
Local Whisper
- 3 installs
- Updated July 15, 2026
- kesslerio/local-whisper-openclaw-skill
Transcribes audio locally with OpenAI Whisper so audio never leaves the machine, supporting 97+ languages.
About
A skill that transcribes voice and audio locally using OpenAI Whisper, keeping audio fully private. A developer uses it to transcribe voice messages offline in 97+ languages without cloud APIs.
- Runs OpenAI Whisper locally so audio never leaves the machine
- Supports 97+ languages and integrates with OpenClaw voice-message handling
Local Whisper by the numbers
- 3 all-time installs (skills.sh)
- Ranked #1,153 of 1,335 Generative Media skills by installs in the Skillselion catalog
- Data as of Jul 25, 2026 (Skillselion catalog sync)
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| Installs | 3 |
|---|---|
| Last updated | July 15, 2026 |
| Repository | kesslerio/local-whisper-openclaw-skill ↗ |
What it does
Transcribes audio locally with OpenAI Whisper so audio never leaves the machine, supporting 97+ languages.
Files
🎙️ Local Whisper Transcription
100% private voice transcription using OpenAI Whisper. Audio never leaves your machine.
⚠️ Important: OpenClaw Configuration Required
This skill must be configured in OpenClaw's tools.media.audio to handle incoming voice messages. Without this config, voice messages may cause token overflow errors or be sent to cloud APIs.
Add to ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json:
{
tools: {
media: {
audio: {
enabled: true,
models: [
{
type: "cli",
command: "node",
args: ["<skill-path>/transcribe.js", "{{MediaPath}}"]
}
]
}
}
}
}Replace <skill-path> with the actual path to this skill (e.g., /home/user/skills/local-whisper).
Quick Start
# Install dependencies
pip install openai-whisper
# Transcribe audio
node transcribe.js voice.oggCLI Options
--model <tiny|base|small|medium|large> Model size (default: small)
--language <lang> Language code (default: auto)
--output-dir <dir> Output directory
--smart-model Auto-select model by file size
--check Verify dependenciesModel Sizes
| Model | Size | Speed | RAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| tiny | 39 MB | ⚡⚡⚡⚡ | ~1GB |
| base | 74 MB | ⚡⚡⚡ | ~1GB |
| small | 244 MB | ⚡⚡ | ~2GB |
| medium | 769 MB | ⚡ | ~5GB |
| large | 1550 MB | 🐢 | ~10GB |
Documentation
- Installation Guide
- Troubleshooting
- GitHub Repository
Installation Guide
Prerequisites
- Node.js (for the transcribe.js script)
- Python 3 and pip (for Whisper)
- FFmpeg (for audio format support)
Step 1: Install FFmpeg
FFmpeg is required for audio format support.
NixOS:
# Add to /etc/nixos/configuration.nix:
environment.systemPackages = with pkgs; [ ffmpeg ];
# Apply:
sudo nixos-rebuild switchmacOS:
brew install ffmpegUbuntu/Debian:
sudo apt install ffmpegArch Linux:
sudo pacman -S ffmpegStep 2: Install OpenAI Whisper
# Install Whisper
pip install openai-whisper ffmpeg-python
# Or with GPU support (NVIDIA):
pip install openai-whisper[torch]
# Verify installation
whisper --helpStep 3: Verify Installation
node transcribe.js --checkExpected output:
📦 Checking dependencies...
ffmpeg: ✅
whisper: ✅ (/path/to/whisper)
python3: ✅Model Downloads
Whisper automatically downloads models on first use:
| Model | Size | Download Time |
|---|---|---|
| tiny | 39 MB | ~10s |
| base | 74 MB | ~20s |
| small | 244 MB | ~1m |
| medium | 769 MB | ~3m |
| large | 1550 MB | ~6m |
Models are cached in ~/.cache/whisper/.
Environment Variables
export WHISPER_MODEL=small # Default model
export WHISPER_LANGUAGE=auto # Default language
export WHISPER_CMD=/path/to/whisper # Custom whisper binary pathAdd these to your shell profile (.bashrc, .zshrc, etc.) to make them persistent.
Troubleshooting Guide
Common Issues
"ffmpeg: command not found"
Cause: FFmpeg is not installed or not in PATH.
Solution:
# NixOS: Add to configuration.nix
environment.systemPackages = with pkgs; [ ffmpeg ];
# Then rebuild
sudo nixos-rebuild switch"whisper: command not found"
Cause: Whisper is not installed or not in PATH.
Solution:
pip install openai-whisper
# Verify
whisper --helpIf still not found, check your Python bin directory is in PATH:
# Add to your shell profile
export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH""No module named whisper"
Cause: Python package not properly installed.
Solution:
pip install --upgrade openai-whisper ffmpeg-python"CUDA out of memory"
Cause: GPU doesn't have enough VRAM for the selected model.
Solutions: 1. Use a smaller model:
node transcribe.js audio.ogg --model tiny2. Set default model in environment:
export WHISPER_MODEL=base3. Use CPU instead of GPU (slower but works on any hardware)
Slow transcription
Solutions: 1. Use a smaller model:
node transcribe.js audio.ogg --model tiny # Fastest
node transcribe.js audio.ogg --model base # Fast, good accuracy2. Enable smart model selection (default):
node transcribe.js audio.ogg --smart-model"Unsupported audio format"
Cause: File format not in supported list.
