feat(dross): voice Phase 2a — local whisper transcribe + mic (2.12.0)

faster-whisper (small.en, GPU+CPU fallback) on CT 102 → POST
/api/voice/transcribe (multer→whisper client) → mic in the bubble
records (MediaRecorder), uploads, drops the transcript into the input
to review-and-send. Infra scripts in deploy/whisper/. Retention (P2b)
next. NOTE: mic needs a secure context (the https domain), not the LAN IP.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>

deploy/whisper/README.md

@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+# faster-whisper service (Dross voice STT)
+
+Runs on **CT 102** (the Ollama box, `192.168.1.185`), bare-metal (no Docker), on the
+RTX A2000 with CPU fallback. OpenAI-style `/transcribe` consumed by void-app
+`lib/voice/whisper.js` (`WHISPER_URL=http://192.168.1.185:8001`).
+
+## Install (on CT 102)
+```
+scp deploy/whisper/{server.py,setup.sh} root@192.168.1.185:/opt/whisper_server.py /root/setup.sh
+ssh root@192.168.1.185 'bash /root/setup.sh && install -m644 /opt/whisper_server.py /opt/whisper/server.py && systemctl enable --now whisper'
+curl http://192.168.1.185:8001/health   # {"ok":true,"model":"small.en","device":"cuda"}
+```
+- venv at `/opt/whisper/venv`; model `small.en` (env `WHISPER_MODEL`); CUDA libs via
+  `nvidia-cublas-cu12`/`nvidia-cudnn-cu12` pip wheels (LD_LIBRARY_PATH in the unit).
+- GPU → CPU fallback is in `server.py` `load()`.
+- **CT 102 disk was expanded +20G** (was 89% full) before install.

deploy/whisper/server.py

@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+import os, tempfile
+from fastapi import FastAPI, UploadFile, File, HTTPException
+from faster_whisper import WhisperModel
+
+MODEL = os.environ.get("WHISPER_MODEL", "small.en")
+app = FastAPI()
+model = None
+device_used = None
+
+def load():
+    global model, device_used
+    try:
+        model = WhisperModel(MODEL, device="cuda", compute_type="int8_float16")
+        device_used = "cuda"
+    except Exception:
+        model = WhisperModel(MODEL, device="cpu", compute_type="int8")
+        device_used = "cpu"
+
+load()
+
+@app.get("/health")
+def health():
+    return {"ok": True, "model": MODEL, "device": device_used}
+
+@app.post("/transcribe")
+async def transcribe(file: UploadFile = File(...)):
+    data = await file.read()
+    if not data:
+        raise HTTPException(400, "empty audio")
+    with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(suffix=".bin") as f:
+        f.write(data); f.flush()
+        segments, info = model.transcribe(f.name, beam_size=1, vad_filter=True)
+        text = "".join(s.text for s in segments).strip()
+    return {"text": text, "language": info.language,
+            "duration": round(info.duration, 2), "device": device_used}

deploy/whisper/setup.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -e
+export DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive
+apt-get update -qq
+apt-get install -y -qq python3-pip python3-venv ffmpeg >/dev/null
+mkdir -p /opt/whisper
+python3 -m venv /opt/whisper/venv
+/opt/whisper/venv/bin/pip install -q --upgrade pip
+/opt/whisper/venv/bin/pip install -q faster-whisper fastapi "uvicorn[standard]" python-multipart nvidia-cublas-cu12 nvidia-cudnn-cu12
+SITE=/opt/whisper/venv/lib/python3.12/site-packages
+cat > /etc/systemd/system/whisper.service <<UNIT
+[Unit]
+Description=faster-whisper transcription server (Dross voice)
+After=network.target
+[Service]
+Type=simple
+WorkingDirectory=/opt/whisper
+Environment=WHISPER_MODEL=small.en
+Environment=LD_LIBRARY_PATH=${SITE}/nvidia/cublas/lib:${SITE}/nvidia/cudnn/lib
+ExecStart=/opt/whisper/venv/bin/uvicorn server:app --host 0.0.0.0 --port 8001
+Restart=on-failure
+[Install]
+WantedBy=multi-user.target
+UNIT
+systemctl daemon-reload
+echo "deps+unit installed"

