feat(paste): auto-insert transcript at cursor via wtype/xdotool/ydotool/osascript/SendKeys

Adds an opt-in "auto-paste into focused window" toggle. When enabled, the
dictation pipeline sets the clipboard and then sends a Ctrl+V / Cmd+V
keystroke to whatever window currently has focus — the common case after a
global-hotkey dictation, since Kon's own window never stole focus.

Backend (src-tauri/src/commands/paste.rs) probes for a platform paste tool
and falls back cleanly:
- Linux Wayland: wtype > ydotool > xdotool
- Linux X11: xdotool > ydotool > wtype
- macOS: osascript System Events keystroke
- Windows: PowerShell WScript.Shell SendKeys

detect_paste_backends is a pure probe used by Settings to describe the
available backend next to the toggle (or nudge the user to install one).
paste_text always copies first, so auto-paste failure degrades to the
existing clipboard-only behaviour and surfaces a warn toast.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

src-tauri/src/commands/mod.rs

@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ pub mod hotkey;
 pub mod live;
 pub mod llm;
 pub mod models;
+pub mod paste;
 pub mod profiles;
 pub mod tasks;
 pub mod transcription;

src-tauri/src/commands/paste.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,264 @@
+//! Auto-insert-at-cursor.
+//!
+//! `copy_to_clipboard` puts the transcript on the user's clipboard. That is
+//! fine when the user wants to choose where it lands. It is friction when
+//! they were about to paste into the already-focused window — which is
+//! almost always, for a dictation tool.
+//!
+//! This module adds the follow-on step: send the platform's Ctrl+V / Cmd+V
+//! keystroke to the focused window so the transcript lands where the cursor
+//! already is. Each platform uses a different primitive (wtype / xdotool /
+//! ydotool / osascript / SendKeys), so we probe and fall back.
+//!
+//! NOTE: focus must already be on the target window when the keystroke
+//! fires. The global hotkey flow preserves this naturally; clicking Kon's
+//! window does not. The frontend surfaces this caveat next to the toggle.
+
+use std::process::Command;
+
+use arboard::Clipboard;
+use serde::Serialize;
+
+#[derive(Debug, Serialize)]
+#[serde(rename_all = "camelCase")]
+pub struct PasteOutcome {
+    /// The backend that executed the paste, if any (`"wtype"`, `"xdotool"`,
+    /// `"ydotool"`, `"osascript"`, `"sendkeys"`).
+    pub backend: Option<String>,
+    pub pasted: bool,
+    pub copied: bool,
+    /// Diagnostic message when either step failed. Present even on success
+    /// if the paste fell back to copy-only so the frontend can toast it.
+    pub message: Option<String>,
+}
+
+/// Copy `text` to the clipboard, then trigger a paste keystroke in the
+/// focused window. Returns a structured result so the frontend can surface
+/// partial success (clipboard set, paste failed).
+#[tauri::command]
+pub async fn paste_text(text: String) -> Result<PasteOutcome, String> {
+    let mut outcome = PasteOutcome {
+        backend: None,
+        pasted: false,
+        copied: false,
+        message: None,
+    };
+
+    match Clipboard::new().and_then(|mut cb| cb.set_text(&text)) {
+        Ok(()) => outcome.copied = true,
+        Err(err) => {
+            outcome.message = Some(format!("clipboard: {err}"));
+            return Ok(outcome);
+        }
+    }
+
+    match trigger_paste_keystroke() {
+        Ok(backend) => {
+            outcome.backend = Some(backend);
+            outcome.pasted = true;
+        }
+        Err(err) => outcome.message = Some(err),
+    }
+
+    Ok(outcome)
+}
+
+/// Report which paste backends the OS has available right now. Pure probe —
+/// does not paste. Used by Settings to tell the user "install wtype" when
+/// nothing is available on their session.
+#[tauri::command]
+pub fn detect_paste_backends() -> Vec<String> {
+    let mut available = Vec::new();
+
+    #[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
+    {
+        for tool in ["wtype", "xdotool", "ydotool"] {
+            if which_on_path(tool) {
+                available.push(tool.to_string());
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    #[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
+    {
+        available.push("osascript".to_string());
+    }
+    #[cfg(target_os = "windows")]
+    {
+        available.push("sendkeys".to_string());
+    }
+
+    available
+}
+
+fn trigger_paste_keystroke() -> Result<String, String> {
+    #[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
+    {
+        linux_paste(
+            std::env::var("XDG_SESSION_TYPE").ok().as_deref(),
+            std::env::var_os("WAYLAND_DISPLAY").is_some(),
+        )
+    }
+    #[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
+    {
+        macos_paste()
+    }
+    #[cfg(target_os = "windows")]
+    {
+        windows_paste()
+    }
+    #[cfg(not(any(target_os = "linux", target_os = "macos", target_os = "windows")))]
+    {
+        Err("auto-paste not implemented on this platform".into())
