Kalipso

Free and open source · development preview

Look at the camera. Kalipso keeps your place.

A teleprompter for your desktop. Put a small reader next to your webcam and speak: Kalipso follows your voice with speech recognition that stays on your computer, scrolls at a steady pace, or waits for your pedal.

Get Kalipso Try it here

Linux (KDE Plasma and GNOME), with Windows and macOS previews. No account, no cloud.

A demonstration of voice following: the current word is marked, words already said fade, and your line stays at the same height.

Three ways to keep your place

You speak. The script keeps up.

  1. Follow your voice

    Words you have said fade, and the line you are on stays at the same height. Recognition runs on your computer, with Moonshine, Vosk or the system's own.

  2. Scroll at a steady pace

    Choose the words per minute, start after a countdown, and see how much time is left. Faster or slower while you read.

  3. Step by hand

    Arrow keys, a foot pedal, a presentation clicker or your phone. Each key can do what you choose.

Try the reader

See how your place is kept.

This is the reader from the app, in your browser. Advance a few words, change the colors or mirror it for teleprompter glass, then edit the script. The browser version never records audio or saves your script.

Sample script

A little preparation makes room for a better conversation. Take your time. Leave space for a pause.

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Manual demo · Microphone off

In real use

Right under your camera, on top of any app.

On a call, while recording, while presenting: the reader stays where your eyes should be, on Linux, Windows and macOS.

Simulated macOS desktop during a video call: four participant tiles below, and the Kalipso reader just under the camera notch, scrolling a team check-in script at 150 words per minute.
On a video call · macOSThe reader sits just under the camera, so you keep eye contact while you talk.
Simulated Windows desktop on a monitor with a webcam: a recorder window shows the camera preview and REC 00:42, and the Kalipso reader in light colors sits just under the webcam, scrolling the script of a video episode.
Recording a video · WindowsSteady scrolling at your speed while you record, in light colors here.
Simulated KDE Plasma desktop on a laptop: a presenter console shows slide 3 of 12 with a bar chart, and the Kalipso Plasma widget above it shows the notes for that slide with the current word marked.
Presenting slides · KDE PlasmaThe Plasma widget keeps your notes, one section per slide; step with a clicker or the arrow keys.
Simulated GNOME desktop on a laptop: an online lesson about photosynthesis with a list of students, and the Kalipso GNOME extension, opened from the top bar, just under the camera with the lesson script.
Teaching online · GNOMEThe GNOME extension opens from the top bar, on top of any app.

Simulated desktops and apps, drawn for illustration. The Kalipso windows in them are real captures of the current version.

Private by design

Your words stay on your computer.

  • No account, no cloud. Scripts are plain text files in your own folder.
  • Speech recognition runs locally. Audio never leaves your computer and nothing is recorded.
  • The phone remote never sees your script. It only sends start, pause and step, over your own network.
  • Open source under the AGPL. Read the code, build it yourself, check what it does.

What else it does

Made for the way you present.

Install

Try the preview. Know what to expect.

Kalipso is still in development: you build it from source for now. Signed installers and store listings are not available yet.

Linux app

Debian 13, Ubuntu 24.04 or newer · build from source

The full app: script library, imports, a movable and mirrorable reader, phone remote and voice following.

git clone https://github.com/brianidavide/kalipso.git
cd kalipso
cmake -S . -B build -G Ninja -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX="$HOME/.local"
cmake --build build && cmake --install build
Dependencies and other distributions

KDE Plasma

Plasma 6 widget · manual setup

A reader on your desktop or panel that keeps your script between sessions. Voice following uses a separately installed companion. A KDE Store listing is planned.

KDE setup guide

GNOME

GNOME Shell 48 · manual setup

A reader from the top bar that keeps your script between sessions. The extension declares Shell 48, the version it is tested with.

GNOME setup guide

macOS

Apple Silicon · macOS 14.4+ · experimental

The standalone app. On-device system speech needs macOS 26. Packages are not yet signed or notarized.

Mac build guide

Windows

Windows x64 · experimental

A portable development build of the standalone app. A signed installer is still pending.

Windows build guide

Before you use it.

Does it work with my call or recording app?

Kalipso is a separate reading window; it does not need to be embedded in a particular meeting app. Window placement and capture behavior vary by desktop. Test your actual call or recording setup before relying on it.

Will others see it when I share my screen?

On Windows the standalone app asks the system to leave the reader out of screen shares and recordings, and KDE Plasma 6.6 or later can hide it too. macOS offers no reliable way for an app to do this, so share a single window there. In every case, check the view from another participant, or the recorded video, before your presentation.

Can it read PowerPoint or Impress notes?

Yes. The standalone app imports the speaker notes of .pptx and .odp files, one section per slide. On Linux it can also follow a LibreOffice Impress slideshow while you present, moving to the notes of the slide on screen.

Which languages can it follow?

The download catalog has Moonshine models for English, German, Spanish, Japanese and Chinese, and Vosk models for those plus Italian. Recognition quality differs by language and model. Manual and steady reading work in any language.

Is my script saved automatically?

Yes. The standalone app, the Plasma widget and the GNOME extension save your script and reading position on your computer as you type. Nothing is uploaded. Only this browser demo resets when you reload it.

Is it ready for an important live presentation?

This is a development preview. Recognition can lose your place, and real-device testing is incomplete. Keep a copy of your notes, learn the manual controls and rehearse on your own hardware first.

Help make the next version better.

Tell us what worked, what did not, and what you need for your next talk or recording.

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