Linux Translation Tools: No Cloud Required
In today’s digital age, translation tools are more important than ever. While cloud-based services like Google Translate are popular, they aren’t the only option. For those who value their privacy, there are alternative software solutions that don’t send personal data to the cloud.
Translating Texts in Firefox
Firefox has a built-in translation feature that you may have noticed when visiting English-language websites. By default, Mozilla offers to translate the page automatically. To disable this, click on the gear icon in the top right corner of the translation notification and select ‘Never offer to translate this language’. You can also trigger the translation manually by clicking on the translate icon in the address bar.
Translating texts with Translate Locally
Translate Locally: Offline Translation for Linux
Translate Locally is a tool that works locally on your Linux machine, without requiring an internet connection. Similar to Firefox, it allows you to translate texts without sending your data to the cloud. Download the Translate Locally v0.0.2+27771d8-Ubuntu-22.04.AVX.deb file (or similar) from the Releases page and install it on your Ubuntu 22.04 or Linux Mint 21.3 system.
After the first start, click ‘OK’ to download the language models. For example, select ‘English-German base’ to translate English texts to German. Enter the text you want to translate in the top area of the window, and the translation will appear below after a short wait.
Translation result with Translate Locally
Direct Translation in Libre Office
You can paste translated texts from Firefox or Translate Locally into Libre Office documents using the clipboard. While there are few direct integration options for translators in Libre Office, one solution is Libre Office Translate, which hasn’t been updated since 2019.
Learn more about alternative translation tools for Libre Office.
To avoid cloud-based translation services while still getting the benefits of translation tools, try out Translate Locally and Libre Office Translate. Your privacy is worth it.
