How to configure macOS app to use local self-hosted server

Development
1

I’ve recently discovered LanguageTool, great product and execution!

I’m trying to see what I can do to get the macOS app to use my local self-hosted server instead of the default public one.

Note that I know how to do this in the Safari extension, but ultimately I’d like to configure this system-wide to make sure that not even when I use the editor or the future Apple apps integration (now in beta) my text is being sent to the languagetool.org API.

How can this be done? If it cannot be done, can we add support for it?

Likewise, do we have a way to configure Google LanguageTool to work with a local self-hosted server?

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2

For the non-beta desktop app (the one at ‎LanguageTool - Grammar Checker on the App Store), this is not possible because the self-hosted LanguageTool can only check your text, but not store it.

Likewise, do we have a way to configure Google LanguageTool to work with a local self-hosted server?

We recommend using the browser add-on with Google Docs (not the “old” add-on which opens a sidebar).

3

I’m not following, why can the macOS app not be made to talk to a local server? If it’s checking text, it’s sending it over the wire to languagetool.org, correct?

4

The Mac app (the one that has the editor) doesn’t just check text, it also stores it on the server. The local server can only check text, not store it.

5

Since you mentioned this is not possible for the non-beta app, may I ask if it is feasible in any way for the beta one? I have it installed from Grammar Checker for macOS - LanguageTool and there is no option to specify own server URL. Would appreciate the advice, thanks.

6

Sorry, it’s not possible yet, but I have forwarded your request to the developers.

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7

I am also very interested in this feature.

The browser integrations are top-notch! Not only that, but I would be happy to pay a one time fee to enable if it becomes available in a release. Thank you.

8

+1 The feature would be amazing and very important regarding the high privacy requirement of some worker (including me).

9

I’m going to throw this out there. I’m coming from a perspective of having worked on open source teams at a couple of organizations.

I completely understand the need to make Language Tool a viable commercial success.

As an end user, I’d be more than willing to pay to “unlock” the Mac app such that I could use my self-hosted, and open source, language-tool server; I’m fully willing to accept the operational support burden doing so would cause.

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10

wait why does LT need to store my Personal texts,

Also I am quite often in locations without internet that is why I need to be able to use local server.

11

I was talking about the LT editor. It’s the idea of an editor to store texts.

12

I came here looking for the same answer. This article here explains what permissions are needed for languagetool to operate, but it addresses the official desktop app only. I have the self-hosted languagetool installed with Homebrew on a MacBook Pro M1 running macOS Sonoma. I’m guessing that I need to grant the primary languagetool executable the permissions it needs, but do languagetool-gui and languagetool-server require it, as well?

BTW:
@jvican , @dnaber & others cominf here for the same purpose: Homebrew self-hosted languagetool is showing up for all of my apps if they have a plugin. Like you, I am looking to get it to work with Desktop tools without a plugin. I think that, as a security measure, the same may be required for macOS itself. That way, languagetool itself isn’t installed with massive permissions it may not require; the addon app could limit the permissions to a scope needed only for correct function of the tool and nothing more.

Ultimately, I’m looking for self-hosted languagetool to be availble to macOS system-wide, as discussed here regarding LT for Desktop.

13

I found this thread looking for the same answer. I would like to / have to use my own server otherwise it seems to be a data protection nightmare for me. Furthermore, I would consider a premium account but i do not like to send all my documents, emails and more to a foreign server. So without the possibility to configure my own server its a NoGo for me.

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14

I just now downloaded the macOS app and in the settings I see the option to use a local running server (was this only added recently, since this is exactly the feature requested in this thread, right?). However, when using that option (e.g. in Slack) I get the error “unable to connect to the server”. Is that option not yet working, or do I so something wrong?

15

What command exactly do you use to start the server? Does it help to include --allow-origin as a parameter?

16

I installed (brew install languagetool) and started it via brew (brew services start languagetool) as described here. The server is as well working, e.g. curl -d "language=en-US" -d "text=a simple test" http://localhost:8081/v2/check returns a correct response.

Not sure of how I can add --allow-origin when it is started via brew? If it helps, I can as well try to export the logs?

17

Unfortunately, I can’t help with brew. But the server running via curl and not running via the app strongly suggests the --allow-origin is missing. You might also want to check the list of running processes and see if you can spot the LT or java command there and whether it includes --allow-origin.

18

Ok, I figured out of what brew is doing, it basically uses the languagetool-server --port 8081 --allow-origin. So --allow-origin is set. Anything else I could try?

19

@Christian Can you maybe help?

20

@oberprah A colleague could now reproduce this, and I’ll create an internal ticket. There is indeed some issue, thanks for bringing it up.

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