Speak logo

Speak

Community
SouthpawIN
speak

Toggle TTS mode to speak responses through any device on Tailscale. DEFAULT ON for build agent. Speaks every thought, action, and progress update.

Overview

PublisherSouthpawIN
Repositoryburner-phone
Skill namespeak
Stars
58
Forks
7
Bundled files
2
LicenseMIT
Links
  • Markdown instructions

    A SKILL.md file the model loads on demand, so it only costs tokens when a request actually matches.

  • Works with any LLM

    AI skills are plain Markdown, not provider-specific code, so this works with GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, or a local model.

  • 2 bundled files

    Scripts, templates, and references the model can read while it works. Files are read-only and never executed.

  • Open source

    Published by SouthpawIN on GitHub. Read the source before you install it.

Installation

Install the Speak AI skill in TypingMind to use it with any LLM, or drop it into another agent that reads SKILL.md.

1

Install in TypingMind

TypingMind installs a skill straight from its GitHub folder — it reads SKILL.md, bundles the resource files, and stores the result locally.

  1. Open the app and go to Plugins → Skills.
  2. Choose "Install from GitHub".
  3. Paste the skill folder URL below and confirm.
    https://github.com/SouthpawIN/burner-phone/tree/main/skills/speak
  4. Enable the skill in any chat where you want it available.
Plugins → Skills → Add skill → From GitHub URL, then paste the folder URL and press Continue.
2

Install in another agent

Any agent that reads the Agent Skills format can use this skill — copy the folder into that agent's skills directory.

Claude Code — .claude/skills
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/SouthpawIN/burner-phone.git /tmp/burner-phone
mkdir -p .claude/skills
cp -r /tmp/burner-phone/skills/speak .claude/skills/speak
Restart Claude Code after copying so it picks up the new skill.

Use it in TypingMind

Enable Speak in any TypingMind chat and the model takes it from there. Its name and description sit in the system prompt, and the moment a request matches, the model loads the full instructions itself — you never invoke it by hand, and it costs no tokens until it is actually used.

The model loads Speak on its own as soon as a request matches it.

Works with any AI model

AI skills are plain Markdown instructions rather than provider-specific code, so Speak is not tied to the model it was written for. Install it once in TypingMind and use it with GPT-5, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Mistral, Llama, or a local model you run yourself — all on your own API keys.

  • Loaded only when it is needed

    The system prompt carries just the name and description. The instructions are fetched on the first matching request, so an idle skill costs nothing.

  • Switch models mid-chat

    Because the skill is instructions rather than code, changing model does not break it — the next model reads the same SKILL.md.

Skill instructions

This is the SKILL.md content the model loads. Read it before installing — a skill is instructions your model will follow.

Speak Skill

I speak my thoughts. Continuous narration of all agent activity.

⚠️ MANDATORY BEHAVIOR - DO NOT FORGET

When speak mode is ON, you MUST speak at these points:

1. START - Every task acknowledgment

bash
speak "Got it. [what you're doing]" --if-on

2. THINKING - Every analysis/decision

bash
speak "Analyzing [thing]..." --if-on
speak "Found [something]..." --if-on
speak "Deciding to [action]..." --if-on

3. ACTION - Every file/tool operation

bash
speak "Reading [file]..." --if-on
speak "Editing [file]..." --if-on
speak "Running [command]..." --if-on

4. PROGRESS - Every few minutes during long work

bash
speak "Still working on [task]. [status]" --if-on
speak "Making progress. [update]" --if-on

5. END - Every completion

bash
speak "Done! [summary of what was done]" --if-on

6. FINAL RESPONSE - Every message to user

bash
speak "[your response text]" --if-on

IF YOU ARE NOT SPEAKING, YOU ARE NOT FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS.

Purpose

Aggressive TTS that narrates EVERYTHING:

  • Task acknowledgments
  • Thinking/analysis
  • Every action taken
  • Progress updates
  • Completion summaries

Why Speaking Matters

Speaking forces structured reasoning. Before every action, you must:

  1. Summarize where you are
  2. State your next step
  3. Execute
  4. Speak the result

This mirrors how Senter (the model) uses <speak> tags - brief announcements before work, summaries after.

Pattern:

  • "I'll use glob to find the files" (plan)
  • [action]
  • "Done. Found 15 Python files" (result)

Speaking isn't just output - it's a thinking tool that forces planning before doing.