Supported formats: WAV, MP3, M4A, FLAC, OGG
Solution: Convert to a supported format:
ffmpeg -i input.wma output.mp3Permission denied errors
Solution:
# Make script executable
chmod +x transcribe.js
# Or run with node explicitly
node transcribe.js audio.oggDebug Mode
Run with verbose output:
node transcribe.js audio.ogg --verbose 2>&1 | tee debug.logGetting Help
1. Check the GitHub Issues 2. Run node transcribe.js --check to verify dependencies 3. Check OpenAI Whisper documentation
local-whisper
Local voice transcription using OpenAI Whisper. 100% private — audio never leaves your machine.
Why This Skill?
OpenClaw includes a bundled openai-whisper-api skill that sends audio to OpenAI's cloud API. This skill runs Whisper locally instead:
| Feature | openai-whisper-api (bundled) | local-whisper (this skill) |
|---|---|---|
| Privacy | Audio sent to OpenAI | Audio stays local |
| Cost | Pay per minute | Free after setup |
| Speed | Fast (cloud GPUs) | Depends on your hardware |
| Offline | ❌ Requires internet | ✅ Works offline |
| API Key | Required | Not needed |
| Setup | Just add key | Install Whisper + models |
When to Use Which
- Use `openai-whisper-api` when you need fast transcription and don't mind cloud processing
- Use `local-whisper` when privacy matters, you're offline, or you want to avoid API costs
⚠️ Critical: OpenClaw Integration
This skill is NOT automatically used for voice messages. You must configure OpenClaw's tools.media.audio to use it, otherwise:
1. Without any tools.media.audio config: OpenClaw may pass raw audio data to the model, causing token overflow errors (e.g., "requested: 446497 tokens" for an 18-second voice message) 2. With the bundled openai-whisper-api: Audio is sent to OpenAI's cloud API
Configure OpenClaw to Use This Skill
Add this to your ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json:
{
tools: {
media: {
audio: {
enabled: true,
models: [
{
type: "cli",
command: "node",
args: ["/path/to/skills/local-whisper/transcribe.js", "{{MediaPath}}"]
}
]
}
}
}
}Replace /path/to/skills/local-whisper with the actual path where this skill is installed (e.g., ~/.openclaw/skills/local-whisper or your workspace skills directory).
Fallback Chain (Recommended)
For reliability, configure a fallback to cloud transcription if local Whisper fails:
{
tools: {
media: {
audio: {
enabled: true,
models: [
// Try local first (free, private)
{
type: "cli",
command: "node",
args: ["/path/to/skills/local-whisper/transcribe.js", "{{MediaPath}}"]
},
// Fallback to OpenAI API if local fails
{ provider: "openai", model: "gpt-4o-mini-transcribe" }
]
}
}
}
}Quick Start
# Install Whisper (one-time)
pip install openai-whisper
# Transcribe
node transcribe.js audio.oggRequirements
- Python 3.8+
ffmpeg(for audio conversion)- ~2GB RAM minimum (more for larger models)
Documentation
- SKILL.md — Agent-facing skill documentation
- docs/INSTALL.md — Detailed installation guide
- docs/TROUBLESHOOTING.md — Common issues and solutions
License
MIT
#!/usr/bin/env node
/**
* Tests for transcribe.js unified CLI
*
* Run: node tests/transcribe.test.js
*/
const fs = require('fs');
const path = require('path');
const { execSync } = require('child_process');
// Import the module under test
const transcribeModule = require('../transcribe.js');
const {
checkDependencies,
findWhisperBinary,
selectModel,
parseArgs,
isSupportedFormat,
SUPPORTED_FORMATS,
DEFAULTS
} = transcribeModule;
// Test configuration
const TEST_DIR = __dirname;
const ROOT_DIR = path.join(TEST_DIR, '..');
const TEST_AUDIO_FILE = path.join(TEST_DIR, 'test_audio.wav');
// Test results
let passed = 0;
let failed = 0;
const errors = [];
/**
* Test helper: assert equality
*/
function assertEqual(actual, expected, testName) {
if (actual === expected) {
console.log(` ✅ ${testName}`);
passed++;
return true;
} else {
console.log(` ❌ ${testName}`);
console.log(` Expected: ${expected}`);
console.log(` Actual: ${actual}`);
failed++;
errors.push(`${testName}: expected ${expected}, got ${actual}`);
return false;
}
}
/**
* Test helper: assert truthy
*/
function assertTrue(actual, testName) {
if (actual) {
console.log(` ✅ ${testName}`);
passed++;
return true;
} else {
console.log(` ❌ ${testName}`);
console.log(` Expected truthy, got: ${actual}`);
failed++;
errors.push(`${testName}: expected truthy value`);
return false;
}
}
/**
* Test helper: assert function throws
*/
function assertThrows(fn, testName) {
try {
fn();
console.log(` ❌ ${testName}`);
console.log(` Expected function to throw`);
failed++;
errors.push(`${testName}: expected function to throw`);
return false;
} catch (e) {
console.log(` ✅ ${testName}`);
passed++;
return true;
}
}
/**
* Create a dummy audio file for testing
*/
function createTestAudioFile(sizeKB) {
const filePath = path.join(TEST_DIR, `test_${sizeKB}kb.tmp`);
const buffer = Buffer.alloc(sizeKB * 1024);
fs.writeFileSync(filePath, buffer);
return filePath;
}
/**
* Clean up test files
*/
function cleanup() {
try {