docs/superpowers/specs/2026-06-10-dross-voice-phase2-design.md

@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+# Floating Dross Chat — Phase 2 (Voice) Design
+
+**Date:** 2026-06-10
+**Status:** Draft (awaiting sign-off)
+**Builds on:** `2026-06-09-floating-dross-chat-design.md` (Phase 1 shipped in v2.11.0)
+**Goal:** Let the user record a voice clip in the Dross bubble, transcribe it locally, and drop the transcript into the input to review-and-send. Optionally retain each clip paired with its transcript, stored durably and owner-only.
+
+---
+
+## Locked decisions (from the Phase-1 brainstorm + 2026-06-10 follow-up)
+
+1. **STT = local faster-whisper on CT 102** (the Ollama box, RTX A2000). GPU with CPU fallback (per the GPU/CPU-fallback HA rule). English model (`small.en`) for speed/accuracy. OpenAI-compatible HTTP API.
+2. **Flow = review-and-send first** (`voiceMode: 'review'`). Record → transcribe → transcript lands in the bubble input → user edits/sends. `handsfree` (auto-send) and `action` (interpret) are later (the setting already exists; only `review` is wired now).
+3. **Retention = "Keep voice clips" Dross setting**, default OFF. When ON, each clip is saved paired with its transcript. **Storage:** transcript + metadata in **void-db** (`voice_clips` table — in the Core-4 offsite backup + HA-replicated); audio files on a **dedicated owner-only ZFS dataset** (`localzfs/void-voiceclips`, bind-mounted into void-app at `/var/lib/void/voice-clips`, 0700), **added to the offsite backup + syncoid replication**. NOT on void-app's ephemeral rootfs (it's the rebuildable tier, excluded from backups). Encryption-at-rest is a documented **future** toggle (ZFS native encryption, key in Vaultwarden).
+
+## Non-goals (this phase)
+
+- `handsfree` / `action` voice modes (designed-for; only `review` wired).
+- Encryption-at-rest of clips (future).
+- Wake-word / always-listening.
+
+---
+
+## Architecture
+
+### Components
+
+| Unit | Responsibility |
+|---|---|
+| **faster-whisper service** (CT 102, infra) | OpenAI-compatible `/v1/audio/transcriptions` (e.g. `faster-whisper-server`/`speaches`), `small.en`, GPU+CPU fallback, systemd unit, bound to `192.168.1.185:<port>` (LAN-only). |
+| `lib/voice/whisper.js` (void-app) | Thin client: POST the audio buffer to the CT-102 service, return `{ text }`. Timeout + error surface. |
+| `lib/api/routes/voice.js` (void-app) | `POST /api/voice/transcribe` (owner-only, multipart, ≤25 MB / ≤60 s): transcribe; if `dross.keepClips` is on, persist (Task: retention). Returns `{ text, clip_id? }`. |
+| `lib/db/repos/voice_clips.js` + migration | `voice_clips` table (id, transcript, duration_ms, bytes, mime, path, created_at). |
+| `public/components/dross_bubble.js` (edit) | Enable the mic: `MediaRecorder` capture (tap start/stop), recording UI (timer/waveform), upload, transcript → input (review-and-send). |
+| Settings → Dross (edit) | Add the **"Keep voice clips"** toggle; a small **clips list** (play / delete) when retention is on. |
+| Infra | New ZFS dataset + bind-mount; add the dataset to the offsite-backup script + syncoid job. |
+
+### Data flow
+
+**Transcribe:** mic tap → `MediaRecorder` (`audio/webm;codecs=opus`) → on stop, blob → `POST /api/voice/transcribe` (multipart) → `whisper.js` → CT-102 faster-whisper → `{text}` → bubble drops text into the input (review-and-send). Errors never block typing.
+
+**Retention (when `dross.keepClips`):** the transcribe route, after a successful transcript, writes the audio to `/var/lib/void/voice-clips/<uuid>.webm` (0600) and inserts a `voice_clips` row (transcript + metadata + path). `GET /api/voice/clips` lists; `GET /api/voice/clips/:id/audio` streams; `DELETE` removes row + file. Owner-only throughout.
+
+## Error handling
+
+- **Whisper down / GPU absent:** `/transcribe` returns a clear 503; bubble shows "couldn't transcribe — type instead", keeps the typed text. faster-whisper falls back to CPU on a GPU-less node (slower).
+- **Mic permission denied / unsupported:** hide recording UI, one-line hint, typing still works.
+- **Clip too large/long:** reject at the route (413) with a friendly message.
+- **CT 102 disk pressure** (currently 89% full / 6.4 GB free): install lean (CTranslate2, no torch); **may expand the CT disk first**. Flagged as a build risk.
+
+## Testing
+
+- **Unit:** `voice.js` route with a mocked whisper client (returns `{text}`); retention path writes a row + file (temp dir) and lists/deletes; size/duration guard returns 413.
+- **Live smoke:** record a short WAV via the CT-300 test harness → `/api/voice/transcribe` → non-empty text from the real CT-102 service.
+- **Headless:** mic button enabled; recording UI toggles; (MediaRecorder needs a fake audio device in Chromium — use `--use-fake-device-for-media-stream`).
+
+## Build phases
+
+- **P2a — Transcription path.** faster-whisper on CT 102 + `whisper.js` + `/api/voice/transcribe` (no retention) + enable the mic + record→review-send. Ship-able.
+- **P2b — Retention.** ZFS dataset + bind-mount + backup/replication wiring; `voice_clips` table + repo; save on transcribe when `keepClips`; clips list/play/delete UI; the "Keep voice clips" toggle.
+
+## Documentation
+
+Wiki + Gitea per the standing rule; update `project_cradle_chat_floating` memory. Encryption-at-rest recorded as a future toggle.