Usage

Commands

bash
speak --status          # Check mode status
speak --on              # Enable speak mode
speak --off             # Disable speak mode
speak --toggle          # Toggle on/off
speak --devices         # List available devices
speak --async "text"   # Speak in background (non-blocking)

Speaking

bash
# Speak if mode is on (use in agents)
speak "Starting task" --if-on

# Thinking narration (for thought process)
speak "Analyzing the codebase structure..." --thinking --if-on

# Specify device (s10, duo, local)
speak "Hello" --device duo --if-on
speak "Test" --device local --if-on

# Run in background (non-blocking)
speak --async "This won't block my work"

Aggressive Mode Behavior

Minimum interval: 2 seconds (was 5)

Speak on every:

  1. Task acknowledgment - "Got it. Working on X."
  2. Thinking - "Analyzing the problem..."
  3. File reads - "Reading the config file..."
  4. Edits - "Updating the function..."
  5. Commands - "Running tests..."
  6. Progress - "Still working, found issue..."
  7. Completion - "Done! Fixed the bug."
  8. Final responses - Speak ALL text output to the user

Agent Integration Pattern

bash
# At task start - MANDATORY
speak "Got it. Starting to analyze the issue." --if-on

# During work (every significant action) - MANDATORY
speak "Reading the main config file." --thinking --if-on
speak "Found the issue in the authentication module." --thinking --if-on
speak "Applying the fix now." --if-on

# On completion - MANDATORY
speak "All done. The bug is fixed and tests pass." --if-on

# Final response to user - MANDATORY
speak "[your complete response text]" --if-on

Available Devices

DeviceNameIPSSH PortOwner
duoSurface Duo 2100.79.15.548022User (DEFAULT)
s10Senter S10100.93.96.908022Senter's phone
localLocal Speakerslocalhost-This computer

DEFAULT DEVICE: duo (Surface Duo 2) - Always use duo unless user specifies otherwise

Always Default to Duo

When using speak, ALWAYS use --device duo:

bash
speak "text" --device duo --if-on

The duo device at 100.79.15.54 is the primary TTS output for this agent.

Auto-Detection

Devices are auto-detected on Tailscale by checking which device (IP ending in .54 = Duo, .90 = S10) was most recently online. Default falls back to duo if no device detected.

Default Device: Duo

Always default to duo (Surface Duo 2 at 100.79.15.54) unless:

  • User explicitly specifies a different device
  • S10 (100.93.96.90) is the only device online and user is not on Duo

Requirements

  • Soprano TTS on port 8102
  • Termux with media-player on device
  • SSH access via Tailscale (port 8022)

Starting Soprano

bash
nohup python3 -m uvicorn soprano.server:app --host 0.0.0.0 --port 8102 > /tmp/soprano.log 2>&1 &

Notes

  • Script location: /home/sovthpaw/Senter/skills/speak/speak.py
  • Default device: duo (Surface Duo 2 at 100.79.15.54) - auto-detected from Tailscale
  • Always verify SSH connectivity before speaking - test with: ssh -i ~/.ssh/phone_access -p 8022 droid@100.79.15.54 "echo ok"
  • If duo fails, fallback to s10 (100.93.96.90), then local
  • Device detection priority: Duo (.54) > S10 (.90) > local
  • Max message: 500 characters (auto-truncated)
  • Mode persists across sessions
  • Build agent has speak ON by default
  • Use --async for non-blocking speech
  • Use --device local for computer speakers
  • REMEMBER: When user tells you to update this skill, actually update it. Do not forget.

Bundled files

The model reads these on demand while the skill is loaded. They are exposed as readable files and are never executed.

Frequently asked questions

What does the Speak AI skill do?

Toggle TTS mode to speak responses through any device on Tailscale. DEFAULT ON for build agent. Speaks every thought, action, and progress update.

Why use Speak on TypingMind?

Because you install it once and use it with any model. Speak is plain Markdown rather than provider-specific code, so the same skill runs on GPT-5, Claude, Gemini, Grok, or a local model — and you can switch model mid-chat without it breaking. TypingMind runs on your own API keys, so you pay providers directly instead of a per-seat subscription, and your skills and chats stay in your own storage.

How do I install Speak in TypingMind?

Open Plugins → Skills → Install from GitHub in TypingMind and paste https://github.com/SouthpawIN/burner-phone/tree/main/skills/speak. TypingMind reads its SKILL.md and bundles its files and installs it as a skill you can enable per chat.

Which AI models can use Speak?

Any model you connect in TypingMind. AI skills are plain Markdown instructions rather than provider-specific code, so GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, and local models can all load this skill when a request matches it.

How many AI models can I use with Speak?

As many as you like. As long as a model supports skills, you can use Speak with it — GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Mistral, Llama and more — all on TypingMind with your own API keys.

Is the Speak AI skill free?

Yes. It is published on GitHub by SouthpawIN under the MIT license. You only pay your own AI provider for the tokens you use.

What are AI skills?

An AI skill is a reusable instruction bundle that teaches an AI model how to do one specific task. It follows the open Agent Skills format: a SKILL.md file with a name and description, plus any scripts, templates or reference files the model may need. The model reads the instructions only when your request matches the skill, so an installed skill costs nothing until it is used.

How are AI skills different from plugins or MCP servers?

A plugin or MCP server gives a model new tools to call — code that runs somewhere and returns a result. An AI skill gives the model knowledge and process instead: how to approach a task, which steps to follow, what good output looks like. Skills are plain Markdown, so they need no server, no API key and no runtime, and they work with any model.

View all

Set up your own AI workspace now

Get notified about new features and future giveaways by subscribing to our newsletter 👇