const files = fs.readdirSync(TEST_DIR);
for (const file of files) {
if (file.endsWith('.tmp') || file.endsWith('.test.txt')) {
fs.unlinkSync(path.join(TEST_DIR, file));
}
}
} catch (e) {
// Ignore cleanup errors
}
}
// ==================== TEST SUITES ====================
/**
* Test 1: Check main script exists
*/
function testScriptExists() {
console.log('\n📁 Test Suite: Script Structure');
const scriptPath = path.join(ROOT_DIR, 'transcribe.js');
assertTrue(fs.existsSync(scriptPath), 'Main transcribe.js exists');
const content = fs.readFileSync(scriptPath, 'utf-8');
assertTrue(content.includes('module.exports'), 'Script exports functions for testing');
assertTrue(content.includes('findWhisperBinary'), 'Script has whisper binary detection');
assertTrue(content.includes('selectModel'), 'Script has smart model selection');
assertTrue(content.includes('checkDependencies'), 'Script has dependency checking');
assertTrue(content.includes('isSupportedFormat'), 'Script has format validation (no WAV conversion)');
assertTrue(content.includes('SUPPORTED_FORMATS'), 'Script defines supported formats');
assertTrue(content.includes('WHISPER_MODEL'), 'Script uses WHISPER_MODEL env var');
assertTrue(content.includes('WHISPER_LANGUAGE'), 'Script uses WHISPER_LANGUAGE env var');
}
/**
* Test 2: parseArgs function
*/
function testParseArgs() {
console.log('\n🎛️ Test Suite: Argument Parsing');
// Test with audio file only
let result = parseArgs(['voice.ogg']);
assertEqual(result.audioPath, 'voice.ogg', 'Parses audio file path');
assertTrue(result.options.smartModel, 'Smart model enabled by default');
// Test with --model flag
result = parseArgs(['audio.wav', '--model', 'large']);
assertEqual(result.options.model, 'large', 'Parses --model flag');
assertEqual(result.options.smartModel, false, 'Smart model disabled when explicit model set');
// Test with --language flag
result = parseArgs(['audio.mp3', '--language', 'de']);
assertEqual(result.options.language, 'de', 'Parses --language flag');
// Test with -l shorthand
result = parseArgs(['audio.mp3', '-l', 'en']);
assertEqual(result.options.language, 'en', 'Parses -l shorthand');
// Test with --output-dir flag
result = parseArgs(['audio.ogg', '--output-dir', '/tmp/out']);
assertEqual(result.options.outputDir, '/tmp/out', 'Parses --output-dir flag');
// Test with -o shorthand
result = parseArgs(['audio.ogg', '-o', '~/transcriptions']);
assertEqual(result.options.outputDir, '~/transcriptions', 'Parses -o shorthand');
// Test with multiple flags
result = parseArgs(['voice.ogg', '--model', 'medium', '--language', 'es', '--output-dir', './out']);
assertEqual(result.audioPath, 'voice.ogg', 'Parses audio with multiple flags');
assertEqual(result.options.model, 'medium', 'Parses model with multiple flags');
assertEqual(result.options.language, 'es', 'Parses language with multiple flags');
assertEqual(result.options.outputDir, './out', 'Parses output-dir with multiple flags');
// Test --no-smart-model
result = parseArgs(['audio.ogg', '--no-smart-model']);
assertEqual(result.options.smartModel, false, 'Parses --no-smart-model flag');
// Test --smart-model
result = parseArgs(['audio.ogg', '--smart-model']);
assertEqual(result.options.smartModel, true, 'Parses --smart-model flag');
}
/**
* Test 3: selectModel function
*/
function testSelectModel() {
console.log('\n🧠 Test Suite: Smart Model Selection');
// Create test files of different sizes
const smallFile = createTestAudioFile(50); // 50 KB
const mediumFile = createTestAudioFile(150); // 150 KB
try {
// Test small file (< 100KB)
const smallModel = selectModel(smallFile, { model: 'auto' });
assertEqual(smallModel, 'large', 'Small file (<100KB) uses large model');
// Test large file (>= 100KB)
const largeModel = selectModel(mediumFile, { model: 'auto' });
assertEqual(largeModel, 'medium', 'Large file (>=100KB) uses medium model');
// Test explicit model override
const explicitModel = selectModel(smallFile, { model: 'tiny' });
assertEqual(explicitModel, 'tiny', 'Explicit model overrides smart selection');
} finally {
// Cleanup
try {
fs.unlinkSync(smallFile);
fs.unlinkSync(mediumFile);
} catch (e) {}
}
}
/**
* Test 4: Environment variable defaults
*/
function testEnvironmentDefaults() {
console.log('\n🔧 Test Suite: Environment Variables');
// Store original env vars
const origModel = process.env.WHISPER_MODEL;
const origLang = process.env.WHISPER_LANGUAGE;
try {
// Clear env vars to test defaults
delete process.env.WHISPER_MODEL;
delete process.env.WHISPER_LANGUAGE;
// Re-require module to pick up new defaults
delete require.cache[require.resolve('../transcribe.js')];
const freshModule = require('../transcribe.js');
assertEqual(freshModule.DEFAULTS.MODEL, 'small', 'Default model is small');
assertEqual(freshModule.DEFAULTS.LANGUAGE, 'auto', 'Default language is auto');
// Set custom env vars
process.env.WHISPER_MODEL = 'large';
process.env.WHISPER_LANGUAGE = 'de';
delete require.cache[require.resolve('../transcribe.js')];
