# totalrecall - Bulgarian Anki Flashcard Generator
`totalrecall` is a versatile tool for generating Anki flashcard materials from Bulgarian words. It offers both a command-line interface (CLI) and a graphical user interface (GUI) for creating audio pronunciation files and AI-generated images.
It has mainly been vibe coded using Claude Code CLI.
⚠️ **Important:** TotalRecall now uses Google Gemini APIs by default for audio, image generation, translation, and phonetic lookup. Optional OpenAI paths are still available when explicitly selected. See [Quick Start](#quick-start) for setup instructions.
[
](assets/totalrecall.png)
[🔊 Computer / Компютър audio example](assets/audio.mp3) (Download raw file, and then play locally)
## Features
- Audio generation using **Google Gemini TTS** by default
- Uses a random Gemini voice by default unless you select a specific one
- Option to generate in all available voices
- Defaults to `mp3` output and auto-converts Gemini audio with `ffmpeg` to save space
- Phoenetic pronunciation:
- Fetches IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) for each word
- Uses Gemini by default
- Automatic Bulgarian to English translation
- Saves translations to separate text files
- Uses Gemini by default
- Image generation:
- **Google Gemini Nano Banana**: Default image path for GUI, CLI, and batch runs
- **OpenAI DALL-E**: Optional explicit CLI image generation path
- **Config-driven selection**: Set `image.provider` to `openai` or `nanobanana`
- Scene generation creates memorable contexts for each word
- Batch processing of multiple words
- Anki-compatible export
- Random voice variants and speech speed
## Installation
### Prerequisites
1. **For Gemini defaults** (audio, images, translation, phonetics):
- Create a Google AI Studio API key
- Set it with `export GOOGLE_API_KEY="..."`
- Install `ffmpeg` if you want the default space-saving `mp3` audio output
2. **For optional OpenAI paths**:
- Create an account at https://platform.openai.com
- Generate an API key at https://platform.openai.com/api-keys
- Set it with `export OPENAI_API_KEY="sk-..."`
### Building from Source
```bash
git clone https://codeberg.org/snonux/totalrecall.git
cd totalrecall
go build -o totalrecall ./cmd/totalrecall
```
### Installing to Go Bin Directory
Using Task (recommended):
```bash
cd totalrecall
task install
```
Or using go install directly:
```bash
cd totalrecall
go install ./cmd/totalrecall
```
Or install from remote repository:
```bash
go install codeberg.org/snonux/totalrecall/cmd/totalrecall@latest
```
This will install the binary to `~/go/bin/totalrecall`, which should be in your PATH.
### Desktop Icon Installation (GNOME/Fedora)
TotalRecall includes a desktop icon for GNOME integration. To install:
**For current user only:**
```bash
cd totalrecall
./assets/install-icon.sh
```
**System-wide installation:**
```bash
cd totalrecall
sudo ./assets/install-icon.sh
```
After installation, you may need to log out and log back in for the icon to appear in GNOME's application menu. The icon will show up as "TotalRecall" in the Education category.
## Quick Start
**Note:** By default, totalrecall uses Gemini TTS for audio, Nano Banana for images, and Gemini-backed translation/phonetic lookup. If you want the optional OpenAI paths, set your OpenAI API key too:
```bash
export OPENAI_API_KEY="sk-..."
export GOOGLE_API_KEY="..."
```
### GUI Mode
Launch the interactive graphical interface:
```bash
totalrecall # GUI mode is now the default
```
The GUI is best navigated using keyboard shortcuts for efficient workflow. Press **`h`** at any time to display a complete list of all available keyboard shortcuts.
Key features:
- Fast keyboard-driven interface
- Real-time audio playback
- Batch processing support
- Visual feedback for all operations
### CLI Mode
1. Generate materials for a single word. Explicit CLI image generation uses Nano Banana by default, and you can switch to OpenAI with `--image-api openai`:
```bash
totalrecall ябълка
```
2. Generate with specific DALL-E model:
```bash
totalrecall ябълка --openai-image-model dall-e-3
```
3. Process multiple words from a file:
```bash
totalrecall --batch words.txt
```
Example `words.txt` with translations:
```
книга = book
стол = table
компютър
молив = pencil
```
Have a look further below for more info about the batch file format!
4. Generate with Anki package:
```bash
totalrecall ябълка --anki # Creates APKG file (recommended)
totalrecall ябълка --anki --anki-csv # Creates CSV file (legacy and untested)
totalrecall ябълка --anki --deck-name "My Bulgarian Words" # Custom deck name
```
5. Archive existing cards directory:
```bash
totalrecall --archive # Archives cards to ~/.local/state/totalrecall/archive/cards-TIMESTAMP
```
#### Batch file format
Create a text file with Bulgarian words, optionally with English translations or Bulgarian definitions. The tool supports five flexible formats:
**Format 1: Bulgarian words only (will be translated to English)**
```
ябълка
котка
куче
хляб
вода
```
**Format 2: Bulgarian words with English translations (single equals =)**
```
книга = book
стол = table
прозорец = window
компютър = computer
молив = pencil
```
Creates English→Bulgarian flashcards (front: English, back: Bulgarian).
**Format 3: English words only (will be translated to Bulgarian)**
```
= apple
= cat
= dog
= bread
= water
```
**Format 4: Bulgarian-Bulgarian (monolingual - double equals ==)**
```
ябълка == плод
котка == домашно животно
куче == млекопитающо
```
Creates Bulgarian→Bulgarian flashcards (front: Bulgarian word, back: Bulgarian definition). Useful for monolingual learning where both sides are in Bulgarian. Uses double equals (`==`) to distinguish from the English format.
**Format 5: Mixed format (all four types can be combined)**
```
книга = book
котка == домашно животно
= table
куче = dog
вода == течност
молив
```
When translations are provided, they are used directly without calling the translation API, saving time and API quota. When only English is provided (format starting with `=`), the tool will automatically translate it to Bulgarian. Spaces around the words and translations are automatically trimmed.
Bulgarian-Bulgarian cards generate two separate audio files (front and back pronunciation).
## Configuration
Create an optional `~/config/totalrecall/config.yaml` file. You can copy the example file provided:
```bash
cp assets/config.yaml.example ~/.config/totalrecall/config.yaml
```
## Output Files
By default, all files are saved to `~/.local/state/totalrecall/`. You can override this with the `-o` flag or the `output.directory` config option.
For each word, the tool generates:
- `word.mp3` - Audio pronunciation (random voice)
- `word_translation.txt` - English translation
- `word_1.jpg`, `word_2.jpg`, etc. - Generated images
- `bulgarian_vocabulary.apkg` - Anki package file (when using --anki flag)
- `anki_import.csv` - Anki import file (when using --anki --anki-csv flags)
With `--all-voices` flag:
- `word_alloy.mp3`, `word_nova.mp3`, etc. - Audio in all 11 voices
## Anki Import
### Method 1: APKG Format (Recommended)
1. Generate materials with the `--anki` flag
2. In Anki, go to File → Import
3. Select the generated `.apkg` file
4. All media files are included automatically
5. Cards are ready to use with custom styling
### Method 2: CSV Format (Legacy - and untested)
1. Generate materials with `--anki --anki-csv` flags
2. In Anki, go to File → Import
3. Select the generated `anki_import.csv`
4. Copy all media files to your Anki media folder
5. Map fields appropriately during import
### GUI Export
The GUI mode offers an export dialog where you can:
- Choose between APKG and CSV formats
- Set a custom deck name
- Export all generated cards at once