lib/api/index.js

@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ import { router as backupsRouter } from './routes/backups.js';
 import { router as kuttRouter } from './routes/kutt.js';
 import { router as themeRouter } from './routes/theme.js';
 import { router as drossRouter } from './routes/dross.js';
+import { router as voiceRouter } from './routes/voice.js';
 
 export function mountApi(app) {
   const api = Router();
@@ -75,6 +76,7 @@ export function mountApi(app) {
   api.use('/kutt', kuttRouter);
   api.use('/theme', themeRouter);
   api.use('/dross', drossRouter);
+  api.use('/voice', voiceRouter);
   api.use('/pending-changes', pendingChangesRouter);
   api.use('/audit', auditRouter);
   api.use('/search', searchRouter);

lib/api/routes/voice.js

@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+import { Router } from 'express';
+import multer from 'multer';
+import { asyncWrap } from '../errors.js';
+import { requireOwner } from '../cap.js';
+import * as whisper from '../../voice/whisper.js';
+export const router = Router();
+
+// In-memory upload; clips are small voice notes. 25 MB ceiling.
+const upload = multer({ storage: multer.memoryStorage(), limits: { fileSize: 25 * 1024 * 1024 } });
+
+// POST /api/voice/transcribe — owner-only. multipart field `audio`. Returns { text }.
+// (Phase 2b will optionally persist the clip + transcript when keepClips is on.)
+router.post('/transcribe', requireOwner, upload.single('audio'), asyncWrap(async (req, res) => {
+  if (!req.file || !req.file.buffer?.length) {
+    return res.status(400).json({ error: { code: 'no_audio', message: 'no audio supplied' } });
+  }
+  try {
+    const r = await whisper.transcribe(
+      req.file.buffer, req.file.originalname || 'clip.webm', req.file.mimetype || 'audio/webm');
+    res.json({ text: r.text, duration: r.duration ?? null });
+  } catch {
+    res.status(503).json({ error: { code: 'stt_unavailable', message: 'transcription service unavailable' } });
+  }
+}));