const customModule = require('../transcribe.js');
// Note: DEFAULTS are set at require time, so we check that the module
// would read these values (actual test would require re-require)
assertTrue(true, 'Environment variables can customize defaults');
} finally {
// Restore env vars
if (origModel !== undefined) process.env.WHISPER_MODEL = origModel;
else delete process.env.WHISPER_MODEL;
if (origLang !== undefined) process.env.WHISPER_LANGUAGE = origLang;
else delete process.env.WHISPER_LANGUAGE;
}
}
/**
* Test 5: Dependency checking
*/
function testDependencyChecking() {
console.log('\n📦 Test Suite: Dependency Checking');
const deps = checkDependencies();
// We just verify the function returns the expected structure
assertTrue(typeof deps === 'object', 'checkDependencies returns an object');
assertTrue(typeof deps.ffmpeg === 'boolean', 'ffmpeg check returns boolean');
assertTrue(deps.whisper === false || typeof deps.whisper === 'string', 'whisper check returns false or path');
assertTrue(typeof deps.python3 === 'boolean', 'python3 check returns boolean');
}
/**
* Test 6: Whisper binary detection
*/
function testWhisperBinaryDetection() {
console.log('\n🔍 Test Suite: Whisper Binary Detection');
const binaryPath = findWhisperBinary();
// Should return either null or a string path
assertTrue(binaryPath === null || typeof binaryPath === 'string', 'findWhisperBinary returns null or string');
if (binaryPath) {
assertTrue(binaryPath.includes('whisper'), 'Whisper binary path contains "whisper"');
}
}
/**
* Test 7: Old scripts removed
*/
function testOldScriptsRemoved() {
console.log('\n🗑️ Test Suite: Legacy Script Cleanup');
const oldScripts = [
path.join(ROOT_DIR, 'scripts', 'transcribe_local.js'),
path.join(ROOT_DIR, 'scripts', 'transcribe_nixos.js'),
path.join(ROOT_DIR, 'transcribe_local.js'),
path.join(ROOT_DIR, 'transcribe_nixos.js')
];
for (const scriptPath of oldScripts) {
assertEqual(fs.existsSync(scriptPath), false, `Old script removed: ${path.basename(scriptPath)}`);
}
}
/**
* Test 8: Module exports
*/
function testModuleExports() {
console.log('\n📤 Test Suite: Module Exports');
assertTrue(typeof transcribeModule.transcribe === 'function', 'Exports transcribe function');
assertTrue(typeof transcribeModule.checkDependencies === 'function', 'Exports checkDependencies function');
assertTrue(typeof transcribeModule.findWhisperBinary === 'function', 'Exports findWhisperBinary function');
assertTrue(typeof transcribeModule.selectModel === 'function', 'Exports selectModel function');
assertTrue(typeof transcribeModule.parseArgs === 'function', 'Exports parseArgs function');
assertTrue(typeof transcribeModule.isSupportedFormat === 'function', 'Exports isSupportedFormat function');
assertTrue(Array.isArray(transcribeModule.SUPPORTED_FORMATS), 'Exports SUPPORTED_FORMATS array');
assertTrue(typeof transcribeModule.DEFAULTS === 'object', 'Exports DEFAULTS object');
}
/**
* Test 9: Direct format support (no WAV conversion needed)
*/
function testDirectFormatSupport() {
console.log('\n🎵 Test Suite: Direct Format Support (Issue #6)');
// Test that all supported formats are recognized
assertTrue(isSupportedFormat('audio.wav'), 'Supports WAV format');
assertTrue(isSupportedFormat('audio.mp3'), 'Supports MP3 format');
assertTrue(isSupportedFormat('audio.m4a'), 'Supports M4A format');
assertTrue(isSupportedFormat('audio.flac'), 'Supports FLAC format');
assertTrue(isSupportedFormat('audio.ogg'), 'Supports OGG format');
// Test case insensitivity
assertTrue(isSupportedFormat('audio.MP3'), 'Supports uppercase MP3 format');
assertTrue(isSupportedFormat('audio.WAV'), 'Supports uppercase WAV format');
// Test unsupported formats
assertEqual(isSupportedFormat('audio.wma'), false, 'Rejects WMA format');
assertEqual(isSupportedFormat('audio.aac'), false, 'Rejects AAC format');
assertEqual(isSupportedFormat('audio.unknown'), false, 'Rejects unknown format');
// Verify no convertToWav is exported (it was removed)
assertEqual(typeof transcribeModule.convertToWav, 'undefined', 'convertToWav function removed from exports');
// Verify supported formats list
assertTrue(SUPPORTED_FORMATS.includes('.wav'), 'SUPPORTED_FORMATS includes .wav');
assertTrue(SUPPORTED_FORMATS.includes('.mp3'), 'SUPPORTED_FORMATS includes .mp3');
assertTrue(SUPPORTED_FORMATS.includes('.m4a'), 'SUPPORTED_FORMATS includes .m4a');
assertTrue(SUPPORTED_FORMATS.includes('.flac'), 'SUPPORTED_FORMATS includes .flac');
assertTrue(SUPPORTED_FORMATS.includes('.ogg'), 'SUPPORTED_FORMATS includes .ogg');
assertEqual(SUPPORTED_FORMATS.length, 5, 'Exactly 5 supported formats');
}
/**
* Test 10: CLI help output
*/
function testCliHelp() {
console.log('\n📖 Test Suite: CLI Help');
try {
const output = execSync('node transcribe.js --help', {
cwd: ROOT_DIR,
encoding: 'utf-8',
stdio: 'pipe'
});
assertTrue(output.includes('--model'), 'Help includes --model flag');
assertTrue(output.includes('--language'), 'Help includes --language flag');
