bolo

Speak Bengali. Bolo types it.

Offline Bengali voice typing for Linux. Press Ctrl+Alt+Space and talk.

Download Bolo GUI app, .deb, 91 MB Terminal version (.deb)

For Debian and Ubuntu on amd64, in an X11 session. Free during the beta. No install? Use Bolo in your browser.

sample-bn.wavBolo’s real output for this spoken sample
You say
Bolo types

আমার সোনার বাংলা আমি তোমায় ভালোবাসি

Waiting for the hotkey

Wispr Flow made talking to your computer feel natural, in English. Bolo does it in Bengali, on Linux, without the cloud.

I couldn’t find a Linux tool that handled Bengali speech well, so I built one from an open streaming model.

বাংলা first
A Bengali streaming model, not an afterthought.
Offline
The model ships in the package and runs on your machine.
Free in beta
Premium later, at a low price.
Native
Rust, no Electron, about 16 MB idle.

From your voice to the cursor

Bolo waits in the tray until you need it.

  1. Press the hotkey
  2. Speak until you pause
  3. Text lands where you were
  4. Back to idle
Ctrl+Alt+Space
A global hotkey, from any app. Change it in Settings.
Waiting
Hearing
Done
A floating indicator shows the mic is live and stops by itself when you go quiet.

Bolo Settings

Global hotkeyControl+Alt+Space
Output modeClipboardTypeBoth
Overlay positionTopBottomLeftRightCenter
Clipboard, typing, or both. bolo-gui can type straight into the focused window.
16 MB idle
150 to 170 MBwhile listening
~0%CPU when idle
Native Rust, no Electron. The model is released after each use.

Two downloads, one engine

Both bundle the Bengali model and native libraries. Install either, or both.

bolo-gui

91 MB .deb

bolo

terminal, 89 MB .deb
Hotkey, tray, auto-stopYesYes
Clipboard outputYesYes
Typing into the focused windowYesNo
Settings windowYesNo, edit bolo.toml
Needslibasound2, libgl1, libegl1libasound2
Download bolo-gui Download bolo

Install bolo-gui

sudo apt install ./bolo-gui_0.1.0-1_amd64.deb

Install bolo

sudo apt install ./bolo_0.1.0-1_amd64.deb

Another distro? Use Bolo web in your browser. Check your download against the SHA-256 checksums.

One process, no glue scripts

The speech recognizer is built straight into Bolo and reads the microphone directly. Nothing is piped, scraped or sent anywhere.

bolo.toml
hotkey = "Control+Alt+Space"
unload_model_when_idle = true   # false keeps it warm
rule1_min_trailing_silence = 2.4
rule2_min_trailing_silence = 1.2

# bolo-gui.toml adds
output_mode = "Both"   # Clipboard, Type or Both

[overlay_position]
mode = "Right"

Free while Bolo is in beta

Bolo will become a premium app later, at a low price.

  • Free now

    Both desktop versions and Bolo web, with no account and no sign-up.

  • Premium later

    When the beta ends, Bolo becomes a paid app. Downloads made during the beta stay yours.

  • Tell me what breaks

    Beta feedback shapes what comes next. Reach me through mosaddik.dev.

Questions

Will Bolo stay free?

It is free during the beta. After that it becomes a premium app at a low price.

Does it need the internet?

No. The model runs on your computer, and your audio never leaves it.

Why is it about 90 MB?

Each package bundles the Bengali speech model and everything it needs, so there is nothing else to install.

Is live typing safe?

It types whatever the mic hears into the focused window, even a terminal. Use Clipboard mode if that worries you.

Does it work on Wayland?

Not yet. It needs an X11 session for now.

বলো।

Download Bolo GUI app for Linux, free in beta Or the terminal version

Version v0.1.0