CatScribe Docs

#Installation

Install CatScribe Translate and prepare your system for book-scale translation workflows.

#Supported Platforms

Platform How to install Notes
Windows (64-bit) catscribe-setup.exe direct installer, or Microsoft Store Store builds update automatically through the Store
Linux .deb package Debian/Ubuntu-family distributions
macOS Not available yet Planned for later

The installer is large (roughly 500 MB) because CatScribe bundles its own runtimes: the translation backend, an embedded Python environment for the Argos engine, FFmpeg for video and subtitle work, and OCR data. You do not need to install Node.js, Python, or Docker to use CatScribe.

#Prerequisites

  • Windows: the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable must be present. Most systems already have it; if the app fails to launch on a fresh machine, install the latest "Visual C++ Redistributable (x64)" from Microsoft and try again. The installer takes care of the WebView2 runtime itself.
  • Linux: a desktop environment able to install .deb packages.
  • Disk space: room for the app plus any optional downloads you enable (language packs, local models, and the optional COMET quality model are the largest items — see the download sizes under First Run below).
  • RAM: there is no enforced minimum, but local neural engines are memory-hungry. MarianMT/NLLB can use 1–2 GB+ during translation, and the app's own hardware profile treats 12 GB as mid-range and 16 GB + GPU as high-end. The app warns before enabling high-RAM engines ("High RAM Usage").
  • Internet on first run: usually required once, to download language packs or models (details under First Run below).

Optional external programs — only if you want the features they power:

Program Enables Install
Ollama Local AI models for refinement, Improve With AI, Help Chat CatScribe offers "Install Ollama Automatically" from the Providers screen; restart your computer afterwards so it is detected
LM Studio Same AI features via LM Studio's local server Manual install; then start its Local Server (Developer tab)
Docker The LibreTranslate local engine Manual install; a ready-made docker run command is provided in Settings → Integrations
LibreOffice .doc conversion and the "Via DOCX" PDF mode Manual install

#Install On Windows (Direct Download)

  1. Download catscribe-setup.exe from the website's download page.
  2. Run the installer and follow the prompts. It installs the app, the bundled runtimes, and the WebView2 runtime if missing.
  3. Launch CatScribe Translate from the Start menu.
  4. Complete the First Launch Setup wizard (below).

#Install On Windows (Microsoft Store)

  1. Search for CatScribe Translate in the Microsoft Store and install it.
  2. Launch it from the Start menu.
  3. Updates are handled by the Store — the in-app updates section states "Updates are provided through Microsoft Store."

#Install On Linux

  1. Download catscribe-linux.deb from the website's download page.
  2. Install it with your package manager, for example:
sudo apt install ./catscribe-linux.deb
  1. Launch CatScribe Translate from your application menu.

#First Run

On first launch, the First Launch Setup wizard walks you through:

  1. Interface language and theme.
  2. Privacy consent (usage analytics, crash reports, diagnostic logs — all opt-in, off by default).
  3. "Choose Translation Engine": "Argos Translate" (Recommended) or "MarianMT / NLLB", plus language pack selection and optional add-ons (COMET quality scoring, AI subtitle detection).
  4. Installation of what you chose.

Plan for these first-run downloads — they need an internet connection:

Download Size When
Argos language packs ~50–100 MB per language pair On engine setup or when adding a pair (some releases pre-seed English→Portuguese, so that pair may already work offline)
MarianMT / NLLB models ~200–600 MB On first use of those engines, from Hugging Face; cached locally afterwards
COMET quality model (optional) ~1–2 GB Only if you enable COMET scoring; first setup can take 15–45+ minutes
AI subtitle detection (optional) ~250 MB Only if you enable burned-in subtitle detection
FFmpeg (fallback) ~100 MB Only if the bundled copy is missing or broken

After the packs or models for your language pair are installed, translation with local engines runs fully offline.

#Verify The Installation

  1. The app opens on the Home screen with a welcome greeting.
  2. Open Quick Translate, type a short sentence, choose source and target languages, and click "Translate now". A translation should appear in the Target pane.
  3. Open Settings and find "Local translation status" — it shows whether your local engine is ready, with an "Open setup & downloads" shortcut if it is not.
  4. Optionally open Providers in the sidebar to see detected hardware, installed models, and Ollama / LM Studio status.

If any of these fail, see Troubleshooting — especially the "engine is still starting" and first-run download sections.

#Good To Know After Installing

  • Closing vs quitting: by default, clicking X hides CatScribe to the system tray and keeps its runtimes alive ("Close to tray instead of exiting when I click X", on by default). Use Tray → Quit Application to fully exit. You can change this in Settings.
  • Updates (direct installer): Settings → About shows "Current version" and a "Check for updates" button.
  • Output location: translated files go to the "Output Directory" configured in Settings.
  • Backups: Settings includes automatic backups (default folder Documents/CatScribe/Backups, default interval 24 hours, keeping up to 20 backups) plus a "Backup now" button and a restore flow.
  • Where data lives: projects, jobs, and glossaries are stored in a local database inside the app's data folder; downloaded models are cached there too. Nothing is stored in the cloud.

#Troubleshooting Install Issues

  • App will not launch on Windows: install the Visual C++ Redistributable, then reinstall CatScribe if needed.
  • Translation options unavailable after setup: open Settings → "Local translation status" to finish or repair the engine install.
  • Download errors during setup: see the first-run download failures section in Troubleshooting.
  • For everything else, start with the FAQ.