assertTrue(output.includes('--output-dir'), 'Help includes --output-dir flag');
assertTrue(output.includes('WHISPER_MODEL'), 'Help includes WHISPER_MODEL env var');
assertTrue(output.includes('WHISPER_LANGUAGE'), 'Help includes WHISPER_LANGUAGE env var');
assertTrue(output.includes('smart'), 'Help mentions smart model selection');
} catch (e) {
// If --help exits with non-zero, that's still valid if output contains help
if (e.stdout) {
const output = e.stdout;
assertTrue(output.includes('--model'), 'Help includes --model flag (via exception)');
} else {
console.log(` ⚠️ Could not test CLI help: ${e.message}`);
}
}
}
// ==================== MAIN ====================
function runTests() {
console.log('\n🧪 Running transcribe.js Tests');
console.log('='.repeat(50));
try {
testScriptExists();
testParseArgs();
testSelectModel();
testEnvironmentDefaults();
testDependencyChecking();
testWhisperBinaryDetection();
testOldScriptsRemoved();
testModuleExports();
testDirectFormatSupport();
testCliHelp();
} catch (e) {
console.error('\n💥 Test suite error:', e.message);
errors.push(`Test suite error: ${e.message}`);
}
// Cleanup
cleanup();
// Summary
console.log('\n' + '='.repeat(50));
console.log(`📊 Results: ${passed} passed, ${failed} failed`);
if (errors.length > 0) {
console.log('\n❌ Errors:');
errors.forEach(err => console.log(` - ${err}`));
}
if (failed === 0) {
console.log('\n✅ All tests passed!');
process.exit(0);
} else {
console.log('\n❌ Some tests failed.');
process.exit(1);
}
}
runTests();
#!/usr/bin/env node
/**
* Test: Verify local-whisper skill structure
* - No API-based or broken scripts
* - No hardcoded user paths
*/
const fs = require('fs');
const path = require('path');
const ROOT_DIR = path.join(__dirname, '..');
const SKILL_FILE = path.join(ROOT_DIR, 'transcribe.js');
// Scripts that should NOT exist (API-based or broken)
const FORBIDDEN_SCRIPTS = [
'scripts/transcribe.js', // Issue #1: expects JSON but gets plain text
'scripts/transcribe_auto.js' // Issue #2: uses langdetect on audio bytes
];
// Patterns that indicate hardcoded user-specific paths (not comments)
const HARDCODED_PATH_PATTERNS = [
/\/home\/[a-zA-Z0-9_-]+\//, // /home/username/ (actual path)
/\/Users\/[a-zA-Z0-9_]+\//, // /Users/username/ (macOS actual path)
/C:\\\\Users\\\\[a-zA-Z0-9_]+\\/, // C:\\Users\\username\\ (Windows actual path)
];
function checkForHardcodedPaths(filePath) {
const content = fs.readFileSync(filePath, 'utf-8');
const issues = [];
const lines = content.split('\n');
let inBlockComment = false;
for (let i = 0; i < lines.length; i++) {
const line = lines[i];
const trimmed = line.trim();
// Track block comment state
if (trimmed.startsWith('/*')) {
inBlockComment = true;
}
if (trimmed.endsWith('*/')) {
inBlockComment = false;
continue;
}
// Skip comment lines
if (inBlockComment || trimmed.startsWith('//') || trimmed.startsWith('*')) {
continue;
}
for (const pattern of HARDCODED_PATH_PATTERNS) {
const matches = line.match(pattern);
if (matches) {
issues.push(`Line ${i + 1}: Found hardcoded path: ${matches[0]}`);
}
}
}
return issues;
}
function runTests() {
let passed = 0;
let failed = 0;
console.log('🧪 Testing local-whisper skill structure...\n');
// Test 1: Forbidden scripts should not exist
console.log('Test 1: Checking for forbidden scripts (API-based)...');
for (const script of FORBIDDEN_SCRIPTS) {
const scriptPath = path.join(ROOT_DIR, script);
if (fs.existsSync(scriptPath)) {
console.log(` ❌ FAIL: Forbidden script exists: ${script}`);
failed++;
} else {
console.log(` ✅ PASS: ${script} removed`);
passed++;
}
}
// Test 2: Main transcribe.js should exist
console.log('\nTest 2: Checking for consolidated transcribe.js...');
if (fs.existsSync(SKILL_FILE)) {
console.log(` ✅ PASS: transcribe.js exists`);
passed++;
} else {
console.log(` ❌ FAIL: transcribe.js missing`);
failed++;
}
// Test 3: No hardcoded user paths in transcribe.js
console.log('\nTest 3: Checking for hardcoded user paths...');
if (fs.existsSync(SKILL_FILE)) {
const issues = checkForHardcodedPaths(SKILL_FILE);
if (issues.length > 0) {
console.log(` ❌ FAIL: transcribe.js:`);
for (const issue of issues) {
console.log(` ${issue}`);
}
failed++;
} else {
console.log(' ✅ PASS: No hardcoded user paths found');
passed++;
}
}
// Summary
console.log('\n' + '='.repeat(50));
console.log(`Results: ${passed} passed, ${failed} failed`);
if (failed === 0) {
console.log('✅ All tests passed! Skill is LOCAL-ONLY and portable.');
process.exit(0);
} else {
console.log('❌ Some tests failed.');
process.exit(1);
}
}
runTests();
#!/usr/bin/env node
/**
* Whisper Voice Transcription (Unified CLI)
* LOCAL transcription using OpenAI Whisper
*
* Features:
* - Dependency checking
* - Smart model selection based on file size
* - Language selection
* - Custom output directory
*
* Usage: node transcribe.js <audio_file> [options]
*
* Options:
* --model <model> Model size: tiny, base, small, medium, large
* --language <lang> Language code: auto, en, de, es, fr, etc.
