AI-Powered Translation Desktop Application
Barbaros is a lightweight desktop application that provides instant AI translations through your system tray. Simply copy text to your clipboard and get quick translations with a hotkey.
Note: Tested only on Linux, but may also work on Windows and macOS.
- 🚀 System Tray Integration: Runs quietly in the background without cluttering your desktop
- 📋 Clipboard Translation: Automatically translates text from your clipboard
- 🤖 AI-Powered: Leverages advanced AI models through Ollama for accurate translations
- 🔒 Privacy-First: All translations are processed locally - your data never leaves your machine
- 🏠 Offline Capable: Works completely offline once models are downloaded
- ⚡ Quick Access: Instant popup with customizable hotkeys
- 🔄 Multiple Communication Methods: Uses DBus and Unix signals for reliable operation
Barbaros requires Ollama to be installed and running on your system.
Linux Installation:
curl -fsSL https://ollama.com/install.sh | shPull a Translation Model: After installing Ollama, download a model for translations:
ollama pull llama3.1Browse available models in the official Ollama catalog.
Download and Install:
- Get the latest
.flatpakfile from GitHub Releases - Install the package:
cd ~/Downloads flatpak install Barbaros-v1.2.3.flatpak
Launch:
- Terminal:
flatpak run io.github.frimn.barbarosorflatpak run io.github.frimn.barbaros --openedfor open main window on startup - GUI: Find "Barbaros" in your application menu
Quick Translation:
flatpak run io.github.frimn.barbaros --popupTip: Bind this command to a keyboard shortcut for instant access
Note: Manual Flatpak installation doesn't support automatic updates. Check GitHub releases for new versions.
Clone and Setup:
git clone https://github.com/FRiMN/barbaros.git
cd barbaros
uv syncRun Application:
# Start system tray application
uv run barbaros
# Quick translation popup
uv run barbaros --popup
# Start app with open main window without translation
uv run barbaros --opened- Start the Application: Launch Barbaros to run it in your system tray
- Copy Text: Copy any text you want to translate to your clipboard
- Translate:
- Use the
--popupcommand, or - Click the system tray icon
- In the translation window, press "Translate" button or
Ctrl+Returnshortcut to translate the text
- Use the
- Get Results: The translation window will appear with your translated text
Barbaros uses a dual-communication system for reliable popup functionality:
- Primary: DBus messaging for seamless desktop integration
- Fallback: Unix signals (
SIGUSR1) for reliable operation
When you use the --popup argument, the command communicates with the running application instance, which then:
- Brings the main window to the foreground
- Retrieves text from your clipboard
- Processes the translation through Ollama
- Displays the results
Runtime Requirements:
- Ollama - AI model backend
- PySide6 - GUI framework
- psutil - Process utilities
- Flatpak - Application distribution (optional)
Development Tools:
For detailed information about building the Flatpak package, see build_flatpak.md.
Quick Build:
./build.shImportant Notice: The quality of translations depends entirely on the AI model you choose and its capabilities. Barbaros is a tool that facilitates the translation process, but it does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or appropriateness of translations.
- Translation accuracy varies between different language pairs
- Complex technical, legal, or medical texts may require professional human translation
- Always review and verify translations for important documents
- The application is not responsible for any consequences resulting from translation errors
For critical translations, we recommend consulting professional translation services.
Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit issues and pull requests.
This project is open source. Please check the repository for license details.