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
+fn linux_paste(xdg_session_type: Option<&str>, wayland_display_set: bool) -> Result<String, String> {
+    for tool in pick_linux_backend_order(xdg_session_type, wayland_display_set) {
+        match run_linux_tool(tool) {
+            Ok(()) => return Ok(tool.to_string()),
+            Err(_) => continue,
+        }
+    }
+    Err(
+        "No paste backend available. Install wtype (Wayland) or xdotool (X11) to enable \
+         auto-insert-at-cursor."
+            .into(),
+    )
+}
+
+#[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
+fn pick_linux_backend_order(
+    xdg_session_type: Option<&str>,
+    wayland_display_set: bool,
+) -> &'static [&'static str] {
+    let is_wayland = xdg_session_type
+        .map(|value| value.eq_ignore_ascii_case("wayland"))
+        .unwrap_or(false)
+        || wayland_display_set;
+    if is_wayland {
+        &["wtype", "ydotool", "xdotool"]
+    } else {
+        &["xdotool", "ydotool", "wtype"]
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
+fn run_linux_tool(tool: &str) -> Result<(), String> {
+    let output = match tool {
+        // wtype -M ctrl v -m ctrl  (press ctrl, tap v, release ctrl)
+        "wtype" => Command::new("wtype")
+            .args(["-M", "ctrl", "v", "-m", "ctrl"])
+            .output(),
+        "xdotool" => Command::new("xdotool").args(["key", "ctrl+v"]).output(),
+        // ydotool linux input keycodes: 29=LEFTCTRL, 47=V. Format is
+        // `code:state` pairs. Requires ydotoold running with access to
+        // /dev/uinput.
+        "ydotool" => Command::new("ydotool")
+            .args(["key", "29:1", "47:1", "47:0", "29:0"])
+            .output(),
+        other => return Err(format!("unknown backend: {other}")),
+    }
+    .map_err(|e| format!("{tool} unavailable: {e}"))?;
+
+    if output.status.success() {
+        Ok(())
+    } else {
+        Err(format!(
+            "{tool} exit {}: {}",
+            output.status,
+            String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stderr).trim()
+        ))
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
+fn which_on_path(tool: &str) -> bool {
+    Command::new("sh")
+        .args(["-c", &format!("command -v {tool}")])
+        .output()
+        .map(|output| output.status.success())
+        .unwrap_or(false)
+}
+
+#[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
+fn macos_paste() -> Result<String, String> {
+    let output = Command::new("osascript")
+        .args([
+            "-e",
+            "tell application \"System Events\" to keystroke \"v\" using command down",
+        ])
+        .output()
+        .map_err(|e| format!("osascript: {e}"))?;
+    if output.status.success() {
+        Ok("osascript".into())
+    } else {
+        Err(format!(
+            "osascript exit {}: {}",
+            output.status,
+            String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stderr).trim()
+        ))
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(target_os = "windows")]
+fn windows_paste() -> Result<String, String> {
+    // SendKeys("^v") simulates Ctrl+V in the foreground window. Requires
+    // no extra permissions on Windows. A native SendInput call would skip
+    // the PowerShell spawn but pulls in the windows crate; cost not worth
+    // the complexity until this hot path actually shows up.
+    let output = Command::new("powershell")
+        .args([
+            "-NoProfile",
+            "-Command",
+            "(New-Object -ComObject WScript.Shell).SendKeys('^v')",
+        ])
+        .output()
+        .map_err(|e| format!("powershell: {e}"))?;
+    if output.status.success() {
+        Ok("sendkeys".into())
+    } else {
+        Err(format!(
+            "powershell exit {}: {}",
+            output.status,
+            String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stderr).trim()
+        ))
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(all(test, target_os = "linux"))]
+mod tests {
+    use super::pick_linux_backend_order;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn wayland_session_prefers_wtype_then_ydotool() {
+        assert_eq!(
+            pick_linux_backend_order(Some("wayland"), true),
+            &["wtype", "ydotool", "xdotool"]
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn x11_session_prefers_xdotool() {
+        assert_eq!(
+            pick_linux_backend_order(Some("x11"), false),
+            &["xdotool", "ydotool", "wtype"]
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn wayland_display_env_var_alone_is_enough() {
+        assert_eq!(
+            pick_linux_backend_order(None, true),
+            &["wtype", "ydotool", "xdotool"]
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn uppercase_wayland_token_still_detects_wayland() {
+        assert_eq!(
+            pick_linux_backend_order(Some("WAYLAND"), false),
+            &["wtype", "ydotool", "xdotool"]
+        );
+    }
+}