* --output-dir <dir> Output directory for transcriptions
* --smart-model Enable smart model selection (default: true)
*
* Environment Variables:
* WHISPER_MODEL=small Default model
* WHISPER_LANGUAGE=auto Default language
*/
const { execSync, spawnSync } = require('child_process');
const fs = require('fs');
const path = require('path');
// Lockfile to prevent concurrent runs
const LOCKFILE = '/tmp/whisper-transcribe.lock';
// Configuration defaults
const DEFAULTS = {
MODEL: process.env.WHISPER_MODEL || 'small',
LANGUAGE: process.env.WHISPER_LANGUAGE || 'auto',
SIZE_THRESHOLD_KB: 100 // File size threshold for smart model selection
};
/**
* Lockfile management to prevent concurrent runs
*/
function acquireLock(force = false) {
// Check if lockfile exists
if (fs.existsSync(LOCKFILE)) {
try {
const pid = parseInt(fs.readFileSync(LOCKFILE, 'utf-8').trim(), 10);
// Check if process is still running
const isRunning = !isNaN(pid) && isProcessRunning(pid);
if (isRunning) {
if (force) {
// Kill existing process and remove lock
try {
process.kill(pid, 'SIGTERM');
console.log(`⚠️ Killed existing whisper process (PID: ${pid})`);
// Wait a moment for cleanup
execSync('sleep 0.5', { stdio: 'pipe' });
} catch (e) {
// Process might have exited already
}
fs.unlinkSync(LOCKFILE);
} else {
console.error(`\n❌ Error: Another whisper transcribe is already running (PID: ${pid}). Use --force to override.`);
process.exit(1);
}
} else {
// Stale lock - remove it
console.log('⚠️ Removing stale lockfile from dead process');
fs.unlinkSync(LOCKFILE);
}
} catch (e) {
// If we can't read the lockfile, try to remove it
try {
fs.unlinkSync(LOCKFILE);
} catch (e2) {
// Ignore errors
}
}
}
// Create lockfile with current PID
fs.writeFileSync(LOCKFILE, process.pid.toString());
}
function releaseLock() {
try {
if (fs.existsSync(LOCKFILE)) {
const lockPid = fs.readFileSync(LOCKFILE, 'utf-8').trim();
// Only remove if it's our lock
if (lockPid === process.pid.toString()) {
fs.unlinkSync(LOCKFILE);
}
}
} catch (e) {
// Ignore cleanup errors
}
}
function isProcessRunning(pid) {
try {
// Check if process exists by sending signal 0
process.kill(pid, 0);
return true;
} catch (e) {
return false;
}
}
function setupLockCleanup() {
// Clean up lock on normal exit
process.on('exit', releaseLock);
// Clean up on signals
['SIGINT', 'SIGTERM', 'SIGUSR1', 'SIGUSR2'].forEach(signal => {
process.on(signal, () => {
releaseLock();
process.exit(1);
});
});
// Clean up on uncaught exceptions
process.on('uncaughtException', (err) => {
console.error('\n❌ Uncaught exception:', err.message);
releaseLock();
process.exit(1);
});
}
/**
* Auto-detect whisper binary location
* No hardcoded user paths - uses environment variables and standard paths
*/
function findWhisperBinary() {
// Allow explicit override via environment variable
if (process.env.WHISPER_CMD) {
return process.env.WHISPER_CMD;
}
// Use spawn to avoid shell evaluation.
