Recall for Linux
37 comments
·October 27, 2025user2722
athrowaway3z
For all that it is satire, it is a lot more functional than you might realize at first glance.
https://github.com/rolflobker/recall-for-linux/blob/e16382f0...
phs318u
I thought this was a serious take for a second (until I looked at microsoft_recall_linux.exe - lol).
Having said that, I would actually be keen for something similar that is both open-source and totally local so that I could use the output as AI fodder (for a local inference model of course).
loutr
It's a joke yes but it does work, in a really crude way. The exe is actually a short bash script, it takes a screenshot every 5 seconds, feeds it to tesseract (OCR) and dumps the result in ~/.recall.
raphman
There is/was https://github.com/selfspy/selfspy (not updated in 10 years).
mnmalst
It kinda IS a working solution tho. recall-for-linux.exe is just a bash script that does this in a loop. :)
grim - | tee ~/.recall/$(date "+%Y-%m-%dT%H-%M-%S").png | tesseract stdin stdout 2>/dev/null >~/.recall/$(date "+%Y-%m-%dT%H-%M-%S").log
theblazehen
https://github.com/mediar-ai/screenpipe is promising, however it has some issues with my setup. I'm personally just dumping all the data with ffmpeg + x11grab, will figure out what I want to do with it later
skerit
Windows & macos only though. "linux support coming soon" has been on that website forever.
theblazehen
That's for the fancy GUI. Basic "capture and dump to disk" is supported on Linux with the cli version
ValdikSS
When I was working in audits, I used to record everything happening on my screen with 3 fps and then rewatching it with 10x speed, just not to forget anything.
When Recall was announced, I was in minority who thought it was super cool technology.
noir_lord
> I was in minority who thought it was super cool technology.
The technology can be cool while still be a horrific idea because of the implementation and privacy implications.
LauraMedia
I think there is a difference between "I can audit the code, it's encrypted, I want to run this and want to use this" and "Microsoft installs it, it's not encrypted and wants to turn it on by default, potentially sharing data to them soon(tm)"
ksynwa
The technology is cool. It's microsoft that's not. Tools like this already existed on Mac.
XorNot
There's nothing wrong with the concept, but if it's not local with you in total control of the data then it's also just a no go.
geocar
> I would actually be keen for something similar that is both open-source and totally local
Did you actually look at it? Or just look at it? Because it is actually open-source and totally local.
# ... nonsense
while true; do
grim - | tee ~/.recall/$(date "+%Y-%m-%dT%H-%M-%S").png | tesseract stdin stdout 2>/dev/null >~/.recall/$(date "+%Y-%m-%dT%H-%M-%S").log
# ... other nonsense
done
I've done something like this for over a decade (although I have a diff that deletes duplicate frames) and I like to partition by date (do that "T" becomes a "/") because that makes other things easier, but my script isn't much more complicated than that.
RobotToaster
Same.
I have a terrible memory so a totally local ai that knows everything I do would actually be useful.
jeroenhd
That's the biggest problem I have with Recall. Not that the idea or functionality is bad, but that the probability that the company behind it will abuse it is so large that it's not worth the risk.
If the system worked fully locally, didn't come from Apple/Microsoft/Google/Facebook/etc., and had decent data isolation, I would probably turn it on.
Unfortunately I find that getting basic OCR to work reliably on Linux is a challenge in itself compared to Windows' APIs and quality of OCR results, so I doubt an honest, well-intentioned implementation will make it to Linux.
Citizen_Lame
That's what people crave.
keyle
They don't look like they need money, but they look prime for a series A. This idea has legs.
noir_lord
For the first time since the 1980's I'm not going to be running a PC with a Microsoft OS on anywhere (I dual boot my main desktop since I use it for work and gaming) but the Windows 11 install is getting binned.
Tired of having to read release notes carefully and make sure I've done just the right things to stop it doing things I never asked it to do.
Good job MS, you lost a customer who's never likely to come back.
Been running windows/linux alongside each other since the late 90's and outside of gaming my computing life is linux (even my TV is connected to a fedora box) so not a hard switch.
ccakes
Mac only but if you want a local only version of this (which has been mentioned in other comments), Dayflow[1] looks decent. I think I'd actually love something like this but can't quite bring myself to run it.. even with local models
renegat0x0
I was expecting OneDrive subscription message to go up from time time time.
frumiousirc
Not to be confused with Recoll (for Linux, et al) https://www.recoll.org/
RonanSoleste
A must have for every linux user that reads carefully
metalman
Wonderfull satire. Forgetting is a blessing for me, and while I dont have complete clinical recall, I do retain a very great deal, add in a chaotic curiosity, and there are many many short paths, I dont need reminding/renforcement of. Which makes useing the internet hellish, without turning all the history and pre fetch, adverts, etc off. Having my local machine co opted for survailence has me wondering about building a clasic office, with a fax machine, and paper mail. Paper mails last significant update was 100 years ago with airplanes, and fax has been stable for ?50 years? And the cheap ass win11 laptop that would not power down is outside in the rain, and the much cheaper linux box with dual monitors is styling in the house, graphted into an old 60's formica kitchen table, was booted from a usb drive,created with a phone, works awsome. Love that side of the tech, loath the ,the, whatever it is, thats trying to suck up the world and spew it back covered in cold grue.
guardian5x
With all the emojis in the source code, one can instantly recognize it as AI slop. :)
aitchnyu
I've seen major React ecosystem packages with emoji readmes nearly 10 years back. Your super serious bank app may have emoji in their bundle.
blensor
I thought that at first too until I read the first bullet point
" Stores all you sensitive data "
That's a grammar error I don't expect an LLM to make?
lzzzam
simply thank you, I was missing all those features
I know this is satire, but there is actually one and one you actually control. May be useful to remember who said what and where. It can be useful. Just not the way a megacorp implements it.
Here it is [unaffiliated, untested by me, unvetted]: https://github.com/openrecall/openrecall