src-tauri/src/lib.rs

@@ -307,6 +307,9 @@ pub fn run() {
             commands::windows::open_viewer_window,
             // Clipboard
             commands::clipboard::copy_to_clipboard,
+            // Paste (auto-insert at cursor)
+            commands::paste::paste_text,
+            commands::paste::detect_paste_backends,
             // Hardware
             commands::hardware::probe_system,
             commands::hardware::rank_models,

src/lib/pages/DictationPage.svelte

@@ -479,7 +479,22 @@
         replaceSegmentsWithCleanedText(cleanedTranscript);
       }
 
-      if (settings.autoCopy) {
+      if (settings.autoPaste) {
+        try {
+          const outcome = await invoke("paste_text", { text: transcript });
+          if (!outcome?.pasted && outcome?.message) {
+            toasts.warn(
+              "Auto-paste unavailable",
+              `${outcome.message}${outcome.copied ? ". Transcript is on your clipboard." : ""}`,
+            );
+          }
+        } catch (err) {
+          await navigator.clipboard
+            .writeText(transcript)
+            .catch(() => invoke("copy_to_clipboard", { text: transcript }).catch(() => {}));
+          toasts.warn("Auto-paste failed", String(err));
+        }
+      } else if (settings.autoCopy) {
         navigator.clipboard.writeText(transcript).catch(() => {
           invoke("copy_to_clipboard", { text: transcript }).catch(() => {});
         });

src/lib/pages/SettingsPage.svelte

@@ -22,6 +22,13 @@
   let engineOk = $state(false);
   let downloadedModels = $state([]);
   let runtimeCapabilities = $state(null);
+  let pasteBackends = $state([]);
+  let pasteBackendsDescription = $derived.by(() => {
+    if (pasteBackends.length === 0) {
+      return "Install wtype (Wayland) or xdotool (X11) to enable auto-paste. Focus must already be on the target window.";
+    }
+    return `Uses ${pasteBackends.join(", ")}. Focus must already be on the target window.`;
+  });
   let downloadingModel = $state("");
   let downloadProgress = $state(0);
   let unlisten = null;
@@ -541,6 +548,12 @@
       downloadedModels = await invoke("list_models");
     } catch {}
 
+    try {
+      pasteBackends = (await invoke("detect_paste_backends")) || [];
+    } catch {
+      pasteBackends = [];
+    }
+
     // Parakeet status
     try {
       parakeetOk = await invoke("check_parakeet_engine");
@@ -1498,6 +1511,11 @@
           <div class="px-5 pb-5 animate-fade-in">
             <div class="space-y-0.5">
               <Toggle bind:checked={settings.autoCopy} label="Auto-copy to clipboard" />
+              <Toggle
+                bind:checked={settings.autoPaste}
+                label="Auto-paste into focused window"
+                description={pasteBackendsDescription}
+              />
               <Toggle bind:checked={settings.includeTimestamps} label="Include timestamps in exports" />
               <Toggle
                 bind:checked={settings.saveAudio}

src/lib/stores/page.svelte.ts

@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ const defaults: SettingsState = {
   antiHallucination: true,
   britishEnglish: true,
   autoCopy: true,
+  autoPaste: false,
   includeTimestamps: true,
   theme: "Dark",
   fontSize: 14,

src/lib/types/app.ts

@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ export interface SettingsState {
   antiHallucination: boolean;
   britishEnglish: boolean;
   autoCopy: boolean;
+  autoPaste: boolean;
   includeTimestamps: boolean;
   theme: "Dark" | "Light" | "System";
   fontSize: number;