MB)
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Install fab for Omarchy
Open the Omarchy install page and use its current install command. The package opens Settings after installation. Download and setup time depends on your connection.
Set up dictation
In Settings, press Set up dictation. Fab prepares the services, downloads the speech model once, and assigns an unused shortcut. Wait for setup to finish before starting a take. You can reopen Settings from the fab entry in the launcher.
Choose this machine and its microphone
In Settings, set Talk through to This machine for local dictation. Select your microphone and use the live level test while speaking. Selecting an input changes Fab’s microphone. If the meter stays quiet, check the selected input and its volume in Omarchy’s audio controls.
Find your talk key
SuperK
Open Omarchy’s shortcut list and search for Fab. F5 is the default talk key when it is free. Use the key shown for Fab: Dictate if setup assigned another one. These steps use the default hold mode; Settings also offers tap modes.
Click a text box
Choose where the words should go, such as a document or a draft message. Keep that window focused for the first test. Leave Press Enter after off while testing so you can check the text before sending it.
Hold the talk key and speak
Hold your assigned key. Wait for the overlay to show Listening, then say a short sentence while keeping the key held.
Release the key and check the result
Fab finishes transcription and pastes into the focused window. It uses Ctrl+Shift+V in terminals and Ctrl+V elsewhere. After a successful paste, Fab restores the previous clipboard by default. If you changed windows during the take, Fab keeps the words on the clipboard and notifies you instead of pasting.
Recover a result from History
If the words did not land, open History in Fab Settings. Copy the take you want, return to your text box, and paste it. If there is no completed take, run fab-linux doctor to check the services, model, shortcut and microphone. Doctor does not record unless you add --mic.
fab-linux doctor
Tips
- After the model download, local dictation works offline. Pairing is optional.
- Shift plus the assigned talk key cancels a take. Nothing is pasted.
- For a remote take, check which machine is selected in Talk through before recording. Each machine uses its own microphone and settings.
- Let setup write the bindings. If you maintain them by hand, keep release = true, transparent = true, and ignore_mods = true on the release binding.
Questions
- Why did my words go to the clipboard?
- Fab checks whether the window where you started still has focus. If focus moved, it copies the result and shows a notification. Return to the intended text box and paste.
- What if F5 belongs to another app?
- Setup preserves other applications’ shortcuts and chooses an unused key. Press Super+K and search Fab to find the assigned key.
- Does local dictation send my recording to a Mac?
- No. With This machine selected, recording and transcription run on the Omarchy machine. Choosing a paired Mac for remote dictation is a separate action.
- Can I retrieve an earlier take from a terminal?
- Run fab-linux history to list recent takes. fab-linux history --copy 1 copies the newest take. Copying replaces your desktop clipboard; paste it into the intended app yourself.
Install on Omarchy