Show HN: Yapyap – a simple and fast dictation for Linux using whisper.cpp (github.com)

Yapyap is a new lightweight dictation tool for Linux that leverages whisper.cpp to deliver fast, offline speech-to-text transcription. By holding a customizable key combination (default left Ctrl + Alt), users can record audio and instantly transcribe it, with the text output sent to stdout for flexible integration into workflows. This approach enables seamless automation like copying the text to clipboard or triggering system shortcuts, demonstrated by a practical example with the Hyprland window manager. Significant for the AI/ML community, Yapyap showcases how open-source implementations of Whisper’s models can be embedded in minimal, efficient utilities compatible with modest hardware setups. While currently limited to Linux due to its use of evdev for input event handling, the tool supports GPU acceleration on NVIDIA cards via CUDA for faster processing, and alternative smaller Whisper models can be swapped in for improved CPU performance. Its simplicity and MIT license encourage experimentation and adaptation, fueling further innovation in user-friendly speech interfaces on Linux platforms.