Privacy-first desktop dictation
Viska turns speech into text with local Whisper models, global hotkeys, privacy-first defaults and an interface built for daily desktop use.
Linux remains the primary platform. macOS is available as an Apple Silicon preview; Windows packaging is in progress.
Viska app download
Viska is designed and tested first for Kubuntu/KDE Plasma. The same local-first app is now also available as a macOS Apple Silicon preview. Windows packaging is being prepared and will appear here only once it is built and verified.
Linux · Primary
For Kubuntu, Ubuntu and Debian-family systems. Installs the Viska runtime and its dependencies.
Download .deb Permanent link: viska-latest.deb
db20383101140c74cb35a2e171209f52fb56d9b02080aaab3a1d95b927c8b191macOS · Apple Silicon preview
For Apple Silicon Macs. This unsigned preview may require Control-click → Open on first launch. Install FFmpeg with brew install ffmpeg to import audio files and export OGG.
6d4d5610ce2d39a37a6dbfebdce793b601846b1ca0aff940d2eebb2a93d25af1Windows · In development
A Windows installer is not published yet. It will be added here after a native build and verification, not as an untested placeholder.
Viska family
Dictate with local Whisper models, hotkeys and optional cloud engines. Linux/KDE Plasma stays the primary experience.
Open downloads
Proofread Thunderbird drafts before you send them, locally through Ollama or through OpenRouter with your own key.
Open Viska Brev pageHow it works
Global push-to-talk or toggle on KDE Plasma (or any desktop with fallbacks).
Local Whisper (or chosen cloud) transcribes with live partials. Swedish models included.
Optional proofread step (local Ollama or cloud). Text lands where your cursor is.
Viska Brev
Viska Brev is a Thunderbird 128+ extension for Swedish and English email drafts. It keeps the same local-first philosophy as Viska: use Ollama on your computer, or connect OpenRouter only when you choose cloud proofreading.
Thunderbird extension
Thunderbird allows installing unsigned extensions from a local file. Download the XPI, verify it against SHA256SUMS if needed, and install it from Thunderbird's Add-ons and Themes screen.
465bb31ca3fe758d728dabf757d788d8b53e9aad888e0b2a7127d46a9f92e310Viska Brev setup
Install the XPI from Thunderbird, then choose whether proofreading runs locally through Ollama or through OpenRouter with your own API key.
1. Download viska-brev-latest.xpi
2. Thunderbird -> Tools -> Add-ons and Themes
3. Gear menu -> Install Add-on From File
4. Local AI: ollama pull gemma3
5. Cloud AI: add your OpenRouter API keyInstall
Use the checksum before installing. Package installation can pull Python dependencies from PyPI during setup.
wget https://getviska.app/downloads/viska-latest.deb
sha256sum viska-latest.deb
sudo apt install ./viska-latest.debWhat it does
Run speech-to-text on your machine with curated Whisper models, including Swedish-friendly options, and save the latest recording as a WAV file when you need the audio.
Built around portal hotkeys, X11 fallback paths and practical Linux text insertion strategies.
Use a local Ollama model or a cloud provider to clean up transcripts before inserting them.
Use providers like Deepgram, OpenAI, OpenRouter, xAI, Gemini and Mistral while keeping Viska's desktop hotkeys and UI.
Audio stays local unless you explicitly choose a cloud provider. No telemetry is collected.
Complementary tools
Viska turns your speech into text. Viska Brev proofreads and polishes your writing. Use the two applications together — in parallel — for a complete local-first workflow on Linux. A future bridge will connect them even tighter via Viska’s D-Bus API.
Compatibility
Changelog
Lets macOS builds launched from Finder or Launchpad find Homebrew or MacPorts FFmpeg for audio import and OGG export.
Makes double-pressing the left Command/Meta key start or stop dictation on macOS, with Command-Shift-D retained as a fallback. Completed dictation continues to copy to the clipboard by default.
Publishes a smaller Apple Silicon macOS preview bundle with built-in silence-detection fallback.
Introduces the first macOS preview, a native global-hotkey backend and a verified Flatpak packaging route.
Improves long local Whisper transcription with bounded overlapping chunks and useful performance logging.
Fixes audio-file import by opening KDE's native kdialog picker first (with fallbacks).
Uses the Linux desktop FileChooser portal so KDE Plasma owns the audio import picker.
Moves audio-file import to native chooser while keeping themed picker for other tasks.
Improves model download progress with measured MB and stable scrolling.
FAQ
No. Viska is still a fast-moving test build. Expect field-test fixes and frequent releases.
On modern KDE Plasma it should work through the XDG GlobalShortcuts portal. Other desktops may need fallbacks.
It is the fastest path for early testing. A signed APT repository is the better long-term distribution path.
Viska Brev is not on addons.thunderbird.net yet. Thunderbird can install the self-hosted XPI from a local file.