Translate text to different languages on the Linux desktop
Are you tired of loading up Google Translate in a web browser each time you need to translate some text? If you’re on Linux, you’ll love Dialect. It uses the Google Translate API and allows you to do translations from the Linux desktop quickly. Here’s how to use it.
Installing Dialect on Linux
The Dialect translation app is available for all Linux operating systems through native packages (Deb and RPM) or Flatpak. In this guide, we’ll go over how to install Dialect in all methods for Linux.
To start, you’ll need to open up a terminal window on the Linux desktop. You can open a terminal window by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T on the keyboard. Or, search for “Terminal” in the app menu and launch it that way.
With the terminal window open, the installation of Dialect can begin. Follow the installation instructions below that correspond to the Linux OS you are using.
Ubuntu
To install Dialect on Ubuntu, you’ll need to be updated to the latest version (22.04 LTS). Once you are, you can use the following apt install command to set up the newest release of the app.
sudo apt install dialect
Debian
If you want to use Dialect on Debian, you’ll need to follow the Flatpak instructions or upgrade to Debian Sid. If you are using Debian Sid, you can install the newest release of Dialect with the apt-get install command.
sudo apt-get install dialect
Arch Linux
The Dialect app is available for Arch Linux users via the AUR. To install, start by setting up the Trizen AUR helper tool. You can set up the Trizen AUR helper with the commands below.
sudo pacman -S git base-devel git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/trizen.git cd trizen/ makepkg -sri
Once the Trizen AUR helper app is set up and ready to use, you can install the Dialect app on Arch Linux with the following trizen -S command.
trizen -S dialect
Fedora
If you’re on Fedora Linux, you’ll be able to install the Dialect application through the main Fedora repos. To install, use the following dnf install command below. First, however, ensure you are on Fedora 35 or newer.
sudo dnf install dialect
OpenSUSE
OpenSUSE doesn’t have an official package for Dialect in the repos. However, installing Dialect on all current releases of OpenSUSE Linux is still possible via the OpenSUSE Build Service.
Head over to the Dialect page on the OBS to set up the app. Then, find your release, click “Show community packages,” and select the “1 Click Install” button to set up Dialect.
Flatpak
Dialect is available as a Flatpak for those that are interested. To set it up, you’ll need to configure the official Flatpak runtime on your Linux PC. Once you’ve gotten the runtime configured, the installation can begin.
First, enable the Flathub app store on your Linux PC by entering the following flatpak remote-add command.
flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo
With the Flathub app store configured on your Linux PC, you’ll be able to install the Dialect application as a Flatpak on your Linux PC by entering the following flatpak install command.
flatpak install flathub com.github.gi_lom.dialect
How to translate text to different languages on the Linux desktop
To translate text in Dialect, start by opening the app on the Linux desktop. You can launch the app on the Linux desktop by searching for “Dialect” in the app menu. Once it is open, follow the step-by-step instructions below to translate.
Step 1: Find the left-most text box, and click on it with the mouse. The left-most text box is where you type in the language you wish to translate. Dialect will automatically detect the language you enter.
If your language is not automatically detected, find the “Auto” drop-down menu and click it. Then, set it to the language you prefer to use.
Step 2: After writing your untranslated text into the Dialect app, find the right-most text box. Then, select the drop-down menu in the right-hand text box to decide what language you wish your text to be translated to.
Can’t find the language you wish to translate to right away? Try using the search box in the menu to find the language you need.
Step 3: Once you’ve configured the translation language in the Dialect app, find the “Translate” button, and click on it with the mouse. When you select this button, you’ll get an instant translation of the text in the left-hand box posted in the right-hand box.
Wish to listen to your translation in the Dialect app like on Google Translate? You can! Listen to your translation by selecting the speaker icon in the bottom corner of the right-most text box.