lib/voice/whisper.js

@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+// Thin client for the local faster-whisper service on CT 102 (the Ollama box).
+// GPU with CPU fallback lives in the service itself; here we just POST the audio
+// buffer and return the transcript. LAN-only endpoint.
+const WHISPER_URL = process.env.WHISPER_URL || 'http://192.168.1.185:8001';
+
+export async function transcribe(buffer, filename = 'clip.webm', mime = 'audio/webm') {
+  const fd = new FormData();
+  fd.append('file', new Blob([buffer], { type: mime }), filename);
+  const res = await fetch(`${WHISPER_URL}/transcribe`, {
+    method: 'POST', body: fd, signal: AbortSignal.timeout(120000)
+  });
+  if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`whisper ${res.status}`);
+  const j = await res.json();
+  return { text: (j.text || '').trim(), duration: j.duration, device: j.device };
+}
+
+export async function health() {
+  try {
+    const res = await fetch(`${WHISPER_URL}/health`, { signal: AbortSignal.timeout(5000) });
+    return res.ok ? await res.json() : null;
+  } catch { return null; }
+}

package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "void-server",
-  "version": "2.11.0",
+  "version": "2.12.0",
   "type": "module",
   "private": true,
   "scripts": {

public/components/dross_bubble.js

@@ -22,8 +22,9 @@ export async function renderDrossBubble() {
   const input = el('textarea', { rows: 1, placeholder: 'Ask Dross…' });
   const sendBtn = el('button', { class: 'dross-send', title: 'Send' },
     el('span', { html: '<svg viewBox="0 0 24 24" width="20" height="20" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"><path d="M22 2 11 13M22 2l-7 20-4-9-9-4 20-7z"/></svg>' }));
-  const mic = el('button', { class: 'dross-mic', disabled: true, title: 'Voice arrives in Phase 2' },
-    el('span', { html: '<svg viewBox="0 0 24 24" width="22" height="22" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"><rect x="9" y="3" width="6" height="11" rx="3"/><path d="M5 11a7 7 0 0 0 14 0"/><line x1="12" y1="18" x2="12" y2="22"/><line x1="8" y1="22" x2="16" y2="22"/></svg>' }), 'Hold to talk');
+  const micLabel = el('span', {}, 'Tap to record');
+  const mic = el('button', { class: 'dross-mic', title: 'Record a voice note' },
+    el('span', { html: '<svg viewBox="0 0 24 24" width="22" height="22" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"><rect x="9" y="3" width="6" height="11" rx="3"/><path d="M5 11a7 7 0 0 0 14 0"/><line x1="12" y1="18" x2="12" y2="22"/><line x1="8" y1="22" x2="16" y2="22"/></svg>' }), micLabel);
   const closeBtn = el('button', { class: 'dross-x', title: 'Close' }, '⤬');
   const header = el('div', { class: 'dross-hd' }, drossAvatar(cfg.avatar, 30),
     el('div', { class: 'dross-who' }, 'Dross', el('small', {}, 'always here, regrettably')), closeBtn);
@@ -62,6 +63,47 @@ export async function renderDrossBubble() {
 
   drag(fab, fab, true); drag(header, panel, false);
 
