Can you control Linux with voice commands?

Partly. Linux has voice command software, but the choice is narrow, and each tool targets a specific job. Some let you speak to the whole desktop, some let you speak code into an editor, and most dictation tools only type what you say. The sections below separate these, so you can match the tool to the job. If you only need to dictate text, see our guide to speech to text on Linux, which covers that job in full.

Talon offers the most control, but its Linux support is in doubt

Talon describes itself as hands-free input for writing, coding, browsing and gaming ¹. Its home page offers downloads for macOS, Windows and Linux, and the Linux build is listed as X11 ². So on the day we checked, Linux was on the list, but only for X11 sessions. We found no other Linux tool that controls the whole desktop by voice, so Talon is the reference point here.

The status is uncertain. A news report quoting a developer's blog post says Talon will imminently remove all Linux support from its public release ³. We could not read the developer's post itself, and Talon's own home page still listed Linux when we checked. Before you spend time on Talon for Linux, check its changelog and download page yourself.

Serenade lists Linux, but it is built for speaking code

Serenade's download page says the app works across Mac, Windows and Linux ⁴. Its docs describe speaking code into editors. After installation, Serenade walks you through installing plugins for supported applications, such as VS Code, Chrome and Hyper ⁵.

Two caveats apply. The public repository's most recent commit is dated 23 July 2022 ⁶, so the Linux build may not be actively maintained. And the commands in the docs we read are about editing code, not about opening windows or pressing keys across the desktop.

Dictation tools type your words but do not run commands

Vocalinux turns speech into typed text in whatever app has focus ⁷. A tool that types what you say is a different job from one that opens a window or presses a key on your command. Do not expect spoken commands such as "open browser" from a dictation app.

Ubuntu and Mint do not include a voice command feature that we found

Our search of the current Ubuntu 26.04 and Linux Mint information found no built-in voice command feature. Canonical's Myna, which is in development, is a voice typing app ⁸, so it is a dictation tool too. This is a search result, not a full review of every system setting, so check your own desktop's accessibility settings before you assume nothing is there.

It depends on the control you need

• Dictation only: Vocalinux, as covered in our guide to speech to text on Linux.
• Speaking code into an editor: Serenade, if you accept that its last commit is from 2022, and test it on a copy of your project first.
• Controlling the whole desktop by voice: Talon on X11 is the only candidate we found, and its Linux future is in doubt.
• Dragon's voice commands: See the question on Dragon on Linux and the question on Dragon alternatives with voice commands.

For the general meaning of these terms, see our glossary entries for voice command and voice control.

What to do

1. Decide whether you need to dictate text, speak code, or control the whole desktop. Each has a different tool.
2. Run echo "$XDG_SESSION_TYPE" in a terminal. Talon's Linux build is listed only for X11, so a Wayland session rules it out for now.
3. For whole-desktop control, install Talon on an X11 session and test your most common commands. Check its changelog for any change to Linux support.
4. For coding, install Serenade on a copy of a project and try the commands you use most.
5. If neither fits, a dictation tool plus the keyboard shortcuts your desktop already has covers most daily work.