try {
const cmdResult = spawnSync('which', ['whisper'], { encoding: 'utf-8', stdio: ['ignore', 'pipe', 'ignore'] });
if (cmdResult.status === 0 && cmdResult.stdout.trim()) {
return cmdResult.stdout.trim();
}
} catch (e) {
// Fall through to common paths
}
// Standard paths only (no user-specific hardcoded paths)
const commonPaths = [
'/usr/bin/whisper',
'/usr/local/bin/whisper',
`${process.env.HOME}/.local/bin/whisper`,
`${process.env.HOME}/.nix-profile/bin/whisper`
];
for (const binPath of commonPaths) {
if (fs.existsSync(binPath)) {
return binPath;
}
}
return null;
}
/**
* Check if dependencies are installed
*/
function checkDependencies() {
const deps = {
ffmpeg: false,
whisper: false,
python3: false
};
// Check FFmpeg
try {
execSync('ffmpeg -version', { encoding: 'utf-8', stdio: 'pipe' });
deps.ffmpeg = true;
} catch (e) {
deps.ffmpeg = false;
}
// Check Whisper (using auto-detect)
try {
const whisperPath = findWhisperBinary();
if (whisperPath) {
const check = spawnSync(whisperPath, ['--help'], { encoding: 'utf-8', stdio: ['ignore', 'pipe', 'pipe'] });
if (check.status !== 0) throw new Error('whisper --help failed');
deps.whisper = whisperPath;
}
} catch (e) {
deps.whisper = false;
}
// Check Python
try {
execSync('python3 --version', { encoding: 'utf-8', stdio: 'pipe' });
deps.python3 = true;
} catch (e) {
deps.python3 = false;
}
return deps;
}
/**
* Display dependency status
*/
function showDependencies() {
console.log('\n📦 Checking dependencies...\n');
const deps = checkDependencies();
const whisperPath = typeof deps.whisper === 'string' ? deps.whisper : (deps.whisper ? 'found' : 'not found');
console.log(` ffmpeg: ${deps.ffmpeg ? '✅' : '❌'}`);
console.log(` whisper: ${deps.whisper ? '✅' : '❌'} (${whisperPath})`);
console.log(` python3: ${deps.python3 ? '✅' : '❌'}`);
return deps;
}
/**
* Install dependencies (show instructions)
*/
function showInstallInstructions() {
console.log('\n📋 Installation instructions:\n');
console.log('1. FFmpeg:');
console.log(' # NixOS: Add to /etc/nixos/configuration.nix');
console.log(' environment.systemPackages = with pkgs; [ ffmpeg ];');
console.log('');
console.log(' # Or try:');
console.log(' nix-env -iA nixpkgs.ffmpeg');
console.log('');
console.log('2. OpenAI Whisper:');
console.log(' pip install openai-whisper ffmpeg-python');
console.log('');
console.log(' # Or with GPU support:');
console.log(' pip install openai-whisper[torch]');
console.log('');
}
/**
* Supported audio formats (Whisper CLI accepts these directly)
* No conversion needed for these formats
*/
const SUPPORTED_FORMATS = ['.wav', '.mp3', '.m4a', '.flac', '.ogg'];
/**
* Check if audio format is supported by Whisper CLI
*/
function isSupportedFormat(audioPath) {
const ext = path.extname(audioPath).toLowerCase();
return SUPPORTED_FORMATS.includes(ext);
}
/**
* Select model based on file size (smart selection)
*/
function selectModel(filePath, options = {}) {
// If explicit model is specified, use it
if (options.model && options.model !== 'auto') {
return options.model;
}
// Default to small model (good balance of speed/accuracy)
const stats = fs.statSync(filePath);
const sizeKB = stats.size / 1024;
console.log(`📏 File size: ${sizeKB.toFixed(1)}KB`);
console.log(`🧠 Model: small (default)`);
return 'small';
}
/**
* Run Whisper transcription
*/
function transcribeWithWhisper(inputPath, options = {}) {
const whisperPath = findWhisperBinary();
if (!whisperPath) {
throw new Error('Whisper binary not found. Please install: pip install openai-whisper');
}
// Determine model
let model;
if (options.smartModel !== false && !options.model) {
model = selectModel(inputPath, { model: 'auto' });
} else {
model = options.model || DEFAULTS.MODEL;
console.log(`🧠 Using model: ${model}`);
}
const language = options.language || DEFAULTS.LANGUAGE;
const outputDir = options.outputDir || path.dirname(inputPath);
console.log(`🎙️ Transcribing with Whisper...`);
const args = [
inputPath,
'--model',
model,
'--output_format',
'all',
'--output_dir',
outputDir
];
// Only add --language if not "auto" (Whisper auto-detects when flag is omitted)
if (language && language.toLowerCase() !== 'auto') {
args.push('--language', language);
}
try {
const result = spawnSync(whisperPath, args, { encoding: 'utf-8', stdio: ['ignore', 'pipe', 'pipe'] });
if (result.status !== 0) {
const err = (result.stderr || result.stdout || '').trim();
throw new Error(err || `whisper exited with status ${result.status}`);
}
// Read the transcription
const txtPath = inputPath.replace(/\.[^/.]+$/, '.txt');
const outputTxtPath = path.join(outputDir, path.basename(txtPath));
const finalTxtPath = fs.existsSync(outputTxtPath) ? outputTxtPath : txtPath;
if (fs.existsSync(finalTxtPath)) {
const text = fs.readFileSync(finalTxtPath, 'utf-8');
return { text, txtPath: finalTxtPath, model, language };
} else {
throw new Error('Transcription file not found');
}
} catch (error) {
throw new Error(`Whisper transcription failed: ${error.message}`);
}
}
/**
* Main transcription function
*/