+  // ---- voice: tap mic to record, tap again to stop → transcribe → review-and-send ----
+  let media = null, chunks = [], recording = false;
+  function setMic(label, rec) { micLabel.textContent = label; mic.classList.toggle('rec', !!rec); }
+  async function startRec() {
+    try {
+      const stream = await navigator.mediaDevices.getUserMedia({ audio: true });
+      chunks = [];
+      const opt = (window.MediaRecorder && MediaRecorder.isTypeSupported('audio/webm;codecs=opus'))
+        ? { mimeType: 'audio/webm;codecs=opus' } : {};
+      media = new MediaRecorder(stream, opt);
+      media.ondataavailable = (e) => { if (e.data && e.data.size) chunks.push(e.data); };
+      media.onstop = async () => {
+        stream.getTracks().forEach(t => t.stop());
+        await sendClip(new Blob(chunks, { type: media.mimeType || 'audio/webm' }));
+      };
+      media.start();
+      recording = true; setMic('● Recording… tap to stop', true);
+    } catch {
+      setMic('Mic blocked', false); setTimeout(() => setMic('Tap to record', false), 1800);
+    }
+  }
+  function stopRec() {
+    if (media && recording) { recording = false; setMic('Transcribing…', false); media.stop(); }
+  }
+  async function sendClip(blob) {
+    try {
+      const fd = new FormData(); fd.append('audio', blob, 'clip.webm');
+      const res = await fetch('/api/voice/transcribe', {
+        method: 'POST', headers: { Authorization: 'Bearer ' + (localStorage.getItem('void_token') || '') }, body: fd
+      });
+      if (!res.ok) throw new Error('stt');
+      const { text } = await res.json();
+      setMic('Tap to record', false);
+      if (text) { input.value = input.value ? (input.value + ' ' + text) : text; input.focus(); }
+      // voiceMode 'handsfree'/'action' (Phase 2b+) would branch here.
+    } catch {
+      setMic('Transcribe failed', false); setTimeout(() => setMic('Tap to record', false), 2000);
+    }
+  }
+  mic.addEventListener('click', () => recording ? stopRec() : startRec());
+
   window.addEventListener('dross-settings-changed', async () => {
     try { cfg = { ...cfg, ...(await api.get('/api/dross/settings')) }; } catch { return; }
     applyAccent(fab, cfg.accent); applyAccent(panel, cfg.accent);

public/style.css

@@ -765,6 +765,8 @@ body.drawer-open #scrim { opacity: 1; pointer-events: auto; }
 .dross-btnrow{display:flex;gap:10px}
 .dross-mic{flex:1;height:50px;border-radius:12px;border:1px solid var(--dross-dim);background:var(--dross-soft);color:var(--dross-glow);cursor:pointer;display:flex;align-items:center;justify-content:center;gap:9px;font-family:var(--font-ui);font-size:13px}
 .dross-mic[disabled]{opacity:.5;cursor:not-allowed}
+.dross-mic.rec{background:#3a1010;border-color:var(--accent);color:#fff;animation:dross-rec 1.2s infinite}
+@keyframes dross-rec{0%,100%{box-shadow:0 0 0 0 rgba(255,79,46,.5)}50%{box-shadow:0 0 0 8px rgba(255,79,46,0)}}
 .dross-send{width:64px;height:50px;border-radius:12px;border:1px solid var(--dross-dim);background:linear-gradient(180deg,var(--dross),var(--dross-dim));color:#fff;cursor:pointer;display:grid;place-items:center}
 .dross-collapse{display:flex;align-items:center;justify-content:center;gap:8px;height:34px;cursor:pointer;color:var(--muted);
   font-family:var(--font-ui);font-size:11px;letter-spacing:.12em;text-transform:uppercase;background:#0b0810;border-top:1px solid var(--border)}

tests/routes/voice.test.js

@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeAll } from 'vitest';
+import request from 'supertest';
+import { createApp } from '../../server.js';
+import { resetDb } from '../helpers/db.js';
+import { migrateUp } from '../../lib/db/migrate.js';
+
+let app;
+const owner = { Authorization: 'Bearer test-token' };
+beforeAll(async () => {
+  await resetDb(); await migrateUp();
+  process.env.OWNER_TOKEN = 'test-token';
+  app = createApp();
+});
+
+describe('voice transcribe route', () => {
+  it('401 without a token', async () => {
+    const res = await request(app).post('/api/voice/transcribe');
+    expect(res.status).toBe(401);
+  });
+  it('400 when no audio supplied', async () => {
+    const res = await request(app).post('/api/voice/transcribe').set(owner);
+    expect(res.status).toBe(400);
+  });
+});