# Dictation in the terminal.

For some developers the terminal is not an extra tool; it is the workspace. Terminal dictation means starting, controlling and scripting voice-to-text from there, so speech input can join the same flow as commits, notes, prompts, scripts and agent commands.

Most users never need to think about the command line. But for developers and power users, the terminal is often the natural place to control tools.

A small command-line tool makes dictation scriptable without making the main app more complicated.

## When a GUI is not enough

A menu bar app is good for daily use. Some workflows need to start from scripts, aliases, terminal multiplexers or AI-agent setups.

If you already work in the terminal, leaving it just to control dictation can feel unnecessary.

## Real use cases

Terminal control can help with quick notes, prompt preparation, workflow tests, custom scripts or small local shortcuts around the way you work.

It is not a feature for everyone. For the right users, it is the difference between an app and a tool that fits the rest of the system.

## Why it is still outcome-first

The outcome is not “there is a CLI”. The outcome is getting voice input into a developer workflow without changing the whole workflow.

That matters especially with VibeCode, Codex, Claude Code and other agent-based processes where prompts are part of the work.

## How Vara does it

Vara ships with a small command-line tool, `vara`, so dictation can be controlled from the terminal.

It is deliberately optional: simple on the surface, scriptable underneath.

## Sources

- [Vara: Maskinrummet](/maskinrummet)