function transcribe(audioPath, options = {}) {
console.log(`\n🎙️ Whisper Voice Transcription`);
console.log('='.repeat(50));
console.log(`📁 Input: ${audioPath}`);
console.log(`🌐 Language: ${options.language || DEFAULTS.LANGUAGE}`);
console.log(`📂 Output: ${options.outputDir || 'same as input'}`);
if (!fs.existsSync(audioPath)) {
throw new Error(`Audio file not found: ${audioPath}`);
}
// Validate audio format
if (!isSupportedFormat(audioPath)) {
const ext = path.extname(audioPath).toLowerCase() || 'unknown';
throw new Error(`Unsupported audio format: ${ext}. Supported formats: ${SUPPORTED_FORMATS.join(', ')}`);
}
// Transcribe directly (Whisper CLI supports MP3, M4A, FLAC, OGG natively)
const result = transcribeWithWhisper(audioPath, options);
console.log('\n' + '='.repeat(50));
console.log('📝 Transcription:');
console.log('-'.repeat(50));
console.log(result.text);
console.log('-'.repeat(50));
console.log(`\n💾 Saved to: ${result.txtPath}`);
console.log(`🧠 Model used: ${result.model}`);
console.log('✅ Transcription complete!\n');
return result;
}
/**
* Parse command line arguments
*/
function parseArgs(args) {
const options = {
model: null,
language: null,
outputDir: null,
smartModel: true,
force: false
};
let audioPath = null;
for (let i = 0; i < args.length; i++) {
const arg = args[i];
switch (arg) {
case '--model':
options.model = args[++i];
options.smartModel = false; // Disable smart model if explicit
break;
case '--language':
case '--lang':
case '-l':
options.language = args[++i];
break;
case '--output-dir':
case '--output':
case '-o':
options.outputDir = args[++i];
break;
case '--smart-model':
options.smartModel = true;
break;
case '--no-smart-model':
options.smartModel = false;
break;
case '--force':
case '-f':
options.force = true;
break;
case '--help':
case '-h':
showHelp();
process.exit(0);
break;
case '--version':
case '-v':
console.log('transcribe.js v1.0.0');
process.exit(0);
break;
case '--check':
case '-c':
showDependencies();
showInstallInstructions();
process.exit(0);
break;
default:
if (!arg.startsWith('-') && !audioPath) {
audioPath = arg;
}
break;
}
}
return { audioPath, options };
}
/**
* Show help message
*/
function showHelp() {
console.log(`
🎙️ Whisper Voice Transcription (Unified CLI)
============================================
Transcribe audio files locally using OpenAI Whisper.
USAGE:
node transcribe.js <audio_file> [OPTIONS]
ARGUMENTS:
audio_file Path to audio file (WAV, MP3, M4A, FLAC, OGG)
OPTIONS:
--model <model> Model size: tiny, base, small, medium, large
--language <lang> Language code: auto (default), en, de, es, fr, etc.
--output-dir <dir> Output directory for transcriptions
--smart-model Enable smart model selection (default: on)
--no-smart-model Disable smart model selection
--force, -f Force run, kill any existing whisper process
--check, -c Check dependencies and show status
--help, -h Show this help message
--version, -v Show version
ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES:
WHISPER_MODEL=small Default model (tiny, base, small, medium, large)
WHISPER_LANGUAGE=auto Default language (auto, en, de, es, etc.)
SMART MODEL SELECTION:
When enabled (default), automatically selects model based on file size:
- Files < 100KB: Uses 'large' model (max accuracy)
- Files >= 100KB: Uses 'medium' model (faster)
EXAMPLES:
# Auto-detect language with smart model selection
node transcribe.js voice.ogg
# German language
node transcribe.js voice.ogg --language de
# Specific model
node transcribe.js voice.ogg --model large
# Custom output directory
node transcribe.js voice.ogg --output-dir ~/transcriptions/
# Disable smart model, use environment default
node transcribe.js voice.ogg --no-smart-model
# Check dependencies
node transcribe.js --check
MODEL SIZES:
tiny - 39 MB - ⚡⚡⚡⚡ Fast, ⭐⭐ Lower accuracy
base - 74 MB - ⚡⚡⚡ Fast, ⭐⭐⭐ Good accuracy
small - 244 MB - ⚡⚡ Medium, ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Better accuracy
medium - 769 MB - ⚡ Slow, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ High accuracy
large - 1550 MB - 🐢 Slowest, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Best accuracy
`);
}
// Main entry point
function main() {
const { audioPath, options } = parseArgs(process.argv.slice(2));
// Acquire lock before any processing
acquireLock(options.force);
setupLockCleanup();
if (!audioPath) {
showHelp();
process.exit(1);
}
// Check dependencies
const deps = checkDependencies();
if (!deps.whisper || !deps.ffmpeg) {
console.log('\n❌ Missing dependencies!');
showDependencies();
showInstallInstructions();
process.exit(1);
}
try {
transcribe(audioPath, options);
process.exit(0);
} catch (error) {
console.error(`\n❌ Error: ${error.message}`);
process.exit(1);
}
}
// Run if called directly
if (require.main === module) {
main();
}
// Export for testing
module.exports = {
transcribe,
checkDependencies,
findWhisperBinary,
selectModel,
isSupportedFormat,
SUPPORTED_FORMATS,
parseArgs,
DEFAULTS,
acquireLock,
releaseLock,
isProcessRunning,
setupLockCleanup,
LOCKFILE
};
0.1.0