Install

Starting with 0.1.11, the npm package ships compiled JavaScript and the inbox UI. Earlier releases through 0.1.10 do not start from npm installations. Python and faster-whisper remain separate prerequisites. There is no desktop installer.

Before you clone

Need	Status
Node 22.13+ (scripts use `--experimental-strip-types`) and pnpm	Required
Python with `faster-whisper`	Required. Set `whisper.python`
NVIDIA GPU + CUDA, `whisper.device` = `cuda`	Exercised path
`whisper.device` = `cpu`	Supported, slow, doctor warning
`ffmpeg` on PATH	Required when denoise (`audio.preprocess`) is on
ollanet + Ollama model	Optional. Raw transcripts still work
Windows	Exercised (paths and doctor probes use it)
macOS, Linux	Unverified

Record or drag files at localhost:7777. Run it on a computer you leave turned on.

From a checkout

Bash:

git clone https://github.com/Catalyst-Forge-LLC/dictawhisper.git
cd dictawhisper
cp config.example.json config.json

PowerShell: copy the example configuration to the working configuration file, then edit the server settings before starting it.

git clone https://github.com/Catalyst-Forge-LLC/dictawhisper.git
cd dictawhisper
Copy-Item config.example.json config.json

Then, in either shell:

# edit whisper.python, whisper.promptTerms, ollanet.machine / cleanModel
# watch.roots is optional: record or drop files in the UI without Syncthing
pnpm install
pnpm run doctor

Ready signal: doctor exits 0, or only warnings remain. Then pnpm dev and open http://localhost:7777.

The UI can record and accept dropped files with no Syncthing. Add watch.roots only if you already have a phone folder or dump directory.

pnpm run doctor and startup /health run the same probes: Node, config, watch roots, ffmpeg, faster-whisper import, CUDA vs CPU, ollanet reachability, and port availability. A fail is loud. The inbox still serves notes already on disk. Warnings (CPU mode, ollanet unreachable, port already in use) are reported without blocking. pnpm doctor without run is pnpm's own command and will not check this app.

Optional sanity check (machine can be this computer or another name ollanet already sees):

ollanet prompt YOUR-OLLANET-HOST YOUR-CLEAN-MODEL --format json "ping"

Site and docs

This documentation is dictawhisper.com/docs. Product pages live on FilePress; these docs are a path mount at /docs.