CLI Reference/pscribe Commands
pscribe Commands
Command-line interface reference
Overview
ParrotScribe includes a command-line interface (pscribe) for automation and integration with other tools.
Installation
The pscribe CLI is installed automatically when you install ParrotScribe. The installer creates a symlink at /usr/local/bin/pscribe.
Verify it's available:
pscribe --version
Commands
pscribe status
Show current service status. This is the default command.
pscribe status
Example output when paused:
pscribe v0.1.1
Status: paused
Model: Large
Microphone: yes
System audio: yes
Output: ~/Documents/ParrotScribe
When listening:
pscribe v0.1.1
Status: listening
Session: 20260111-135015 (0m 1s)
Model: Large
Microphone: yes
System audio: yes
Output: ~/Documents/ParrotScribe
pscribe start
Start transcription.
pscribe start
Transcription started
pscribe stop
Stop (pause) the current transcription.
pscribe stop
Transcription stopped
pscribe new
Force start a new session.
pscribe new
New session started: 20260111-135015
pscribe list
List recent sessions.
pscribe list [--limit N]
ID Start End
----------------------------------------------------------------------
2026-01-11T12-24-36+08-00 2026-01-11 12:24 2026-01-11 12:29
2026-01-11T11-07-59+08-00 2026-01-11 11:07 2026-01-11 12:03
2026-01-11T01-37-48+08-00 2026-01-11 01:37 2026-01-11 09:03
2026-01-11T00-47-46+08-00 2026-01-11 00:47 2026-01-11 00:51
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
--limit | Maximum sessions to show (default: 10) |
pscribe tail
Show recent transcript entries.
pscribe tail [options]
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
-n N | Last N lines (default: 10) |
-n +N | Start from line N (for polling) |
-f, --follow | Continuously stream new output |
-s, --status | Filter: all (default), confirmed, unconfirmed, speech (confirmed + unconfirmed, excludes silence) |
--session ID | Read specific session (from pscribe list) |
pscribe cat
Display complete transcript sessions.
pscribe cat [session-ids...] [options]
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
--since TIME | Sessions starting after ISO8601 time |
--until TIME | Sessions starting before ISO8601 time |
--last N | Last N sessions |
-s, --status | Filter: all, confirmed (default), unconfirmed, speech (confirmed + unconfirmed, excludes silence) |
pscribe grep
Search for patterns across transcript sessions.
pscribe grep PATTERN [options]
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
--since TIME | Search sessions after ISO8601 time |
--until TIME | Search sessions before ISO8601 time |
-s, --status | Filter: all, confirmed (default), unconfirmed, speech (confirmed + unconfirmed, excludes silence) |
-i, --ignore-case | Case-insensitive search |
-c, --count | Show match count per session |
-A N | Show N lines after each match |
-B N | Show N lines before each match |
-C N | Show N lines before and after |
pscribe config
View or modify configuration.
pscribe config list # Show all settings
pscribe config get <key> # Get a value
pscribe config set <key> <value> # Set a value
pscribe config reset [key] # Reset to defaults
| Key | Description |
|---|---|
general.model | Whisper model for transcription |
general.language | Speech language (auto or english) |
general.launchAtLogin | Start ParrotScribe at login |
general.autoTranscribe | Begin transcription on launch |
capture.microphone | Capture microphone audio |
capture.systemAudio | Capture system audio |
output.directory | Transcription output directory |
retention.period | How long to keep transcripts |
updates.channel | Update channel (stable or latest) |
vad.threshold | Voice activity detection threshold |
pscribe permissions
Check or request app permissions.
pscribe permissions # Check current status
pscribe permissions grant # Request missing permissions
pscribe permissions reset # Remove app from privacy settings
pscribe uninstall
Uninstall ParrotScribe and remove all data. Requires sudo.
sudo pscribe uninstall [options]
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
-F, --full | Also remove license keys from Keychain |
-f, --force | Skip confirmation prompt |
Examples
Watch transcription in real-time
pscribe tail --follow
Search recent transcripts
pscribe grep "action item" --last 5
Export today's sessions
pscribe cat --since "2026-01-11T00:00:00"