How do I set up global shortcuts for Crow Translate on GNOME with Wayland?

You need to manually assign D-Bus commands as shortcuts in GNOME settings. For example, run 'qdbus io.crow_translate.CrowTranslate /io/crow_translate/CrowTranslate/MainWindow translateSelection' and bind it to a hotkey in the system keyboard shortcuts menu.

Crow Translate vs Translate Shell: which is better for terminal users?

Crow Translate offers a GUI, OCR, and multi-engine support alongside its CLI, while Translate Shell is purely CLI-focused. Choose Crow Translate if you need screen OCR or a fallback GUI, but Translate Shell might be simpler for pure terminal translation tasks.

Can Crow Translate work offline without an internet connection?

No, all translation and text-to-speech features rely on online APIs like Google and Bing, so an active internet connection is required. There's no built-in offline translation engine.

How to batch translate text files using the command line?

Use the '--file' option followed by file paths, e.g., 'crow --file doc1.txt doc2.txt --translation es'. Combine with '--brief' or '--json' for concise output, and specify engines with '--engine' for customization.

Is my translation data private when using Crow Translate?

Data is sent to the selected third-party service (e.g., Google, Yandex), so privacy depends on their policies. For more control, use LibreTranslate, but note that self-hosting isn't directly supported by Crow Translate itself.

How to use the screen OCR feature to translate text from images?

Ensure Tesseract is installed, then use the global shortcut Ctrl+Alt+I or access it via the GUI to capture a screen area. The recognized text is automatically sent for translation based on your settings.

Open-Awesome

Crow Translate

GPL-3.0C++2.11.1

A lightweight desktop translator that translates and speaks text using multiple online translation APIs.

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2.0k stars179 forks0 contributors

What is Crow Translate?

Crow Translate is a lightweight desktop translator that allows users to quickly translate and speak text using multiple online translation APIs like Google, Yandex, Bing, LibreTranslate, and Lingva. It solves the problem of needing fast, convenient translations without switching to a web browser, offering both GUI and CLI interfaces.

Target Audience

Desktop users, particularly on Linux and Windows, who frequently need quick translations, developers who prefer keyboard-driven tools, and anyone wanting offline-like translation convenience without browser overhead.

Value Proposition

Developers choose Crow Translate for its minimal resource footprint, support for multiple translation engines, robust global shortcut system, and dual GUI/CLI functionality—all packaged in a simple, open-source desktop application.

Overview

A simple and lightweight translator that allows you to translate and speak text using Google, Yandex Bing, LibreTranslate and Lingva.

Use Cases

Best For

Quickly translating selected text on the desktop without opening a browser
Adding text-to-speech functionality for language learning or accessibility
Automating translation tasks via command-line scripts
Translating text from screenshots or images using built-in OCR
Creating custom keyboard shortcuts for translation workflows
Lightweight translation needs on Linux or Windows systems

Not Ideal For

Mobile or web-only translation workflows, as it's strictly a desktop application with no browser extension or mobile app.
Offline translation needs, since all engines require internet access to third-party APIs like Google and Bing.
High-volume, automated translation pipelines, due to potential API rate limits and the lightweight design focused on interactive use.
macOS users, because it only supports Linux and Windows, with no native version for Apple's operating system.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Multi-Engine Flexibility

Supports five translation APIs (Google, Yandex, Bing, LibreTranslate, Lingva), allowing users to switch based on accuracy, language support, or privacy preferences.

Lightweight Performance

Consumes minimal memory (~20MB while running), making it efficient for background use without slowing down desktop systems.

Robust Shortcut System

Offers highly customizable global keyboard shortcuts for quick translations and text-to-speech, enhancing productivity for keyboard-driven workflows.

Dual Interface Support

Provides both a GUI for interactive use and a rich CLI with options like JSON output and file reading, enabling scripting and automation tasks.

Cons

Complex Wayland Integration

Global shortcuts don't work natively on Wayland; users must manually configure D-Bus commands in system settings, which is cumbersome and less user-friendly.

Dependency-Heavy Setup

Requires multiple dependencies like Tesseract for OCR and specific Qt modules, complicating installation and building from source on some systems.

Limited Platform Support

Only available for Linux and Windows, with no macOS version, excluding a significant portion of desktop users from using the tool natively.

Frequently Asked Questions

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